Your toddler may have been jumping on the spot for some time now and may have used this skill when playing games and joining in with action songs. They may have bounced along to songs they like when they heard them. These bouncing movements have helped prepare your toddler’s understanding of how to bend using their hips and knees whilst swinging their arms. These movements are necessary for more advanced jumping.
When a toddler is learning to jump, every part of their body is included in the movement. At the bottom of their body, their toes curl in order to grip and prepare to push the body up. At the very top, their head stretches upwards from the neck with eyes looking upwards. There is so much happening in your toddler’s body when they jump; they are managing forces, generating control of their muscle movements and using their cognitive skills to plan and carry out the action. [1]
Jumping is a multi-limb activity that requires enormous leg strength for both the take-off and landing. [2] Your toddler will need to spend time practising not only how to gain height but also move in a forward direction. They will be learning how to lift their legs high enough, so their feet raise above the centre of gravity [3].
In addition, there is a lot of preparation that goes into a forward jump. To execute this type of jump your toddler will need to understand how to bend their hips, knees and ankles whilst also how to swing their arms backward. [3] It takes time to develop these skills and to understand the steps necessary to perform a forward jump. With lots of practice, your toddler will begin to connect the movements to be able to travel further when they are airborne.
Upon landing, your toddler will be controlling many motor movements in their knees, hips and ankles, plus they will use their core, shoulders and arms to stabilise the body. Due to the complex nature of a landing, it is highly likely that their landing will be clumsy and rigid at first. Your toddler will be managing the offset of gravity when their legs move ahead of the body as they approach the ground [3]
A popular study reports that toddlers and children typically gain more understanding of how to move and coordinate their leg actions before they fine tune their arms. [2]
The more your toddler has time to practise the skill of jumping, the more their muscles will become stronger. Once their muscles are much stronger, they will be able to gain more power in their jump. They will start to become more coordinated, and their balance will become better adapted to support them when they land. Once the skill of jumping has become more refined you may see it being used when jumping into a swimming pool, jumping over obstacles or as part of a game.
[1] K.E. Adolph, J.M. Franchak (2016). Article: The Development of Motor Behavior. Published online 2016 Dec 1. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1430. Available online at: The development of motor behavior (nih.gov)
[2] J.D. Goodway, J.C. Ozmun, D.L. Gallahue (2021). Understanding Motor Development Infants, Children, Adolescents, Adults. 8th Edition. Jones and Bartlett Learning.
[3] V.G. Payne, L.D. Isaacs (2012). Human Motor Development. McGraw Hill