Physical Activities for Toddlers 12-18months

Push-N-Pull

Materials: A variety of push-n-pull toys
Objective: Encourages Walking
*Supervise child with push toys, children who have not learned their balance may place their weight on the toy which cause them to move really fast and fall.

Provide you baby with push-N-pull toys so he/she can hold on and walk while at play. As your child begins to find their balance, encourage him/her to walk to get toys.


Dazia, which push toy would you like?
Oh my! Look at Dazia go!


Ball Toss
Materials: A variety of balls
Objective: Throws a ball


Provide a variety of balls for your toddler. Encourage your baby to toss the ball in a large bucket. For a fun you can also use safe items such as rolled socks, balls of yarn, or stuffed panty hose as "balls".


Toss the ball into the bucket, Taylen.
Awesome! You can really throw that ball!
This let's see if you can get it in the bucket.
Hooray, that’s it!


I Can Write
Materials: paper,tape,crayons,music
Objective: Begins to scribble


Tape a large piece of paper to the wall, table or floor. Provide your child with several colored crayons. Play a mixture of fast and slow music (multi-cultural music is a great choice) and encourage your child to the music.


Nataveous, I see you like writing to the fast tunes.
How fun! Would like to try one of these colors when you write next?
Red seems to be your favorite color lately.


UP and Over
Materials: Large shirt (size 10-12 years)
Objective: Gets dressed and undressed with some help


Provide a large slipover shirt for your toddler to practice putting on and taking off. An older child's clothing is great because the size is big but not too big. Talk to your child as you do this.


Where is LaCresha's head?
There it is! Now, where is your left hand?
Oh I see it! Where is your other hand, Cresha?
There it comes. Wiggle it through the sleeve.
You did a great job putting this shirt on.
Now, let's see if you can take it off.


Towering
Materials: 3 shoe boxes, tape
Objectives: Stacks tower of 2-3 blocks


Provide you child with 3 shoe boxes, with the lids taped. Show him/her how to stack the boxes to make a tower. Talk as you go.


James, mommy is stacking the boxes to make a tall tower.
Can you put your box on top of mine?
Excellent, now we have two boxes.
Oh, there they go down on the floor!

Hoppy Little Bunny
Objective: Encourages jumping with excitement


Encourage your baby to jump along as you sing:


Little bunny, Little bunny, hop,hop,hop
Little bunny, Little bunny, stop,stop,stop (clap hands)
Little buny, little bunny, hop really high
Little bunny ,little bunny hop to the sky
Little bunny, little bunny wave good-bye (wave good-bye)

Bottle Bowling
Materials: Several empty plastic bottles, ball
Objective: Rolls ball; hit some targets


Position a few bottles upright on the floor. Encourage your toddler to roll a ball toward the bottles to knock them down. Ask your child to help you set the bottles back up and roll the ball again. If your toddler prefers to carry the bottles instead, save the roll game for another day.


Let's roll the ball at the bottles, Jonny.
Yes, that’s it!
Whoops! Down goes the bottles!


Strong Baby
Materials: Variety of Inflatables
Objective: Carries large toys around


Visit you local dollar store and provide your toddler with large inflatable toys. These are numerous in the summer months. Allow your toddler to carry large inflatable balls, floats, and other objects. Talk to your child as he/she explores carrying big things around.


Oh, look at this big ball, Meka.
Wow, Meka can carry that big ball.
You are a strong girl, Meka!

Jumping in and out
Materials: tape, paper, scissors
Objective: Jumps in and out


Cut out a circle and tape it to the floor. Encourage your toddler to jump in and out of the circle. Talk about in and out as you play. With younger toddlers you may need to hold hands and jump in and out of the circle together before they do it alone.


Let's jump in the circle, Jesus
Now let's jump out of the circle.
Jesus is jumping into the circle!
This is fun, Jesus.