Gross motor development
Toddlers practice standing or walking on a balance beam.
Be Prepared: A balance beam for toddlers is typically the following size: height 2–3 inches, width 4–6 inches, and length 4–6 feet. Remove all items, such as toys and furnishings, within three feet of all sides of the beam.
[Invite 2–3 toddlers to join you for a balance activity. Sit facing the toddlers.]
Standing and walking on a balance beam feels very different than standing and walking on the floor or ground. We need to focus on keeping our body balanced. Sometimes it helps to put our arms out to the sides of our body.
[Demonstrate extending your arms while standing still and then walking slowly with arms out to the sides. Invite toddlers to put their arms out to their sides while standing.]
It is okay if you want to stand on the balance beam but not walk today. Maybe you will want to walk on the balance beam some other time.
We want to keep safe when we use the balance beam. We do not make a lot of noise or get near the beam when someone is on the beam. We take turns on the balance beam.
[Describe the following rules for safe play on the balance beam. Include additional rules your room may have.
[Invite one toddler to stand at the end of the balance beam. Offer your hand as support as the toddler gains balance. Holding or providing physical support is not recommended. Encourage the toddler to stand for a moment on the beam (to get balanced) and then walk on the beam if he/she wishes. Explain that we are not in a hurry. Encourage the toddler to take his/her time. A toddler may prefer to stand only on the beam.
Encourage a toddler to hold his/her arms out to the side for improved balance. Kneel next to the balance beam to provide a hand of support or a brief, gentle word of encouragement. Encourage and praise patience for toddlers who are waiting.
Provide each toddler with 2–3 turns on the balance beam if toddler interest and time permit.]
We practiced standing or walking on the balance beam. Standing and walking on a balance beam is very different than standing or walking on a floor. Practice on a balance beam can help us balance our body when we stand and move. What is one way we can balance our body? (put out our arms) We also practiced waiting for our turn.
[Offer comments on each toddler’s participation. Examples: “You are learning how it feels to move on the balance beam, David. Your feet slipped, but you got back on the beam and tried again.” “Bree, you waited for your turn. You walked right across the balance beam. You balanced your body!”]
You will notice a range of ability and levels of interest in using the balance beam. Some toddlers will be at ease walking along the beam. If toddlers are not accustomed to physical challenges, it may take time to develop confidence and skill. For a toddler who is new to the balance activity, he/she may want to begin by simply stepping onto the beam and then returning to the floor. Encourage toddlers to set their own pace for learning to balance. If a toddler falls, ensure he/she is okay and encourage him to return to standing or walking on the beam.
Taking turns is essential to the safety of this activity. In general, children of this age have a limited understanding of how and why we take turns. Often toddlers say “my turn” without understanding its meaning. This self-regulation skill takes time to develop. Adult guidance in structuring turn-taking is typically needed. Facilitate turn-taking by announcing each turn. Offer advance notice. Example: “There are three friends for the balance beam. We take turns. First Jacob, next David, and then Bree.” Also, consider placing carpet squares in a line where waiting toddlers may stand.
Consider providing opportunities for toddlers who are interested in but reluctant to walk on a balance beam. If a toddler tends to arrive at your room before most others, put out the low balance beam at arrival time for practice. Another possibility is to place an aerobic step in an open area of the room and encourage a toddler to step up and walk on the step.
Extra support
Enrichment
Gross motor development
Toddlers practice balancing their bodies while walking on a path that includes a bridge (balance beam) over a pretend pond.
Be Prepared: This activity is for toddlers who readily walked on the balance beam in Option 1 or a similar activity. Create a path and bridge over a pretend pond by placing four carpet squares that lead to the balance beam (bridge) and four carpet squares on the other side of the beam. Leave 4–6-inch spaces between the squares. Put toy fish and/ or small water-related props on either side of the beam to help toddlers pretend they are walking on a bridge over a pond. Ensure there are no other items within three feet of all sides of the arrangement. Arrange for another adult to help with the activity.
Invite 3–4 toddlers to practice walking on a bridge over a pond. Describe the carpet square and balance beam arrangement as steps that lead to a bridge over a pond and more steps to follow after we get off our make-believe bridge. Draw attention to the pond props. Remind toddlers that we can put out our arms to help us balance our bodies when we walk on the balance beam. Lead toddlers in extending their arms in a standing position.
Explain that we pay attention to important rules so everyone is safe. The rules include only one toddler on the bridge at a time, and everyone gets a turn. Explain that (name of other adult) will help stand near the beginning of our path to help us know when it is our turn.
Invite toddlers to take turns walking along the path to the pretend bridge, walking across the bridge, and walking on the path on the other side of the bridge. The adult helper’s role is to let toddlers know when it is their turn to begin the walk. Avoid using the carpet squares as places for toddlers to stand while waiting to cross the bridge. It is useful locomotor practice for toddlers to move from carpet squares to balance beam and back to carpet squares without significant pause along the way.
Position yourself near the balance beam to offer encouragement and a hand if a toddler seems to be losing balance. Remind toddlers that we are not in a hurry to cross the pond. It is a beautiful pretend pond and we want to enjoy the walk.
Repeat the walk for each interested toddler. Conclude the activity by describing what happened and talking with toddlers about what it is like to walk on carpet squares and on the balance beam. Example: “How do we use our feet to walk on the balance beam? How do we use our feet to walk on a carpet square?”
This activity combines additional practice in walking on a balance beam with experiences walking on a different surface (carpet squares) prior to and after the beam. Toddlers may find it difficult to talk about the differences, as suggested in the Recap. But most likely, toddlers will notice the transition from carpet square to beam in terms of soft/hard surface, amount of space for feet, and the need to move carefully to balance their bodies on the beam.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: footprints or carpet squares, animal figures, blocks, sturdy branch or short board, sensory table and water
Toddlers will enjoy following a path around the room. Attach footprints to the floor or lay carpet squares end to end to make a pretend bridge.
Invite toddlers to create a bridge for animal figures by placing blocks end-to-end in the building area. Arrange animal figures on the floor and suggest the toddlers help the animals cross the bridge. On another day, create a bridge in the sensory table using a sturdy branch or a short board. Add a few inches of water and animal figures toddlers can move along the bridge.
Materials Needed: folded bedsheet
Preschool-age and school-age children will enjoy participating in Option 2. Offer achievable challenges, such as turning around and going the opposite direction, balancing on one foot, and taking 1–2 steps backward. Crawling infants and younger toddlers (12–24 months) will enjoy crawling or walking the length of a folded bedsheet.
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