Types of Locomotor Skills
Roughly in order of how children learn them, the locomotor skills that follow walking are:
Galloping: Traveling with one foot always in the leadHopping: Moving up and down on one footJumping: Going up and down, with both feet in the air at once; can also mean jumping off a height or jumping forwardLeaping: Jumping forward or back with one leg outstretched; taking off on one foot and landing on the otherRunning: Sometimes both feet are in the air while travelingSkipping: Alternating steps and hopsSliding: Galloping sidewaysWalking: Moving with one foot on the ground at all times
When Locomotor Skills Develop
Most children learn to walk at approximately 1 year of age and to run, hop, and jump at age 2. They begin to master the more complex skills of galloping, skipping, sliding, and leaping at about age 3. Children need some instruction to learn these skills, especially the more challenging ones. Toddlers and preschoolers need lots of opportunities to practice these locomotor skills. Most will enjoy these “practice” sessions, like the games below.
Building Locomotor Skills
If you are concerned about your child’s physical development, check with their doctor or your school district’s early intervention program (in the U.S.). You can also try games and activities at home. Simple activities, like follow the leader or Simon Says, can encourage physical play that builds skills. When you’re walking anywhere with your child, show them how to vary their movements: Speed up, slow down, swing your arms, walk on tiptoe. Play modified (that is, simplified) versions of bigger kids’ games that require locomotion, like relay races and hopscotch. On longer walks, incorporate challenging skills like galloping. If you’re indoors, try working on jumping from spot to spot or counting how many hops your child can do on first one foot, then the other. Show them how marching can lead to skipping, using high knees.
Running
Play racing games, and sports that involve running, such as soccer. Have your child run with a goal in mind: Saving their favorite stuffed animal from a pretend roaring river (really the hallway rug), for example.
Jumping
Let your child jump in a place where it’s usually not allowed, such as off their bed into your arms. Try a mini trampoline, or show them how they can jump safely from a surface that’s just slightly elevated (like the beam edging a playground area). Then work up to higher surfaces. To help your child jump higher, tape target pictures to the wall and have them try to jump up and tag them. You can use any kind of pictures that will motivate your child.
Skipping
Have your child skip while touching a wall to help them balance. Sing songs while skipping; the rhythm helps your child follow the step/hop, step/hop pattern.
Galloping
Use a hula hoop around the waist like the reins on a horse. Start with you being the horse, inside the hoop, and your child as the rider. They’re outside of the hoop, holding on to it, following you as you gallop forward. This way they can see how your feet are moving. Then switch and let them try being the galloping horse.
Walking
Set up ropes or strips of tape and have your child walk between them, or place small objects (like beanbags) on the floor for them to step over. Draw wavy lines with chalk or tape and challenge them to follow them. Make footprints from paper and have your child follow them—or outside, let them step in puddles or snow and make their own prints, then follow them.
