Creative movement allows toddlers to have fun, enjoy the freedom of physical activity and use their creativity in ways that builds self-esteem. Creative movement also has a more practical use since carefully selected activities that target specific learning goals help toddlers develop motor skills, reach educational milestones and learn about communication and problem-solving. Creative movement activities appeal to the whole child by connecting movement to self-expression and learning.
Large Muscle Development
Creative movement activities can focus on large muscle development while allowing your toddler to express his unique personality through role playing and other games of pretend and make-believe. Follow the Leader allows each toddler to take a turn leading the group. The leader pretends to be different kinds of animals, such as a duck or a horse, or parts of nature like leaves and snowflakes or just go through a series of movements like jumping, hopping and skipping. The rest of the group follows and imitates the leader. The Guess What I Am activity requires your toddlers to take turns acting out an animal or a person, such as a fireman, while the other children try to answer the question.
Following Directions
Combine singing with physical activity to help your toddler learn new words and improve her ability to follow directions. Teach new songs by making up new lyrics to familiar tunes. For instance, use the tune "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" with words that describe activities performed, such as "This is the way we pick up our toys" or "This is the way we set the table." Add the names of the toddlers to verses in the song, such as "This is the way Steve stacks the blocks," to add to the fun and interest.
Music and Rhythm
An activity using music can teach toddlers about concepts such as rhythm, fast and slow while allowing them to move, dance and contribute to the sound. Play music while your toddlers march or dance in place and teach them to clap or stomp their feet to the beat. Demonstrate fast beats, slow beats and double beats. Encourage your toddlers to perform jumping jacks to the beat of the music or create their own dance moves to interpret the music. Extend this activity to another day by having the toddlers make their own rhythm noise-makers with arts and craft items and interpreting the music again.
Fine Motor Skills
Engage your toddlers in a creative movement activity that only requires finger play and learning to recite or interpret simple poems, such as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Teach your toddlers the finger movements to go with the poems or allow them to make up their own finger movements to the short poem "There Was a Little Turtle," the text of which is available on the Productive Parenting website. This activity improves fine motor skills and language skills.
