Walking, running and playing are important skills that allow children to enjoy free time while also encouraging them to get some exercise. Kids Health suggests that playing a variety of different games and with a variety of different toys will enable a child to gain muscle control, balance and coordination. Playing goes hand in hand with learning and there are many different toys that can help teach children to walk, run and play.
Toys that Teach Walking
Walking is one of the most celebrated milestones that a child achieves. Once a child learns that he can get around on his own by crawling or cruising around on furniture, there are a variety of different toys that encourage a child to learn how to walk, reports Baby Center. Push toys can encourage a toddler to get up and walk around the room. Weighted push toys such as wagons work best, says Baby Center, because toddlers can lean into them in order to push them. Balls also work well because they encourage a child to stand up and bounce the ball, which may motivate a few steps.
Toys that Teach Running
Just as balls can teach prewalkers to take those first few steps, balls can also teach children to run because the thrill of chasing and kicking is a skill that older toddlers and preschoolers are able to master, reports Baby Center. Kids Health recommends push-and-pull toys because as children learn how to walk well, the next step will be running while pushing or pulling a toy. Playground equipment can encourage running as children engage in age-appropriate games based on their physical abilities.
Toys that Teach Playing
Baby Center encourages parents to provide balls that allow children to learn to roll, throw, catch and bounce. Activity tables can teach children to push and pull and blocks encourage imaginative play. Tents, tunnels, and indoor gyms teach children a variety of physical movements. Jumping is another good example of playing. Toddlers love the feel of jumping but Baby Center reports that many toddlers have a difficult time getting both feet to leave the ground at the same time. Hold your child's hand and help her jump on a low trampoline as a safe way to practice jumping. A bouncy ball with a handle is another good toy that allows a child to experience the thrill of leaving the ground while also developing the muscle tone necessary to jump using both feet.
