It is necessary to ensure your toddler is physically active for various health benefits. You can use countless exercises and activities to promote the motor development of your young one. The best part is that many options do not require you to make much effort.
Using different activities to improve your two years old’s physical development will help the child grow better. You don’t have to look far for information about such exercises. This guide will allow you to improve your toddler’s physical development in no time.
Key Notes
- 30 minutes of daily physical activity is necessary for a toddler’s physical development
- Activities with climbing and jumping enhance motor skills significantly
- Stretching can allow your kid to enjoy more flexibility in the future
- Scavenger hunts are an excellent idea for promoting physical development while keeping things fun
6 Activities That Will Improve Your 2 Years Old’s Physical Development
Here are the top six activities for promoting the physical development of your toddler:
1. Climbing Exercises
All experts recommend that toddlers should get at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity. Such activities should be structured by adults for the best experience. This means that the game must help with motor and cognitive development.
One of the best structured activities for physical development is climbing. You can create a pillow fortress using sofa cushions or other soft pillows. Your toddler can try to climb these items to improve their fine motor skills.
You may also make your kid jump above the pillows or maintain their balance on them. Remember, your two-year-old may need some help in the beginning because of poor balance and fear. Here are some things that will help you create a climbing activity:
- Use pillows or objects of various shapes
- Make a low fortress and increase difficulty gradually
The best part about using pillows is that they are soft, so you will not have to worry about the child getting injured if the fortress topples.
2. Stretching
Stretching is another great way to promote the physical development of toddlers. The best thing about this activity is that it can come under structured and unstructured categories. So you can easily vary the amount of time to provide your toddler for stretching.
Help your child stretch their legs and arms while standing to improve flexibility. You can also make them bend during the activity to enhance balance. Stretching can also be performed while maintaining a semi-upright position.
Here is an example of a stretching activity for two-year-olds:
- Sit on the floor and stretch your legs
- Maintain your upper body in an upright position
- Use your hands to touch your toes without bending completely
This is an easy physical activity for toddlers because of their small size, which makes it easier for the kid to reach their legs. The best part about stretching with your child is that you will also benefit from the physical exercises.
3. Scavenger Hunts
Scavengers or treasure hunts are a favourite activity of young ones because of the adrenaline rush. Searching for things around the house is fun and keeps the kid distracted. The best part is you can motivate your toddler easily by hiding their toys during the hunt.
Your kid will think and focus better while looking for the items. This means that the activity will also promote development aspects other than physical activity. So you can enjoy a productive day and help your toddler improve motor plus cognitive skills.
Another hunting activity is burying the toys in a pile of different items. You can then encourage your child to take out one of the toys from the pile. This activity will promote the hand movements of your toddler because the kid will have to dig in.
A scavenger or toy hunt is best for improving physical development because they require your child to use their hands, feet, and brain. The best part is that the activity will be fun, so your toddler will not feel boredom.
4. Keep Balloons In Air
It is no secret that balloons excite kids and encourage them to play with the item. This is why you can use this inexpensive method to promote physical development in no time. The best part is that you can create various games using balloons.
One of the top activities that help with physical development is keeping balloons in the air simultaneously. You can fill three to six balloons using a pump. Then encourage your toddler to keep all the pieces in the air simultaneously.
Your toddler will have to think and move fast to prevent the balloons from hitting the floor. You may also play first to show your kid what they must do or encourage them to mimic you. This activity involves using hands and feet, making it best for physical development.
Remember to keep the balloons in a spacious part of your house. It will make it easier for the toddler to play without hurting themself.
5. Dancing
Many experts recommend that a toddler should also receive 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity daily. Dancing is the top exercise that comes under this category. This is because it is not required for toddlers to dance to choreographed songs only.
Many radio stations play kid-friendly tunes to help parents dance with their children. You may also use YouTube, social media, or other applications for dancing to fun tunes. Your toddler will move their upper and lower body while dancing.
This means that the activity will promote the physical development of the entire body and refine different skills. You also don’t have to worry about spending money on this exercise. Dancing can be done at home and other places easily.
You may also make a game out of dancing by pausing the song often. So your kid should freeze when the music stops. The benefit of this game is that it will also improve the critical thinking skills of your toddler. After all, they will have to decide when to dance and when to stop moving.
6. Hide And Seek
Hide and seek is a favourite activity of kids of all ages because of the fun it offers. This game will help you promote physical development and target different aspects. Your kid will learn how to stand still when hiding from you during the game.
The toddler will also learn how to stay quiet and avoid getting caught. You should explain the game to your young one thoroughly. Remember not to be strict about rules because of the child’s age. It is also best to display a tutorial of the game to make understanding it easier.
You can also promote the counting skills of your kid with this game. After all, the seeker has to count to ten before starting to catch the other players. Family bonding can also be promoted with this activity.
Closing Thoughts
These are the top six activities that will help you improve your two years old’s physical development. Some games require your toddler to use their hands, while others encourage the usage of the complete body.
This is why you can improve the motor and cognitive skills of the kid easily. Remember to mix different games in the daily schedule to prevent things from getting boring for your toddler.