Today Tile Triggered Content

Your toddler probably has a good relationship with their toes, odd though that might sound. Whether they have mouthed them as a baby or used them during singing times, they'll have likely provided entertainment! But our toes provide much more than that: their ability to keep us active is actually mind blowing! 

We probably don’t really pay much attention to our toes; we might paint them from time to time, or clip and file them. 

You might have noticed there are lots of dancing activities in the app. While we're not your toddler's personal trainer, we do love to celebrate the delights of dance, because it's brilliant for your toddler in so many ways!

Dancing releases lots of energy  

Your toddler uses their feet a lot; constantly busy, never seeming to stop! Their little feet do an incredible job of holding their body weight and taking them where they want to go. We love a few fun facts, so here are some about your toddler’s wonderful feet (and yours, too). 

• Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints and over 140 muscles, tendons and ligaments. These hold the foot together and allow it to move in various ways.^[1] 
• There are approximately 250,000 sweat glands in the feet!  
• Drying feet well after washing, especially in between the toes, helps reduce bacteria. This helps keep the skin healthy and able to fight off infections (and good drying reduces the stench from all those sweat glands too!)  
• Feet are natural shock absorbers.^[2]  
• Having feet measured helps keep them healthy. Wearing properly fitted footwear is very important to foot health.^[2] 
• Trimming your toenails straight across helps prevent ingrown toenails. 
• Your feet may just be the most ticklish part of your body. There are thousands of nerve endings and some of them are close to the skin.^[3]  
• Feet are happiest when they are bare. Walking barefoot improves body awareness,^[4] and toes are free to extend and spread. 

References: 

We can see it now: your toddler is in the park... there’s a bridge to climb, stepping stones to travel over and a tunnel to crawl through. What to do first?! Having opportunities to clamber, climb and crawl is great for your toddler’s overall development. 

1) When your toddler navigates their way around obstacles, their gross and fine motor skills develop 

Mealtimes can be messy events, especially at the moment. For toddlers, learning how to get food into their mouths without a few spills and sticky faces along the way will take time, practice and muscular coordination. So keep the wet cloth handy... 

What motor skills are being used when they’re eating? 

Throwing is one of those skills that many people feel they either can or can’t do. It sounds like it should be simple, “Throw the ball,” but the reality is, it's more complex than you might think. 

It’s actually very scientific!

Jumping with both feet in the air takes an enormous amount of confidence. When your toddler first tries to jump, it might look very much like lifting one foot into the air, followed by lifting the other foot when the first one meets the ground again. This is the beginning of jumping, and is cause for celebration! 

Pre-jumping 

When your toddler is attempting to travel down the stairs, it’s a super challenge as they’re managing balance and coordination, as well as navigating the steps. Here are five tips for helping your toddler travel downstairs as safely as possible: 

1) It may sound simple but go one step at a time.  

This book is about an excited young frog who just wants to go and play in the snow. Froggy wakes up and tries to rush out to play, but… he keeps forgetting to put all his clothes on. We follow Froggy as he repeatedly gets called back inside by his Mummy to put on the clothes he has forgotten. 

This lovely story is packed full of language describing how to put on and take off clothes. For younger children, the story can be shortened to key phrases and the main points. You might be able to use some of the language when helping your toddler to learn how to dress and undress. 

Your toddler might be starting to occasionally lift one leg when they are supported by either another person, or some furniture. Let's look at some of the skills your budding flamingo will learn as a result of practising this tricky new skill. 

A new sense of balance