Toddler Gymnastics Accessories

Playmats, tents, tunnels: all of these things can be used for toddler gymnastics activities - but do you need to spend money on them?

They’re great if you want to have them. Kids love them and they’re fun to play with. But do you have to have them?

You know how kids are always more interested in the box or the wrapping paper and bows rather than the toys themselves? Same concept applies here.

If you use a little imagination - you probably have everything you need right at home to build some great fun activities for your child.

Mats: a blanket works great. Kids fall. That’s their nature. A mat or a blanket is going to do about the same thing. Harper spends more time picking himself up off the ground than anything else - kids are built for a few bumps and bruises. They’re tough little guys.

Tunnels: The tunnels you can get are great! Colorful, soft, usually fold up nicely. Did you ever play with a refrigerator box when you were a kid? They can be tunnels, clubhouses, spaceships (always my favorite - I would draw controls on the inside), anything you want them to be. A box can occupy your little all day and some of the next!

If you don’t want to spend the money - or just simply can’t afford it, be creative. Kid’s are going to have fun with whatever you provide them as long as you show them a little interaction as well. That’s one of the keys to toddler gymnastics - interacting with the child - I can never say enough about that one.

HarpersDad

Toddler Gymnastics Or…Chase!

For being less than 3 feet tall, the kid wears me out. Some days I’ll have some great idea that I’m excited about trying, that I got from a toddler gymnastics book or read online someplace that we (me) will set up so we can try out.

Before I know it - we’ll go from trying to balance on a line or climb a pile of cushions to Harper’s favorite game: chase. Harper loves being chased. He gets such a kick out of it. He’ll start coming towards me and if I move towards him he turns around, screams, and runs the other direction.

Sometimes he’ll crawl under the table - which occasionally I’ll try too - though I remember that type of thing being a lot easier a few years ago. Now my knees hurt, my head hurts when I hit it - I’m getting old in general I guess. But whatever - Harper can’t get enough of it.

Whatever toddler gymnastics activity I’ve thought about and set up sometimes just has to wait. Sometimes a good game of chase is all you really need to have fun and interact with your kid.

HarpersDad

Using Toddler Gymnastics To Improve Motor Skills

Remember how fun it was to just run and jump around when you were a kid? Jump up the curb, jump down the curb. Jump up, jump down. Toddler gymnastics activities can be used in a lot of ways to improve motor skills.

If your toddler is just starting out on two legs - or is just starting to get going toddler gymnastics can help them improve their skills. Harper is just starting to be able to run around without falling all the time - occasionally yes, but not too much anymore. One thing he loves is when I help him jump by holding his hands and lifting him up in the air over obstacles.

Helping them learn to get both feet off the ground is a great way to improve their overall balance and increase their motor skills confidence.

A fun way to do this which I’m guilty of is helping him learn to bounce on the bed. He gets such a kick out of it - I just don’t want him to do it when I’m not there!

There are all sorts of toddler gymnastics activities that you can use to improve their overall motor skills - again, it just takes a little imagination.

HarpersDad

Toddler Gymnastics - Climbing and Balancing

Harper is a climber. If there’s a way up it, he’s going. One of the real challenges with toddler gymnastics activities is to come up with ideas where the child can practice these skills without truly endangering themselves.

The other day I caught Harper on top of the dining room table standing and clapping. Yeah, cute - but scared the crap out of me.

Incorporated in the usual toddler gymnastics obstacle courses that I construct for him at home, I usually have some type of pile of cushions for him to try to scale.

Another good idea is to lay a blanket across the floor (which often becomes water or quicksand) and place pillows that he has to get to by stepping across without touching the blanket. This will help with his balance and coordination. Remember how when you were a kid there were always sharks swimming around somehow?

Toddler gymnastics can be real fun if you incorporate some sort of imaginary scenario into it. That always was one of the best things about being a kid - making an ocean out of a puddle or exploring a forest in your closet.

HarpersDad

Toddler Gymnastics - Stroller Races

As soon as Harper started to walk, he began pushing things around. He still loves pushing things: boxes, strollers, the dogs. We were at a birthday party the other day where they were doing some toddler gymnastics activities - one of which included stroller races.

They got the kids all lined up on one side of the room. Then they set up some cones and each child took a turn pushing a kid sized stroller (complete with teddy bear passenger) through the cones while the other children cheered and clapped.

As a side note - notice how part of this activity involves the mental aspect of following directions. That’s a good thing to think about when planning any type of toddler gymnastics activity. You want to incorporate both the physical and mental to challenge the kids.

Stroller races - what an easy thing to set up as a toddler gymnastics activity. And the kids loved it!

HarpersDad

Parents - Don’t Be Afraid To Participate in Toddler Gymnastics

This is true for things besides toddler gymnastics - you need to be ready to participate. Ask yourself, how often are you looking into your child’s eyes on his level? Do you get down on the floor with him? Or are you always looking down at him?

That’s the great thing about toddler gymnastics - it gets you involved with your child in a way that’s fun for them, and fun for you. I always get a kick out of helping Harper complete tasks and watching him do them on his own soon after.

And remember - even if you’re not at a ‘toddler gymnastics’ class and just at home - get down on the floor when you’re playing with him - don’t be afraid to get dirty!

HarpersDad

That's Harper and yes, sometimes it's just too hard to try to stay in one spot.

Parachutes for Toddler Gymnastics

Do you remember back when you were a kid playing with a parachute in gym class? How fun was that? I've been to toddler gymnastics classes where a parachute is pulled out just like when I was a kid - guess we must have been ahead of out time back then...

Grandma (my mom) just sent Harper a package the other day which had a book (I guess that was for me) called Parachute Games - and it was wrapped in a parachute. Well, a parachute designed specifically for play - not for jumping - though I guess it might work, wait, don’t try that at home.

It’s a twelve foot parachute and Harper absolutely loves it. I know a lot of toddler gymnastics courses use parachutes as well - but it’s super fun to have one at home too.

HarpersDad

Where Can You Find Toddler Gymnastics?

Toddler Gymnastics (aka toddler tumbling) is catching on in a lot of places. There are classes available in all sorts of locations including:

• Your local YMCA
• Athletic Clubs
• Preschools and daycares sometimes have separate programs
• Check with the Parks and Recreation Department of your town
• Individual businesses geared towards children’s classes
• Some elementary schools have after school programs for toddlers

And don’t forget - at home! You can set up a toddler gymnastics obstacle course for your little one with very little effort - a few pillows, blocks, and couch cushions always work great.

Just use your imagination when setting up something for toddler gymnastics - because I’m sure your toddler will too!

HarpersDad