How you, and the world around them, help your toddler to become a confident walker

When we think about our toddler becoming a confident walker, our focus is probably on their muscles getting stronger or their movements being more coordinated. Some scientists suggest that we shouldn’t think about the development of movement without thinking about the world around your toddler.  

The development of movement depends on environment – and your toddler learns more about the environment when they can move (this is known as the development systems view). 

So, moving is linked to getting stronger but also to (what scientists call) environmental and social factors. A simple example of this in practice might be your toddler seeing something they’re interested in and being able to walk over to have a closer look!   

You’ve helped your toddler get moving and become more confident by giving them time, space and encouragement to move. Continuing to do this will mean that their learning about the world around them will only grow. 

What does this mean for my toddler?  

Now your toddler’s walking, developing their skills might not be something you think about very often. But they are still developing strength, balance and co-ordination so it’s important to give them plenty of opportunities to walk.   

Let them walk when you can 

Walking with a toddler can make a five-minute trip much, much longer – but when you have time, let your toddler walk rather than sit in a pushchair.  

Space to move 

This can be tricky – but try to find a space where your toddler can move freely, maybe if a local park has a fence around it this could be a good place for some safe walking practice.  

Find some obstacles 

Again, a trip to the park might be great for this as your toddler has to find a pathway between the park equipment.  

Reference: 

Adolph, K. E., & Franchak, J. M. (2017). ‘The development of motor behavior’. Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science, 8(1-2), 10.1002/wcs.1430. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.1430