In my last post, I covered 4 conventional gross motor toys that you would find in many homes. Children however have a knack for getting their needs met from their environment whether you have any toys or not. You do not need to go out and buy expensive equipment. Here’s a look at some “toys” that work just as well.
A staircase
If you have a staircase in your home or access to a staircase at a playground then you aren’t missing out on much by not investing in a pikler triangle. In fact my daughter was very much into our staircase well before she was into our pikler. We’ve spent many many hours repeatedly going up and down and she doesn’t look like stopping yet.
Playsilks
These may not be on the top of your list but playsilks are such a versatile material and promote body movement. You don’t have to use silks either, any lightweight fabric from around the house will do. When Havvie was very young we used them for peek-a-boo games. Now they’re used when dancing to songs, for scrunching to develop hand strength and for swaying to nursery rhymes.
A giant ball
If you’ve got a child, chances are you’ve got one or many balls lying around the house. A giant one, is even better as it promotes maximum effort kicking, throwing, rolling and much more.
A stool or learning tower
To make our home accessible for Havvie we have two stools and a learning tower so she can reach adult height equipment. She probably climbs up and down her learning tower about 20 times a day. So there’s lots of gross motor work happening with a purpose.
A sofa
If you’ve got kids that are cruising or walking then you’ve noticed their affinity for the sofa. It’s just the right height for them to climb on, run on top of, jump down from and so much more. If you’ve got a sofa you don’t want damaged, then I recommend allowing free access to an outdoor sofa if you have one.
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