How repeated movements help your toddler learn, and stay safe

While your toddler’s brain is still growing, creating repetitive movements, or patterns of movement, helps them to make connections about their world. These connections support them to predict what might happen during movement and understand how their body can respond, which in turn helps create a feeling of safety. 

Patterns of movement can be seen in everyday play; you probably created some when you rocked and swayed your toddler when they were a baby.   

Your toddler creates patterns of movement when they spin, swing, jump or rock. Their vestibular sense is stimulated by these movements, which helps them make sense of the world. 

Although it might not seem obvious, our vestibular sense is essential to our wellbeing. 

Your toddler's balance is necessary for everyday life, and their vestibular sense helps maintain that balance.  

As an example, they wouldn't be able to stand without balance, which would make almost everything they do difficult. 

Having a healthy vestibular system helps many things become easier to achieve. Here are some things your toddler might use it for in a day: 

• Moving easily without giving it a second thought 
• Correcting their balance when slipping or tripping  
• Walking on tiptoes 
• Pulling large objects 
• Carrying objects 
• Righting the body when swinging  

When the vestibular sense over or under works it can cause the body to move unpredictably.^[1] 

It can feel quite scary when balance is challenged. Have you ever twirled around so much that it was difficult to stay upright and to see? This is due to the vestibular system's inability to understand what is happening. 

Having lots of experiences with repetitive movements develops the vestibular sense and helps embed a feeling of safety.  

Playing games that encourage climbing, pushing, dancing and even going up and down stairs is a great way to develop your toddler’s vestibular sense.  

Your toddler's brain learns and understands how to read and use the information it receives, so the more opportunities they have to stimulate their vestibular sense, the more they will understand the feeling of being stable, balanced and safe. 

Reference: 

[1] Berkshire Healthcare NHS. Vestibular (movement) system. (2022)