By Leaps and Bounds

By Jennifer L.W. Fink

Three-year-old Maddie Wondra learned to walk at 11 months. "For a long time, she was just cruising around, holding on to furniture," says her father, Vince, of Fond du Lac, Wis. "She's a daredevil and kept trying to go farther. She tried and tried and tried, and eventually took the half step she needed to get to the end table. By the end of the week, she was walking." Soon she was chasing the dogs around the house and running after her older cousin, Fearsin. Now "she really wants to jump rope," says Wondra. "Some of the neighborhood kids jump rope, but she just doesn't have the coordination yet."

The toddler years are a time of explosive physical growth. And while part of that development is innate, parents can help it along by encouraging their child's efforts and providing safe spaces to explore. "Environment definitely affects a child's development and motivation," says Anna Harper, a pediatric physical therapist at Children's Medical Center Dallas. "If you give a kid a reason to move, they're going to move. If not, why would they expend the energy to explore?"
Here are some ways to encourage your child as he moves through the major physical feats of early childhood.

Walking
Most children learn to walk by 16 months, but don't panic if yours learns a bit later. New walkers need to strengthen their muscles and refine their balance before they can take off and go. At first, they toddle with their feet wide apart. Later their feet come together in a more normal gait. You can help by moving some toys up to a higher level. "If the toys are all on the floor, your child can just sit and crawl to reach them," says Harper. "But if you raise them up a couple feet, it's going to motivate your child to stand."

Running
Running is a natural progression of walking, but it's not as easy as it looks. "When you run, there's a time when neither foot is on the ground. You actually land on one foot, so children really need to develop muscle control to hold the body up," says Harper. Most kids run within months of learning to walk, with almost all running smoothly by the age of two. To build those muscles, try playing running games like "Chase" with your child. "Maddie's favorite game right now is Tag," says Wondra.

Jumping
By 24 months, most kids can jump with both feet off the ground. "Jumping isn't the most significant physical milestone, but if your child's not jumping by this time, we might need to do a little check to make sure that everything is OK," says Harper. Provide safe places to jump and plenty of time to practice. "Maddie tries jumping from things she has no business jumping from," says Wondra, who frequently catches her as she jumps from the second stair. Toddlers also love jumping on beds or low trampolines. (Hold your child's hands until she can balance well.)

Skipping
Don't expect your child to skip proficiently before school. Skipping requires lots of coordination; children need to be able to hop, balance on one foot, and alternate movements before they can master it. Skipping to the beat helps keep it fun, and motivates kids to keep on trying. Music encourages motion, and whether your child skips, hops or gallops, she'll be getting plenty of exercise. Relays and obstacle courses can encourage young skippers as well.