At this age, your child is no doubt very busy with all types of movements. He may want to help around the house, sweeping the floor with a child-sized broom or carrying a cookie to grandma. He may be practicing future sports skills, like tumbling or throwing and kicking balls. You may notice some more creative movements, like making up his own dance moves for a favorite song. What is spurring on all this activity?

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Children, at 2-3 years old, have an increased sense of control in their movements, which means a much larger variety of movements and greater balance. Some Controlled Movements your child will be able to perform include standing on his tiptoes, walking on his toes, twirling in place, and easily bending over without falling down.^1,2 You will notice more confidence in him when he’s at the playground, and instead of crawling off the end of the slide, he may now jump off and run to the next adventure. His balance will allow him to walk a balance beam with minimal help, balance briefly on one foot, and dance to music, with or without your suggestion.^3,1

This is a good time to introduce tumbling activities,⁴ like somersaults, rolling sideways down a grassy hill, wheelbarrow or crab walking, and jumping from low steps (with help), which practices landing on bent knees. You can also play movement games, such as “Simon Says”, or “Mother, May I,” to encourage rule following as well as a way to use a variety of different actions.

Your child will most likely enjoy future sports skills now, such as catching, running, throwing, and kicking.² In addition to exercising his muscles, these kinds of activities can help improve Hand-Eye Coordination. Be cautious about enrolling him in a sports program though. The Mayo Clinic feels that 2-5 year old children are “too young for most organized sports,”⁵ and the New York Times reported no later advantage in sports for children in toddler athlete programs.⁶ It’s better to explore running, tumbling, swimming, and other movements as a part of free play and build the foundations for sports. By the time children are six years old, “their vision, attention spans, and transitional skills, such as throwing for distance, improve. They’re also better able to follow directions.”⁵

Maria Montessori believed that “play is the work of the child,”⁷ a meaningful form of play that works towards completing goals and learning. To this end, your child may consider chores and taking care of the home to be part of his “work.” So, it is important to include actual purposeful work in his day.⁸ Doing a real household task allows him to imitate what you do (which most children love!), and take pride in helping with the household. Chores that your child can easily help with include putting away his toys, placing dirty clothes in the hamper, feeding your pet, wiping up spills from the table or floor, and setting the table, though don’t give him anything too heavy or delicate.⁹ Don’t be concerned if you find him repeating a task, such as cleaning a table, regardless of whether or not it is necessary. Children often repeat tasks “to joyfully engage in and master a process.”⁷

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Play Tips:

Do you want to know how you can support your child’s development of these Controlled Movement skills at this age? It’s easy! Read on for some simple tips to incorporate into your daily play time together.

1. Provide interesting play equipment to expand your child’s range of motions.³ Different-sized balls encourage your child’s ball catching and throwing skills. Low balance beams support his active focus and balance, and riding toys provide exercise for the legs in addition to practicing balance. If you don’t have these materials and gear at home, take advantage of local parks, playgrounds, and activity centers.
2. Play games that include purposeful movements. Play motion instruction games, like “Red Rover” and “Simon Says,” to encourage your child to make purposeful movements. Model each action you suggest so that he will be sure to understand what you’re asking him to do.
3. Involve your toddler in household work.⁹ Because balance in life is the goal, balance movement for fun with movement for work. Your toddler will enjoy helping with tasks that run your household. Encouraging him to use a dust cloth, pick toys up from the floor and put them away, or help set the table (using child-safe plates) will give him practice moving in many different ways as well as give him a sense of usefulness.

Developmental Milestones:

Has your baby achieved the following Controlled Movement  developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) she has already mastered to date using Playful Bee’s developmental milestones tracker. It’s absolutely FREE and easy to use, just click HERE!

• Bends over easily without falling.

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Sources:

¹Maryland State Department of Education (2010). Healthy Beginnings: Supporting Development and Learning from Birth through Three Years of Age.

²Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (2009). Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood.

³Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (2010). Massachusetts Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers.

⁴Gavin, Mary L. (2011). Fitness and Your 2- to 3-Year-Old. Kids Health. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/staying_fit/fitness_2_3.html.

⁵Mayo Clinic Staff. Children and Sports: Choices for All Ages. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/fitness/art-20048027.

⁶Hyman, Mark (2010). Sports Training Has Begun for Babies and Toddlers. The New York Times: Sports. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/sports/01babies.html?_r=0.

⁷Larson, Heike (2013). The Five Characteristics of Play – And of Montessori Work. Maria Montessori. Retrieved February 25, 2014, from http://mariamontessori.com/mm/?p=2374.

⁸Mooney, Carol Garhart (2000). Theories of Childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky. St Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

⁹Barnes, Kathy. Chores for Busy Toddlers. Parents. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/behavioral/chores-for-toddlers/#page=8.

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Playful Bee

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Playful Bee is an e-Preschool that delivers inquiry-based preschool learning from the classroom to your home. Our preschool curriculum was created by our talented team of rock star teachers. With years of hands-on preschool and Kindergarten teaching experience, they've developed a high-quality preschool experience that is convenient-to-use and easy-to-teach by you, grandparents, or your nanny at home.

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