Instructions

1. Go with your toddler for a walk in a natural space (beach, forest, park, etc.).
2. Encourage your toddler to find interesting things to pick up and investigate (e.g. stones, sticks, leaves)
3. Watch to ensure your toddler does not pick up anything unsafe.TIP: This simple activity develops balance and coordination in bending down to pick things up.

Variations

• In your home, encourage your toddler to help you in activities where you are picking up things around the house
• Picking up books and putting them on a shelf
• Picking up toys and putting them away
• Picking up clothes for the laundry

Benefits

This activity develops coordination of legs, arms and torso, plus dynamic balance. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve dynamic balance and coordination for lifting and lowering objects (e.g., weightlifting as a sport, and all daily lifting activities in general, plus combative sports such as wrestling and judo).