Get your toddler moving and teach valuable pre-reading skills with this fun activity.

It takes a little time to prepare, but once you are ready to go, you and your toddler can have fun over and over again!

What you need for this activity…
* Popsicle sticks
* A color print-out of the free Stop, Go, and More download printed on thick paper
* An extra piece of thick paper for the backs of the signs

Preparing this activity…
1. Hold the  Stop, Go, and More print-out and the extra piece of paper together and cut out each circle. (This will give you a colored “sign” circle and a blank circle for the back.)
2. Glue each sign circle to a popsicle stick. Then, glue on a back so that the popsicle stick is sandwiched between a sign and a blank back.
3. Allow to dry. (You may want to put the signs under heavy books to keep them flat.

Get your Toddler Moving…
Different toddlers will want to play with the signs in different ways. Some like to lead. Some like to follow. Whether you or your toddler chooses the signs and directs the activity, the keys are:

• Read the sign out-loud and repeat it as you do what the sign says to do. (This will help your toddler associate the words with the actions.)
• Hold the sign up as you do what it says so your toddler repeatedly sees the word(s).
• Switch signs frequently to keep your toddler moving and excited.
• After you have gone through the signs a couple of times, encourage your toddler to guess what the sign says.

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Wall Walking
In front of the town hall where we live, there is a low retainer wall about 2 feet off the ground and 8 inches thick. When we walk up to pay the water bill, he practices his balance by walking on the wall. I used to hold his hand, but now he cruises so fast that I just walk along side in case he missteps.

Curbs
Down the street, there is a retirement community that has a curb that winds its way around the parking lot and down in between the buildings. Because it is so long and continues with few breaks, it is a great way to practice balance and gross motor skills. Since it is only about 6 inches high, my toddler can run free with little risk.

Home-Made Balance Beam
When the weather is poor, we can still practice balance with a home-made balance beam. We just grab a piece of sturdy wood from out back (a plank from an old fence, a 2×4, or whatever we find.) Then, we make a few piles of books the same height. Obviously, you need a stack at each end, but we generally have to put one in the middle too because wood can bend under his weight. Be careful with your home-made balance beam though. Wood can slip off the books or have splinters. Check for nails too, and make sure that stacks at the ends are right at each end so that it doesn’t turn into a catapult.

Walk the Line
One of the least dangerous ways to practice balance is to use masking tape to make a path on the floor. Encourage your toddler to put one foot in front of the other to stay on the line. If you are really ambitious, you can make the path go through several rooms and put a surprise at the end.

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Letters in Hiding
Sometimes, I take individual letters from the puzzle mat and hide them strategically around the house. For example, I might hide the letter B in the bed, the P under a pillow, the O in his toy oven. I don’t tell him that I have hidden them. I just let him find the letters on his own and then make a big deal about it. “You found a B in the bed! Bed starts with the letter B. B..B..Bed. B…B…Boy… You get the idea.

Alphabet Road
Often, we make a road out of the letters that winds around corners, through doors, or around furniture. Of course, you have to sing the alphabet song as you walk the alphabet road.

Letter Puzzle
I put a few of the puzzle frames on the floor without the letters in them. Then, I hold up a letter and ask him to find where it goes. As he searches for the correct frame, I talk about the letter and things that start with it. Once he has filled in a few holes, I put out more empty frames. I love this game because instead of looking for the letter, he is looking for a hole the SHAPE of the letter. Plus, it is a healthy challenge for him to fit the letter into the frame.

Alphabet Letter Tracing
My toddler and I work on his fine motor skills by tracing the individual alphabet letters. He still needs help, but it is a fun activity that keeps him entertained.

Bag-O-Alphabet Letters
Sometimes, we put some of the alphabet letters in a pillowcase. (I generally don’t include letters like X, Z, etc.) He reaches in and picks one out. Then, we run around the house looking for things that start with that letter. He gets a nice workout while learning his alphabet.

Letter of the Day
We do this activity a lot. I usually pick a letter based on his latest interest. For example, when he was all about the dog we had D day. I go around the house and find a bunch of small things that start with that letter and put them in a box. Then, I grab the letter from the alphabet puzzle mat, hold it behind my back, and present it to him with the box of items. He spends the next hour playing with the items in the box while I make a big deal about the letter.

Run and Jump!
This one is good for wearing out your spirited toddler while they work on their gross motor skills. I choose about five letters and put them on the floor. Then, I have my energetic little boy run a lap around the downstairs. As he rounds the bend to where I am, I shout out a letter. He has to think quick, find it, and jump on it. I swap out a letter or two and we do it again. It sounds kind of silly, but he will do it a dozen times before he gets bored.

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Target fine motor skills: Toddlers have the energy and curiosity to make trying new more advanced activities fun. These are the years when learn hand to eye coordination, so seek out activities that help them practice fine motor skills. Activities like stacking blocks, finger painting, or working a simple puzzle will help your child expand her fine motor skills. While this type of play doesn’t look like much, your toddler is developing the muscles and coordination that will later help her to hold a pencil and eventually write her own name.

Keep it simple: Activities that keep your toddler healthy and engaged don’t need to be complex or elaborate. Most toddlers will play with just about anything! Most toddlers explore enough on their own to provide them with the exercise they need to stay healthy. All they need is the opportunity, and a safe place to play. Encourage your toddler to explore by offering a safe environment and a selection of interesting objects to explore. If you baby-proofed when your child was born, it is probably time to take a fresh look at your home—toddlers can get into more trouble, and reach more areas than infants can!

Play with others: Children who don’t have others to play with are less likely to be active. Consider joining a play group, or visiting a park or playground. The change of scenery will give your toddler lots of time to explore, and you may make a few new friends as well!

Play with your toddler: A bonus to taking on the position as your toddler’s fitness guide is that you can reap the benefits as well. Toddler love to play tag and you can enjoy a quick game of tag with your toddler every day. You don’t have to be able to run fast to play and your toddler will love the individual time that he or she gets with you.

Practice gross motor skills: Another way to keep toddlers on the move is to have a ready assortment of balls of all sizes. Provide age appropriate basketball goals, plastic bats, and any other sports equipment you can find. They will spend hours throwing, kicking, and hitting things across the back yard. The movements that your toddler will make will keep him fit—and help him develop the gross motor skills he will need as a “big kid”.

Work together: Avoid the temptation to put your toddler on the back of the bicycle or in the stroller and take off for your own exercise routine. Find healthy activities for your toddler’s benefit and yours as well. It may take a little longer to make it around the block, but if you let your toddler lead the way, a simple trot around the neighborhood will do you both a world of good.

Adopt healthy attitudes and habits yourself, and bring your toddler along for the ride. The healthy habits you instill in her today will stick with her, and foster a lifelong love of fitness and exercise.

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