We all know, hopscotch requires lots of fun hopping and jumping! Therefore, it is not only fun, but also certainly a great gross motor activity for your little one. Above all, it helps your toddler to develop strong balance and coordination. For this reason, if your toddler likes hopscotch, let them practice it as much as they want all the year round.
Granted that, in the wintertime, it is not always possible to draw a hopscotch on a sidewalk or the playground nearby can be icy, hopscotch can be practiced at home too.
You can use for example a Number Puzzle Mat to hop and jump all day.
All you need to do is free up some space, for example in the playroom. Then build the hopscotch grid together with your toddler with the number puzzle mat. You can use a dice to throw in each puzzle piece. But if your toddler is too young to understand the rules, it is just fine only to hop, jump and run with no other rules but jumping on the numbers. You can also add some jumping obstacles for more fun! On top of the jumping fun, your toddler can practice their number skills too.
As your toddler grows up, and gets more number-savvy, you can make different rules. You can ask them for instance to to hop on even numbers only, then only on odd ones. You can even use this grid to teach math like addition, subtraction and multiplication.
Alternatively, you can use for example simple light tape (like painter tape) to create the hopscotch grid. Then, you can make the numbers together with your toddler also with tape. And hop!
Benefits of this Indoor Gross Motor Activity for your Toddler
There are many benefits of hopscotch for your toddler. In short, hopping and jumping help your toddler to
- Master their body control.
- Manage their body rhythm.
- Build body strength and balance.
- Improve their eye/hand coordination.
- Improve their math skills.
Looking for more fun gross motor activities for your toddler during wintertime? Try out these here.
