What Coordination Skills Should Toddlers Have?
- Coordination involves moving multiple body parts and both sides of the body simultaneously, balancing, and using senses for spatial awareness.
- By age 3, children should have various coordination skills like walking with a heel-toe pattern, maintaining balance, and using both hands for tasks.
- To provide opportunities to practice coordination, engage toddlers in activities like ball games, obstacle courses, dancing, balance exercises, and hopscotch.
What is coordination?
Coordination is the movement of multiple body parts on both sides of the body at once to accomplish an action; when you’re walking, it’s not just one foot in front of the other. Not only do your legs need to coordinate with each other, but you have to be able to balance to stay upright and use senses to know where your body is at in space.
What coordination skills should children have?
Coordination is one of the key ability groups. Check out the abilities page to see which coordination abilities children should have at each age! By 3 years old, children’s coordination abilities will include:
- Enjoys and seeks out various ways to move and play
- Has adequate endurance and strength to play with peers
- Uses hands to help move from one position to another
- Coordinates movements needed to play and explore
- Usually walks with heel toe pattern and not primarily on toes
- Can maintain balance to catch ball or when gently bumped by peers
- Is able to walk and maintain balance over uneven surfaces
- Walks through a new room without bumping into objects and people
- Only leans on furniture, walls, or people and sits slumped over when tired
- Is able to throw and attempt to catch ball without losing balance
- Coordinates both hands to play, such as swinging a bat or opening a container
- Uses both hands equally to play and explore toys
- Coordinates hand and fingers
How can you strengthen your child’s coordination skills?
For a toddler, there are some easy activities you can do everyday to work on coordination skills! You can try:
- Tossing a ball back and forth
- Toss a ball or bean bag into a bucket
- Dribble a ball
- Going for a walk
- Trying different animal walks
- Set up an obstacle course
- Have a dance party
- Use a hula hoop
- Roll or do somersaults
- Walk along a curb or other balance activity
- Play hopscotch
If you notice any delays in your child’s coordination, speak to a healthcare provider.
