Gross motor development
Toddlers explore and practice kicking a ball.
Be Prepared: Most toddlers have the balance and coordination to stand, lift one foot, and kick a ball by 24 months of age. For many toddlers, important physical and cognitive tasks are to align one’s body with the ball and figure out how hard to kick the ball.
Secure balls made of soft material, such as low-density foam, that are approximately 6–8 inches in diameter. Adult sports balls are too heavy and large for toddlers to manage with success.
Prepare an area for ball play in a large room for gross motor play or use an outdoor play area away from play equipment. In some rooms, it is feasible to have ball activities in a designated area by moving furnishings and toys.
Determine a plan for (a) where toddlers will stand when kicking, (b) the direction balls will be kicked, (c) whether toddlers will take turns kicking (so you can pay attention to each toddler), and (d) how toddlers will retrieve the balls they kick, such as waiting for everyone to kick before picking up a ball.
[Invite 2–4 toddlers to join you to practice kicking balls.]
We have one ball for each friend. Each of us will play with one ball. Let’s talk about where we can kick our balls.
[Describe the space for playing ball. Example: “We will play with balls on the blue rug. Balls will stay in this part of our room.” Walk around the perimeter of the space alone or with toddlers, if appropriate.
Describe the plan you created for where toddlers stand, which direction balls are to be kicked, when to kick a ball, and how we retrieve kicked balls (see Be Prepared). Emphasize how the plan keeps everyone safe.]
[Place one ball directly in front of each toddler. Let the toddlers know they can begin kicking the balls. Remind toddlers of the plan for practicing our kicking.
Describe each toddler’s actions and respond to each toddler’s reactions with enthusiasm. Example: “Riley, your ball rolled all the way to the wall. You sure look happy!”
Remind toddlers to put the ball right in front of their feet when they practice kicking. Acknowledge a toddler’s coordination efforts in relation to the ball. Example: “Jordan, you moved your ball right in front of you when it was off to the side. You kicked the ball straight into the play yard!”
Offer the following types of assistance when appropriate:
Offer as many kicking rounds as time and toddler interest support. Some toddlers may leave the activity and others may join.]
[Invite toddlers to sit with you, holding their ball in their lap or on the floor between their knees. As if you are telling a story, describe the good time you all had kicking. Describe each toddler’s efforts. Encourage toddlers to talk about what it is like to kick a ball.]
ELM’s activities with balls are designed to promote large muscle strength and coordinate motor movements with vision and results. Example: Kicking a ball fosters understanding of distance, for example. Your assistance to toddlers in this activity is likely to focus mostly on different aspects of their body control, including thinking about an action before doing it (known as motor planning). Ball kicking without supervision is not recommended for toddlers.
Keeping this informal gathering small will help you pay attention to each toddler’s kicking skill and provide appropriate one-to-one support. Some toddlers may be ready for more challenge (see Enrichment tips), whereas others may need specific guidance on how to kick a ball. As with all activities, it is important to build on a child’s existing skills and to bolster confidence if it seems lacking, especially among toddlers with few related motor experiences to build upon.
Avoid setting up any kind of competition or score keeping, offering comments that compare toddlers’ skills, and showing more enthusiasm for one toddler’s efforts than you communicate for others. Celebrate each child’s emerging skill and success!
Offer the activity to each toddler in your room. Some toddlers may be eager to kick balls and consistently return to a ball-kicking activity. Seek out toddlers who may be hesitant to participate due to engagement in another activity. Your encouragement and individualized adaptations can help a lot here. Examples: If Imani does not want to leave bunny play, invite the toddler to put the bunny near the kicking area to watch. If a toddler is pretending to be a firefighter, explain it is time for the firefighters to kick the ball. The toddler may wish to wear his/her fire hat during the ball activity.
A toddler who has little experience with ball play may begin by simply putting a ball into a doll stroller to push. Another toddler may feel at ease rolling the ball back and forth with you as a beginning experience with a ball. Invite two toddlers with similar ball-kicking skills to join you for a playful game. Developing confidence and skill go hand in hand. Present a ball activity in a manner that is fun for each toddler!
Extra support
Enrichment
Gross motor development
Toddlers practice kicking the same ball 2–3 times.
Be Prepared: This activity is for toddlers who can readily kick a ball placed in front of them. Watching a child’s participation in Option 1 is one way to informally determine a toddler’s kicking skill. Secure balls made of soft material, such as low-density foam, that are approximately 6–8 inches in diameter. Offer the activity in a large indoor or outdoor space that is safe for gross motor activity.
Invite two toddlers to each kick a ball and then run after the ball to kick it again. Explain the activity and show the space boundaries for playing with a ball. You may wish for the two toddlers to take turns kicking their ball 2–3 times, so you can watch and support each child. This arrangement also enables a toddler to use the space by himself/herself and to watch a peer’s efforts.
Encourage the toddlers to run after their ball and wait for it to stop before kicking it again. Remind toddlers to stand in front of the ball or to move the ball so it is right in front of their legs. Consider using a “Ready. Set. Go.” prompt so toddlers know when to first kick their ball. It is helpful if you run with each toddler, offering encouragement and verbal support. The Option 1 suggestions of types of help a toddler may need are pertinent to this activity, too.
Describe a toddler’s actions and encourage toddlers to watch each other kick, run after the ball, kick again, run after the ball, and maybe kick again.
Watch for opportunities to help a toddler follow the ball with his/her eyes as he/she runs, and to position the ball in front of his/her legs by moving body or ball. These tasks make the current activity more challenging than Option 1. The activity is meant to have the feeling of spontaneous play with balls. Providing one ball for each child eliminates possible competition for kicking a ball.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: age-appropriate soft balls, ping-pong balls, spoons, water table, Twister® game
Provide balls used in Option 1 for continued practice in kicking if close supervision can be offered. Another approach to the Interest Area is to support fine motor skills. Toddlers will enjoy scooping up ping-pong balls with spoons from the water table. This simple activity supports eye-hand coordination. Add challenge by encouraging a toddler to say in advance which ping-pong ball he/she intends to scoop.
Twister® is a game toddlers will enjoy. It will be fun to put one body part on a circle and then switch to a new position. Use simple instructions. Examples: “Put one hand on a circle.” “Can you put two feet on two circles?” A toddler may prefer to use the mat on his/her own.
Materials needed: variety of age-appropriate soft balls, cones
Provide balls for children’s indoor or outdoor use under your close supervision. Mobile infants will enjoy rolling a ball. Younger toddlers enjoy carrying a ball(s) from one area to another. Provide just enough help for older toddlers to extend Option 1 by balancing, lifting one foot, and kicking a stationary ball. Preschool-age children enjoy a specific target for kicking a ball. Older children may enjoy setting up a line of cones to move a ball around without using their hands. Balls intended for infant use should not be kicked by other children.
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