All that climbing, running, and throwing? It's exactly what they need right now.
These activities develop balance, coordination, and the large muscle groups needed for confident movement.
From first wobbly steps to confident running, this is the year of gross motor transformation. Your toddler also develops crucial fine motor skills: pincer grasp refinement, stacking, scribbling, and early attempts at using utensils.
Create safe spaces for physical exploration: indoor climbing, outdoor running, stairs with supervision. Offer fine motor challenges like stacking games, simple puzzles, and crayons. Physical competence builds confidence that transfers to every area of development.
Gross and fine motor development at one year builds the physical confidence and dexterity that enable independent exploration, self-care, and creative expression.
One activity at a time. Toddlers do best with a single focus—too many materials out at once leads to overwhelm, not play.
Embrace the mess. Sensory play is vital at this age, and trying to keep things tidy will just frustrate you both.
Expect parallel play, not sharing. Toddlers aren't developmentally ready to share—give each child their own set of materials.
High energy needs an outlet. Plan physical activities for morning when energy peaks, and quieter play after lunch.
Set up a crawl-through tunnel using blankets, chairs, or boxes for your toddler to navigate — a thrilling adventure that builds body awareness.
Play upbeat music and dance with your toddler, then freeze when the music stops — a giggly game that builds balance and body control.
Lay out different textured surfaces in a path for your baby to crawl across — a sensory-rich adventure that builds motor planning and exploration.
Stick painter's tape in lines on the floor and challenge your toddler to walk along them — a homemade balance beam that builds foot coordination.
Set up a furniture path with interesting toys at each stop to encourage your baby to cruise along — a natural bridge to independent walking.
Practice going up and down stairs together with close supervision — a big milestone activity that builds leg strength and coordination.