A leap of imagination – see the magic in your toddler’s tiny jump

It can be easy to forget how difficult small actions are for our toddlers, especially when we’re busy with the million things on our to-do list and they want us to watch them ‘jump’ yet again – and then they barely move at all! In those moments, try to take a minute before you move on with other things to marvel at how incredible their little jump really is.  

To jump, your toddler has to coordinate and balance their whole body – this is no mean feat! 

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.  

They are coordinating their leg, arm and core muscles to take off and land safely, which, for a toddler, takes a lot of focus as well as physical strength.[1]  

To move forwards when they jump, your toddler is using even more strength to propel their body. A lot of preparation goes into a forward jump: your toddler will need to understand how to bend their hips, knees and ankles, while also how to swing their arms backward at the same time.[2] 

Not only are they controlling their body – they're also fighting gravity! 

Your toddler will be learning what works, and adapting their actions to improve, each time they try to jump. So even a failure to launch is a moment of real excitement for them.  

For example, your toddler will need time and practice to learn how to lift their legs high enough so their feet raise above the centre of gravity and they can make their body move forwards.[2]  

When they land, your toddler is grappling with gravity yet again, and will need time (and some crash landings) to work out how to coordinate their legs, hips and knees to make it back to Earth smoothly.  

When your toddler first leaps forward, they might look clumsy, stiff or not make it anywhere at all... but try to see beyond the action to the incredible development happening inside their body and mind.  

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]  

So, although you might want to set a limit for how many jumping attempts you can watch in a row, next time your toddler manages to move forwards in a jump, celebrate the remarkable cognitive, physical and even gravity-defying lessons they’re learning.  

References: 

[1] Adolph, K.E. and Franchak, J.M. (2017). 'The Development of Motor Behavior.’ WIREs Cognitive Science. 8:1-2, e1430. 

[2] Isaacs, L.D. and Payne, V.G. (2012). Human Motor Development: A Lifespan Approach. New York:McGraw-Hill.