Gross Motor Skills in Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

 baskets or cardboard boxes on either side of the room, one that is empty, and one filled with stuffed animals. Play 'rescue the animals' and make a game of moving the animals from one side to the other."

Get bouncing. Toddlers love to jump, so they'll probably go crazy for a small trampoline or rebounder. This will allow them to get some energy out while they practice their coordination and strengthen their legs and core. That said, Jennifer Cross, M.D., a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, cautions against baby

 jumpers. "In general, avoid baby jumpers. They do not help promote the development of trunk control needed for sitting and crawling, and they can exacerbate toe walking," she says.

Create an obstacle course. An at-home obstacle course can give your child space to practice balancing, running, crawling, and spatial awareness. With close supervision, you could also get toddlers to climb stairs and continue the course on another floor. Barchacky says that caregivers often guard children too carefully and won't give them opportunities to try new skills. "Many children can start climbing stairs at 16 months or earlier.

 Stair climbing allows for reciprocal motion (body awareness and discrimination skills) which are the foundational development for sports skills later in life," she says.

Throw a dance party. Put on some music and get moving! Vierheller recommends playing 'Freeze Dance' with balloons. "When the music plays,