I recently read that recognizing the patterns and rhythms of music can help children with gross motor skills, everything from walking to jumping to dancing. Did this game today actually tip Veronika over the edge into a true walker? I’ll never know for sure, but I think it did the trick!

Veronika has been hesitant to walk, but I noticed a few times that the “stomp feet” verse of If You’re Happy and You Know It had her lifting her feet and almost walking forwards. Today, I was determined to get those feet stomping into a walk.

We started off with the above-mentioned song. Getting your toddler to clap along at this age is great fun, too.

Then it was time to stomp. She gamely stomped her little feet, which she accompanied with a little pat pat to her belly. Still no steps though…

After that we danced to a few more favorite songs, each time choosing something with a strong beat. We clapped our hands and wiggled and tapped our toes.

Well wouldn’t you know, a few hours later I turned around and Veronika was walking. She was so proud of herself and spent the rest of the evening doing circuits of our apartment.

So if you have an almost-walker, I’d love to hear if a similar activity also helps with first true steps! Please share in the comments.

Paper games never get old for a toddler, and while materials like wrapping paper and newspaper might seem mundane to a grown-up, they are a goldmine of fun for little ones. There’s sound, there’s texture, and there’s also fine motor skill building from ripping paper. So yes all this fun even has a purpose!

First up was the sound aspect. I set out three different kinds of paper for Veronika: brown paper bags, wrapping paper, and tissue paper.

One by one, we crumpled them up. The brown paper was the loudest, and then the game grew quieter and quieter with the tissue paper making the softest sound.

Of course then Veronika needed her own turn to take a piece of each material and crumple crumple until she’d formed a small ball in her hands.

A great twist on this auditory play is to hold one ball of paper behind your back and squish it so it makes a crinkle sound. Veronika came to find it!

Sit back and watch what your child does with the paper. Veronika liked tossing it in the air, and wearing it as a hat!

Then I demonstrated the sound that wrapping paper made as I ripped a piece in two. “More more!” she immediately asked. I had to start a small tear for her, but then she was able to wrench the two halves apart. Which she then did over and over, testing all three materials.

What delight to learn she can rip! I thought she might enjoy returning to an old classic game, hiding toys in balls of the paper.

But she was having so much fun ripping the paper she barely noticed the toys! (Okay, maybe one quick bus zoom).

I guess that makes this game a winner.

Here’s a fun way to add dynamics – literally! – to story time with a toddler. This activity is particularly useful for kids who might not otherwise sit still for a story.

First, I gathered together items that make noise. Instruments are an obvious pick, but also think of rattles or toys that jingle, and things that can be tapped together like wooden blocks.

For the first version of the game, I told a story out loud instead of reading from a book.

Picking “Jack and the Beanstalk” as our tale, I used the tinkle of a triangle for magical moments like the cornstalk growing, a castanet for the hooves of the cow at market, a horn to toot for the golden goose, and wooden blocks to tap for the Giant’s big footsteps.

Veronika might not have understood the story, but she was enthralled by all the sounds. She loved grabbing a noisemaker or two to join in.

For the next round, I read from a favorite book (Little Blue Truck) and similarly found items that made sounds throughout the story. A toy horn was perfect for Blue’s “beep beep beep”!

As we got to each animal, I invited Veronika to chime in. Horse says…? “Neigh!” she responds. Here’s a clip!

Invite your child to join in on any similar animal sounds in your story, or to sing along to various words. Whether you’re shaking maracas for rain or stomping your feet for thunder, story sounds effects like this will be a fantastic way to keep your child engaged!