Physical Activities for Toddlers 18-24 months

Rolling and Throwing
Age: 18-24 months
Materials: Small ball
Development: Physical
Objective: Encourage child to roll and throw a ball

Have your toddler pick up and ball and ask him/her to throw it to you. When your toddlers does, roll the ball back to him so he/she can throw it again. If throwing is too difficult right now, just try rolling the ball back and forth to one another, and in time your baby will soon throw as well.

Throw the ball to Daddy, Carlos. Good job!
You threw that ball so far!


Run is Fun
Age: 18-24 months
Development: Physical
Objective: Enjoys Running

Toddlers love to run outdoors. Interact with your toddler to encourage him/her to run. You can have him/her chase you, or chase a ball or run to a tree. Run with your toddler to encourage them to do the same.

Come on Oliver. Let's run and touch the tree.

Baby in a Blanket
Age: 18-24 months
Development: Physical
Objective: Rolls body in blanket

Spread a soft blanket on the floor. Help your toddler lie down on the blanket. Show your child how to hold one end of the blanket and wrap himself in the blanket by rolling. Remain close by in case your child becomes scared if the blanket wraps too snuggly. Encourage your child to hide under the blanket, shake the blanket or wear the blanket like a cape.

Look at Beverly roll herself in that blanket.
Now roll out of the blanket, Beverly.
Blanket rolling is so much fun!

Balance Board
Age: 18-24 months
Materials: 6-8 inch board or several sheets of paper
Development: Physical
Objective: Walks on wide balance board

Place a 6-8 inch board or a paper trail on the floor for your toddler to practice walking with balance. Encourage your child to stay on the beam or paper without stepping off.

Abigale, can you walk way over here?
Take it slow. I know you can do it.

Curvy Road
Age: 18-24 months
Materials: Several strips of colored construction paper, riding toy
Development: Physical
Objective: Scoots on riding toys

Place several strips of construction paper on the floor to form a road. Have fun with it and make the strips form a curvy road. Show your child how to follow the road as he/she scoots along on his/her riding toys.

Paris, follow the road with your bike.
That’s the way! Can you follow it all the way to the door?
Excellent!

Lacing Plates
Materials: disposable plate, hole puncher, shoestring
Development: Physical/fine motor
Objective: Strings with some help

Punch several holes in the disposable plate. Tie the shoe string to one hole. Help and encourage your child to lace the shoestring through the holes.

Sharon, do you see the string on in and then out of the whole?
Can you give it a try?
You've got the idea! Keep going.

References
Welcome To Learning (1997)
KCLC, Inc.
Montgomery, AL