How to Keep a Toddler Physically Fit

Even if it seems your toddler never sits still, you can encourage good physical fitness development by guiding your child's play.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Balls For Toddlers
• Stereos
• Sheets
• Children's Music
• Pop-up Play Tunnels
• Push/pull Toys
• Toy Toolboxes

1. Play, play, play! Toddlers learn from manipulating and interacting with objects in their everyday environment. You can direct your child to appropriate and physical play by suggesting activities that involve physical coordination.

2. Roll a large, soft ball to your toddler to teach eye-hand coordination and balance. Your child will miss several times and have to chase the ball, resulting in cardiovascular workout and endurance.

3. Play hide and seek. Hide from your child and encourage your child to find you. Once you are found, run to a new spot to hide. Your toddler will chase you for as long as you hide. This activity builds spatial awareness and physical endurance.

4. Listen and move to music. Dance, jump or run in circles. Music provides an excellent opportunity to practice rhythm and balance and is a great aerobic workout for you and your toddler.

5. Pound and hammer with play tools. This activity is great practice for eye-hand coordination, and toddlers love to make loud noises with anything. Make sure you remind your toddler frequently what is appropriate to hammer on and what isn't.

6. Crawl through tunnels. Make tunnels from old sheets, chairs and tables. Not only will your toddler giggle and squeal with delight while worming through the homemade maze, you will be helping your child build spatial awareness and strong arms and legs.

7. Provide lots of push-and-pull toys. Pushing and pulling require good balance and spatial awareness. With a lot of practice, your toddler will become aware of the relationship between her own body and objects around her.

Tips & Warnings

• By observing spontaneous play, you can build physical movement into activities initiated by your toddler.
• Allow your child ample opportunity to explore and manipulate objects outside. Your child will naturally be physically active while outside.
• Find or start a play group. Interaction between children fosters physical activity.
• Praise your toddler often for trying to perform physical activities. Remember that your child is learning how to control a small body. Be careful not to be critical of mistakes.
• Consult a professional family doctor if you experience extreme frustration or anger when interacting with your child.

on 11/22/2005 well if you go to the store and buy lemons and you cut them up and put them in your hair and go out in the sun for a little while then you can have nicely lighter hair but you don't just have to have blond hair it can be any color and it will brighten it!!cool hugh?

on 11/22/2005 I saw the cutest idea on a TV show. Let toddlers pound different color golf tees into styrofoam blocks with toy hammers. This is good for hand-eye coordination, and it is a positive way to relieve their desire to bang and hit!