Introduction to Moving to Grow Activities
Moving to grow activities are the building blocks of healthy child development. These purposeful movement experiences provide essential stimulation for your child’s developing brain and body. This guide offers practical, play-based movement activities that transform everyday moments into developmental opportunities, helping your child build crucial skills while having fun.
The moving to grow approach recognizes that children learn best through active play. By incorporating these activities into your daily routine, you’ll support your child’s physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development naturally and joyfully.
Essential Types of Moving to Grow Activities
Balance and Coordination Activities
These moving to grow activities improve body awareness and neurological integration:
- Spinning in circles to develop the vestibular system
- Swinging on playground equipment for rhythmic movement input
- Rolling down hills for cross-lateral movement
- Dancing to varied rhythms for timing and coordination
- Walking on uneven surfaces like grass, sand, or balance beams
- Animal walks such as bear crawls and crab walks
Pro Tip: Balance activities are particularly effective after periods of focused concentration to reset the nervous system.
Strength and Endurance Builders
These moving to grow activities develop physical power and endurance:
- Climbing adventures on playground equipment or appropriate trees
- Bike riding to build leg strength and cardiovascular endurance
- Jump rope games for coordination and stamina
- Swimming for full-body resistance exercise
- Scooter play on smooth surfaces for leg strength
- Pushing and pulling activities with age-appropriate resistance
Pro Tip: Even 5-10 minutes of these activities several times daily provides significant developmental benefits.
Core Strengthening Activities
A strong core is essential for moving to grow development:
- Child-friendly yoga poses like plank, bridge, and boat
- Wheelbarrow walking (holding child’s legs while they walk on hands)
- Crawling games through tunnels or obstacle courses
- Ball exercises while lying on stomach
- Hanging activities from secure bars or rings
- Superman pose (lying on stomach, lifting arms and legs)
Interactive Moving to Grow Games
Games for Focus and Self-Control
Pretend Play Movement Activities
These moving to grow activities improve attention, impulse control, and social skills:
- Simon Says with increasingly complex movements
- Red Light, Green Light for practicing stopping and starting
- Freeze Dance for body control practice
- Follow the Leader to build observation skills
- Musical Chairs for social awareness
- Obstacle courses with specific movement patterns to follow
Role-playing activities build creativity while encouraging movement:
- Running a pretend store or restaurant
- Acting out favorite stories with movement
- Creating obstacle courses based on adventure themes
- Playing house with active roles
- Pretending to be different animals with distinctive movements
- Superhero play with jumping, running, and “flying”
Eye-Hand Coordination Activities
These moving to grow activities improve visual and motor skills:
- Tossing and catching different sized balls
- Flying kites on windy days
- Balloon volleyball indoors
- Target games with bean bags
- Bubble popping with different body parts
- Drawing or painting on vertical surfaces
Indoor Moving to Grow Activities
When outdoor play isn't possible, try these indoor movement options:
- Dance parties: Crank up music for a dance party that encourages creative movement
- Kid yoga: Introduce simple poses to promote flexibility and balance
- Tunnel crawling: Set up tunnels for crawling to stimulate proprioceptive development
- Blanket forts: Create spaces that require climbing, crawling, and maneuvering
- Obstacle courses: Use furniture and cushions to create indoor challenges
- Pillow crashing: Pile up pillows for jumping and sensory input
- Scavenger hunts: Hide objects around the house that require various movements to find
Pro Tip: Create a small “movement corner” in your home with items like a balance cushion, tunnel, and soft balls to encourage daily movement.
Quick Moving to Grow Breaks
Need to reset energy and improve focus? Try these short movement breaks every 30-45 minutes:
- Animal movements for 1-2 minutes
- Cross-lateral movements like touching opposite elbow to knee
- Wall push-ups for quick proprioceptive input
- Jumping jacks or hop sequences
- “Shake it out” whole body wiggles
- Stretching while reaching for the sky then touching toes
These quick moving to grow breaks are especially effective during transitions or when attention is waning.
