Motor Development

Adults don't often give the physics of the world around them a second thought. But for babies and toddlers, the physical world--and its rules--are brand new.

You can think of toddlers like mini physicists constantly conducting experiments. Whenever they throw a ball or push a toy car, they are learning how objects move through space. Through this cause-and-effect experimenting, toddlers are also learning that they can affect change in their environment, which is vital for developing their sense of agency, autonomy, and independence.

Toddlers are also learning how their own bodies move in space.  They’re starting to move their bodies in any way they can—from crawling to standing to toddling to full-on running! Their fine motor skills—the ability to use their hands in more and more precise ways—are also developing. This means that they’re starting to pick things up, bring them to their face to get a closer look, and manipulate items. 

This motor development is exciting in and of itself, but it also has implications for their cognitive development. Because toddlers are mobile, they can explore more of their environment in a sensorial way. For example, they can crawl over and and inspect an interesting object, or they finally open a certain toy up and get a closer look at it. As more of their environment becomes available for their exploration, the more toddlers can learn from it.