How Important Are Jumping Skills for Toddlers?

They say that if you have a baby, the real hard work begins when they start walking. You have to always be on your toes, ready to spring into action and run after them. But the truth is, the walking is not the worst part of it. Wait until they start showing off their jumping skills.

 

What’s with jumping, anyway? And why do toddlers get a kick out of bouncing up and down like every surface is a trampoline?

 

A Developmental Milestone

Once your toddler learns to walk, climb up elevated areas, go up and down the stairs, and walk on their toes, the jumping naturally follows. It is a gross motor milestone. In fact, you should expect them to start experimenting with bouncing up and down from around 16 to 18 months of age. 

 

By the time they are 24 months old, 50% of toddlers can already jump with both their feet off the ground. And by 27 months old, this number increases to 75%. 

 

How Important is Jumping?

Jumping helps little kids develop balance and coordination between their lower and upper extremities. Well, walking does, too, but unlike with taking simple steps, this task requires both feet to leave the ground at the same time and land on the ground without stumbling or staggering. It is also typical for toddlers to perform a series of several jumps, and this helps them develop dynamic balance.

 

Tots get to develop leg strength, too. Bouncing up and down requires them to use all the muscles of their legs, including their thigh muscles, from the moment they bend their knees and push off on their toes to propel their bodies upward.

 

Additionally, this task helps improve bone strength. The stress and downward pressure that occurs while doing it help the bones of the legs grow and harden.

 

Jumping also calls for continual motor planning. Toddlers get to estimate the distance of their leap or how far up they should lift their body weight, how much power they need to bounce up and then land on the ground, and how to perform a series of jumps and then stop safely.

 

You can think of bouncing as a building block for more complicated movements or physical activities, including childhood games and sports. After they learn how to do it, little tots are ready for the next stages of gross motor development, which include galloping, hopping on one foot, and skipping.

 

Other than the physical and motor skills aspect, the task also contributes to the development of social interaction skills. Jumping up and down, after all, is used very often in children’s play.

 

Is My Toddler Doing it Enough?

Jumping milestones can be assessed based on your child’s age. According to a chart on these milestones, kids 18 to 21 months old, on average, try to jump up — be it on the floor, on the bed, or on the couch — often with one foot leading the other.

 

Meanwhile, kids 21 to 24 months can now get both their feet off the ground and hop about 30 centimeters forward. When they turn 2 to 2.5 years old, they can bounce off low steps and are already capable of landing in squats with their hands forward.

 

You will know that your child is having trouble jumping if they are still not doing it by the time they are 2.5 to 3 years old. You may also have to start observing them closely if they couldn’t get off the ground when they try to do it, if they jump with only one side or one leg (very young kids do not have a particular side preference yet), if they are scared to hop off the steps, if they have a hard time jumping and stopping, or if they always fall over when they try to do it.

 

Another sign to look out for is increased anxiety or resistance to the task. Your child shows this by hesitating to jump, asking to be picked up when they try to and fail, asking for a hand every time they are encouraged to do it, and throwing a tantrum if you don’t help with the task. 

 

How Can I Encourage and Support My Toddler?

You can encourage your tot to jump by getting them to learn how to walk on tiptoes, as well as squat to play. This way, their legs become stronger. And when their legs are strong, they would be ready to try to bounce and do it successfully.

 

Another way to help your kid is to hold both their hands and lift their body up as they squat. You can also provide them with a soft surface like a mattress, a pillow, a foam play mat, and a trampoline to jump on.

 

You should make everything fun, too. Let them hop over a tape on the floor, hop while chasing after bubbles, or hop over bubbles blown on the ground. You can also jump with them, hop as you pretend to be animals like bunnies or frogs, or jump over made-up hurdles like broomsticks and pool noodles.

 

When helping your toddler develop their jumping skills, make sure they are keeping their eyes focused upward or forward. See to it that they are crouched with their knees bent and their arms are pulled back behind their body as a starting position. Then, they need to straighten out their legs in the air and swing their arms forcefully upward or forward. When they land, it should be on the balls of their feet, their knees bent in to absorb the shock.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my toddler is having trouble jumping?

If you notice that your toddler is having trouble doing this task, you may need to take them to a general practitioner, a pediatric physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, or a physical therapist for a screen or evaluation.

 

What does it mean if my toddler cannot jump?

While it is recommended that you don’t self-diagnose, possible problems may include a visual discrepancy, an issue pertaining to your child’s depth perception, an anxiety-related matter, or something deeper that can only be addressed after a developmental specialist’s thorough evaluation.

 

How are jumping issues treated?

Depending on the cause of the problem, it can be treated through occupational or physical therapy, social work, or other treatment methods as recommended by your doctor or specialist.