Family Moving to Grow Activities
Movement benefits the whole family. Here are ways to get moving together:
Outdoor Family Movement Adventures
Daily Family Movement Moments
- Park visits with playground time
- Nature hikes and trail walks playing “I Spy”
- Camping trips with active exploration
- Flying kites together in open spaces
- Playing catch or soccer as a family
- Family tag or hide-and-seek games
- Water play at beaches, pools, or splash pads
- After-dinner family walks
- Weekend bike rides through the neighborhood
- Dancing while doing household chores
- Yard games and gardening together
- Morning stretch routines before breakfast
- Movement challenges like “who can hop the longest”
Seasonal Moving to Grow Activities
Spring and Summer Movement Ideas
- Puddle jumping after rain showers
- Nature scavenger hunts in parks
- Berry picking with reaching and squatting
- Beach play with digging, running, and swimming
- Water balloon games for catching and throwing
- Gardening activities with digging and carrying
Fall and Winter Movement Ideas
- Leaf pile jumping and raking
- Snow fort building and snowball throwing
- Sledding for vestibular input
- Indoor obstacle courses on cold days
- Seasonal clean-up with carrying and sorting
- Mall walking with balance challenges on different flooring
Age-Specific Moving to Grow Activities
For Babies (0-12 months)
- Plenty of supervised tummy time
- Rolling on different surfaces
- Gentle bouncing on your lap
- Supported sitting with reaching for toys
- Crawling over pillows
- Water play in shallow baths
For Toddlers (1-3 years)
- Climbing on age-appropriate equipment
- Push-pull toys for walking practice
- Simple obstacle courses with stepping, crawling
- Ball rolling and gentle throwing
- Dancing with scarves or ribbons
- Balance walking on lines on the floor
For Preschoolers (3-5 years)
- Hopping and jumping games
- Tricycle or balance bike riding
- More complex obstacle courses
- Simple team games with taking turns
- Target throwing with beanbags
- Playground activities with climbing and sliding
For School-Age Children (6+ yrs)
- Organized sports with emphasis on fun
- Bike riding with increasing distance
- Swimming and water play
- Jump rope games with rhymes
- Parkour-inspired safe challenges
- Building and creating with large materials
Creating a Movement-Rich Environment
To support moving to grow activities in your home:
- Designate space for active play
- Rotate movement toys to maintain interest
- Create an obstacle course corner with cushions, tunnels
- Use visual cues like tape on the floor for balance lines
- Keep basic equipment accessible like balls, scarves, and balance toys
- Set a timer for regular movement breaks
Supporting Moving to Grow Success
Remember these principles as you implement moving to grow activities:
- Movement should be playful and fun, not forced
- The best activities are those your child enjoys and requests
- Consistent movement throughout the day is better than occasional intense activity
- Join your child in movement to increase engagement
- Notice and comment on efforts rather than results
- Start simple and gradually increase complexity as skills develop
Closing Thoughts
Moving to grow activities are fundamental to your child’s development. By incorporating these movement opportunities into daily life, you’re supporting brain development, physical skills, emotional regulation, and social growth all at once. The beauty of the moving to grow approach is its simplicity—these activities don’t require expensive equipment or special training, just your presence and encouragement.
As you explore these activities together, you’ll likely notice improvements in your child’s focus, mood, sleep, and overall development. Remember that every child develops at their own pace, so follow your child’s lead and celebrate their unique movement journey. By prioritizing moving to grow activities today, you’re helping your child build the foundation for lifelong physical and emotional wellbeing.
Looking for more ways to support your child’s development through movement?
Check out my blog on The Power of Outdoor Play: Nature Time Essential Activities and Moving to Grow: Why Movement is Essential for Development
The Book “Balanced and Barefoot” by Angela J. Hanscom is a resource for great insights on movement and outdoor play.
– Kendra
