How to create a motor skills course at home?

Creating a motor skills course at home or organizing games will help Ptiloup's little body and brain develop and grow in the best possible conditions. We'll give you the tools to set up simple activities for your toddlers who are just starting to walk.

What constitutes good psychomotor development?

Understanding one's body is taking one's first steps in life.

Understanding their body, developing muscle tone and balance, improving coordination, and also allowing them to relax are all highly valuable skills for babies to develop. Through play, your child fully engages in the activity. Their entire body and mind focus on walking, jumping, climbing, sliding, rolling, falling, walking again, and so on. Each of these actions provides an incredible amount of information that their brain learns to process step by step.

A coupling between perception and action then gradually forms.. Movement activates neural connections, and these same connections activate movement. This virtuous cycle helps Baby grow, develop, and gain confidence.

Gross motor skills are indeed an incredible skill for the autonomy of toddlers.. Learning to use one's body also allows the child to better understand the risks and to limit its endangerment day after day.

How to create a motor skills course at home using whatever materials you have on hand?

An outdoor 2D motor skills course

You can simply use the ground in the yard or on the patio (or even the garage) to draw a course. A curve to walk along, two parallel lines to indicate running, circles to signify jumps, crosses to place hands on… Define a simple code with your child and enrich it as their imaginations evolve.

Materials needed:

• Colored chalks.

An outdoor 3D motor skills course

Any object in your garden (solid and without sharp edges, of course) can be used to create an obstacle course. A log to step over, a patch of grass to crawl in, a puddle to jump in, a plank on the ground to safely master balance, a plastic container as a podium, garden chairs to create a tunnel or a maze, etc.

 

You can also use the garden games classic and repurpose them. Seesaws and spinning tops are excellent unstable areas or climbing blocks. The possibilities are endless!

See all outdoor games

You can also add little missions that are sure to pique their interest: watering the peony all by themselves, picking a strawberry along the path, throwing the pine cone into the bucket…

An outdoor sensory trail

You can also encourage your little one to discover new sensations with your feet. To do this, arrange a line of containers and fill them respectively with different materials:

 

Sand, grass clippings, dried leaves, gravel, a small cushion or folded sweater, sandpaper, moss, etc. You can finish the course with a tub filled with water to wash off their little feet from their experiments.

See the rEEL Instagram wesco

A 3D motor skills course at home

Here again, your living room or kitchen offers numerous possibilities for creating an enviable motor skills course. Place a cushion on the floor to walk on, a chair to crawl under, the sofa becomes a climbing area, the dining table covered with a sheet transforms into a cave, the toy bins become sensory footbaths, etc. Every object can become a pretext for motor skills.

What simple games can help develop Baby's motor skills?

You can also organize a whole series of games with whatever you have on hand, which help develop coordination, balance, motor skills, and even cooperation and self-confidence. Here are a few examples gathered from various sources, particularly thanks to advice from the association. Together for Early Childhood Education which our corporate foundation supports.

Developing grip strength with a ball

• A simple passing game It can be a great subject for learning and laughter. First, pass it from hand to hand, then roll it around, and you can sit on the floor and vary the fun.
• You can also play a game that will blend language learning by asking him to touch the ball with his hand, his foot, his stomach, his knee, and many other parts of his body. Laughter guaranteed!
• What if the ball went on a journey? Suggest that your child gently roll the ball from the kitchen to the bathroom, going under the chair, for example. They will have to use a whole range of... vocabulary comprehension and gross motor skills.

Follow the thread of Ariadne

• Make their circus dreams come true by laying out a tightrope course on the ground for them to follow as best they can. When they're very young, they won't be able to follow the rope perfectly, but you can offer this game for several years.

With a cardboard box

• You could make a giant shape sorter by cutting out holes of different shapes or several circles outlined in different colors. Then, provide objects in matching colors to put inside (toys, kitchen utensils, cups, etc.).

Nothing

To help your child become more aware of their body, you can also suggest a pose game. You assume a more or less silly position and invite your child to imitate it, becoming a mini-me for a moment. Which arm is raised? Is their back straight?

For older children, feel free to draw inspiration from the many games offered by Together for Early Childhood Education. 

Some tips to ensure your safety on the motor skills course

Everything is a game

The important thing is to have fun. The game allows the child to fully engage in their activities. Thus, playing is an extremely serious job and it is up to you to keep the notion of fun at the forefront.

Here and now

Here and now. While for a child the reality of the present moment is self-evident, this feeling fades with time. Be present and attentive during playtime. Your gaze will reassure your child and you will thus be able to prevent potential risks. Your child derives immense joy from recognizing their importance to you when you pay attention to their achievements. This doesn't mean you have to hold their hand for every move, as they are capable of doing it independently, and if the environment is properly prepared, the risks are manageable. Furthermore, it doesn't mean you have to be constantly present with your child. You will find the right balance between your respective needs, offering them periods of undivided attention followed by periods of greater autonomy.

Toddler empowerment

To begin, you'll need to create the course as a whole, and your little adventurer will quickly impose their own rules and modify the course as they see fit. Therefore, provide them with objects that are light enough for them to move on their own.

Security zone vs. movement zone

To ensure everything goes smoothly, you should be aware that this activity will inevitably generate some commotion. Expect jumping, running, sliding, and shouting. Therefore, Clear as much space as possible around the area and remove any fragile, valuable, or dangerous objects.. Your great-aunt's vase, the glass coffee table, the stereo equipment, the small building blocks, the rug that slides on the tiles… Your toddler should be able to move around this space as freely as possible during playtime. This way, you'll feel more at ease and can more easily let them explore and discover new skills.

In short

You have around you a multitude of objects useful for creating a baby motor skills course. Trust yourself to create the area or games that will amuse your little one. Remember that it is through play that children learn and that fun plays a very important part in it.

No stress, no performance, just happiness! You can trust Baby, he will indeed reveal his talents to you.

Our articles on the same topic

• How to encourage Baby's development by setting up a Montessori Nido?
• How to support Baby's psychomotor development
• My job as a psychomotor therapist

To learn more:

• Psychomotor skills at home, offered by Together for Education and Early Childhood
• Actibloom – The proper use of motor skills courses