My Smiley Man is a pretty great walker, but it has been a long road to get there. Read my posts about him not quite walking and just barely walking. Gross motor development is very important to development in general. I have used a variety of toys to help him in his gross motor journey. While toys are not exactly a necessity, they did help Smiley Man greatly when he was learning to walk.
I have spent the last several days searching for Christmas gifts for Smiley that would encourage even greater gross motor development. I’ve come across some great ones and I decided to compile a list of toys that encourage gross motor development. These toys are not cheap; however, they will help your child in his or her gross motor development. Check out my inexpensive gift ideas post if you are looking for cheap ideas for anyone on your list.
Here is the list of toys that encourage gross motor development. They are divided into three groups: Standing/Learning How to Walk, Not Quite Walking/Just Barely Walking, Beyond Walking.
Standing/Learning How to Walk
Put a fun toy on a couch or chair so your child will play with it:
Have your child stand or walk back and forth from the couch to a chair while putting the pieces in place:
Not Quite Walking/Just Barely Walking:
Beyond Walking:
- Toy Broom and Dustpan Set
- Activity Deck for Gross Motor Games
- Balance Beam
- Frolicking Frog Pull Toy
- Flapping Duck Push Toy
- Crocodile Hop Game
- Mickey Mouse Indoor Bowling Set
- Bean Bag Toss
- Balls
- Jumprope
- Ribbon Wands
- Skipper
- Steppers
- Balance Board
- Ball Bounce and Hopper
- Mini Kid’s Trampoline
- Bubble Machine
If you have any suggestions of other toys or games that you’ve used to help your child with gross motor skills development I’d love to know! Feel free to leave a comment!