Gross Motor Skills in Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Get on the floor with your baby. Ensure your baby has a soft, safe place to practice their gross motor skills. You can play along by placing a favorite toy out of reach and seeing if they'll roll over to find it.

Bring out a mirror. Use mirrors as a prop when practicing gross motor skills. "Add a low mirror to inspire your baby to push up during tummy time," says Amanda Vierheller, COO and co-founder of Playgarden, which creates educational and developmental programs for children. "Show your little one how to look in the mirror by pushing up. Make funny faces to encourage your baby to spend more time building upper body strength."

Play peekaboo. Vierheller says that babies love to mimic their favorite

 adults and that practicing gross motor skills should be fun. "Model

 pushing up from your tummy by playing peek-a-boo with your baby," she says. "Lay in front of your little one face down, and then push up to say, 'peek-a-boo!' Smile and laugh while you play and your baby will eventually copy your actions, working their arms with baby push-ups."

Use a pop-up tunnel for crawling practice. Vierheller also recommends using a pop-up tunnel to encourage babies to practice crawling. "Place a beloved toy, or a favorite person, at the end of the tunnel and have your little one practice crawling all the way through," she says.

Toddler Activities

Invent your own games. Vierheller recommends inventing little games for toddlers to develop essential skills. "Promote balance by having little ones carry items from one place to another," she suggests. "Put two laundry