Animal Walk Parade for Toddlers

No materials needed — just open floor space

Clear a stretch of floor about 10-15 feet long. A hallway is perfect, or head outside to a flat grassy area.

Start with the bear walk. Get on all fours with your hands and feet on the ground (not your knees). Walk forward slowly, keeping your legs as straight as possible. Your toddler will try to copy you.

When you reach the end, announce the next animal: "Frog time!" Crouch down low and hop forward using both feet. For younger toddlers, even a small squat-and-step counts.

Try the crab walk — sit on the floor, put both hands behind you, and lift your hips up. Shuffle sideways across the room. This one is hilariously hard for everyone.

Do a penguin waddle — stand up, pin your arms against your sides, turn your feet outward, and waddle forward with tiny steps.

Add a snake slither — lie on your tummy and use your arms to pull yourself forward across the floor.

After you've gone through a few animals, let your toddler pick an animal. "What animal should we be next?" Then figure out the movement together.

String all the animal walks into a parade and go through them in sequence.

Don't worry about perfect form. A toddler's "bear walk" might be more of a hands-and-knees crawl, and that's completely fine. The attempt is what builds strength.

Each animal walk targets different muscles. Bear walks build arm and shoulder strength. Frog hops build leg power. Crab walks build core and arm coordination. Together, they're a full-body workout.

Make animal sounds as you move. Growl like a bear, ribbit like a frog. The sounds make the activity more engaging and help your toddler remember which movement goes with which animal.

For younger toddlers (12-18 months), stick to bear walks and frog hops. Crab walks and more complex movements work better for 2-3 year olds.

This is a fantastic way to burn energy before naptime or bedtime. Five minutes of animal walks leaves toddlers happily exhausted.