Welcome to The Milestone

Keep your toddler's brain stimulated in all the right ways during these uncertain times.

These 5 activities will give your little the "just right challenge" both physically and mentally.

 1. Stringing pasta onto pipe cleaner

You’ll need some rigatoni for this one. Odds are you have some in the cabinet at a time like this. If you have pipe cleaner, great. If not, roll up some tin foil so it acts like pipe cleaner. We recommend using pipe cleaner or tin foil instead of string is because the firmness is typically what allows your little one to find that “just right challenge”.

Show your little one how to slide the rigatoni onto the pipe cleaner – just don’t forget to tie off the end. Stringing beads (pasta) is a great activity for any toddler. Have fun with it, make a necklace or a bracelet. It works on important skills like manual dexterity, bilateral integration (using both arms/hands together), crossing midline, depth perception and even attention span.

I’ve had parents tell me this activity kept their little one busy and engaged for an entire flight from Boston to Chicago…think about all the learning that must have taken place!

2. Make slime

Making slime is sure to keep your toddler engaged. It’ll make a mess – the good kind of mess though. Part of becoming comfortable with the unpredictable environments your little one will soon be exposed to a pre-school and beyond is exposing them to a wide range on sensory experiences. The key though, is making it fun and letting your little one lead the way. Making slime is a great way to introduce tactile sensations like wetness, stickiness and gooeyness into your toddler’s sensory checklist.

When group finger painting comes around at day care or pre-school, your little guy or gal will think to them self “I got this!”.

Here’s an easy-to-follow list with the steps for trying this fun, DIY craft: https://www.dummies.com/crafts/make-slime-without-borax-glue/

3. Animal walks

How do you challenge a 2- or 3-year old’s motor and coordination skills when they’re stuck inside? Animal walks. Can’t tell them that though! Instead we tell them it’s a scavenger hunt…for bears!

Take 5-10 of your little one’s favorite stuffed animals and/or toys and hide them around the room. To find them though, they’ll need to bear walk.

This is a truly challenging activity (for adults too, so join in for a quick jolt of exercise!) so it may only last 20 minutes. But you’ll definitely feel good about your toddler receiving a terrific dose of gross motor and coordination practice.

4. Hockey…Kind of…

 This is such a fantastic activity. So good it doesn’t even have a name...

 Here’s what you’ll need:

• A children’s hockey stick, golf club, or anything of the sort
• Various balls (ex. tennis ball, soccer ball, basketball. Have a medicine ball? Perfect! Include it. Ideally you will want a few balls that are heavier than the others)
• 5 or 6 balloons

Here’s how to play:

Step 1 – set up a “goal” – (ex. net, bucket, the doorway, a line of tape, doesn’t matter)

Step 2 – spread out all of the balls AND balloons across the living room - as many as possible.

Step 3 – set the timer for one minute.

Your little one has one minute to use their stick to collect as many balls as possible into the goal. Why is this such an OT rich activity? Well, as your toddler tries to manipulate the different balls, he or she will be challenged to appropriately grade (adjust) the amount of force they use based on the weight of the ball they are hitting. As they rush around the room, they’ll soon realize that smacking a soccer ball may be effective, but hitting a balloon with all their might? Not so much. Quickly they will realize that in order to corral the balloons effectively they’ll need to use gentle taps, even though they’re rushing with the timer ticking away!

Understanding how much force to use is an important skill. How hard do I give a high-five? How firmly do I need to press down a crayon? How gentle do I throw a ball to hit a target only 5 feet away? Learning the “in-between” strength that our muscles are capable of is hugely important. This activity is a great way to help your kiddo master this skill, called force grading.

 5. A good old fashion obstacle course

Break out the tunnel, stack up the pillows, pull out the hulahoop. Get creative. A 3 - 5 step obstacle course is packed with benefits. The best part is – it doesn’t take much. The real benefits of making an obstacle course aren’t physical, they’re mental. Completing an obstacle course - start to finish - in the correct order-  will really challenge your kiddo. To do so effectively they’ll need utilize their ability to remember the steps, sequence the steps, DO the steps, and then…wait for it…wait for it…CELEBRATE completing the steps!

Each time your child successfully completes a task from start to finish, it’s so important we cheer them on/show them our love; it reinforces their confidence and encourages them to stick with it the next time – when completing the steps of a new, different task (outside of the house) is even more challenging.

Is Crawling Before Walking Really That Important?

When parents think about developmental milestones, walking is often the first one that comes to mind. It’s an exciting stage because mobility opens up entirely new ways for babies to explore, interact with, and engage with the world around them.

As babies grow, many move through a general progression of movement experiences that can include rolling, crawling, pulling to stand, cruising, and eventually walking. At the same time, it’s important to remember that development does not always follow one exact path.

Some babies crawl extensively before walking. Others spend very little time crawling at all. And some babies develop movement skills in ways that look slightly different from what parents expected.

That’s one reason developmental milestones are best viewed as general guidelines rather than strict rules.

So if your baby skipped crawling or seems less interested in it than expected, there’s usually no reason to panic. That said, crawling can still offer many valuable opportunities for movement, exploration, and interaction during infancy.

For many babies, crawling becomes an early form of independent mobility during the first year of life. Through crawling, babies often explore coordination, balance, weight shifting, and movement planning in new ways while engaging with the world around them.

At the same time, every child develops differently. Some children spend more time crawling than others, and some may move toward walking more quickly. Development is rarely perfectly linear.”

One of the reasons many therapists enjoy discussing crawling is because it naturally involves so many parts of the body working together during movement and play.

During crawling, babies often practice:

Weight-bearing through the arms and legs

Shifting weight from side to side

Coordinating movement across the body

Exploring movement through space

Responding to different surfaces and environments

Developing confidence during movement and exploration

Crawling can also create opportunities for babies to interact with toys, caregivers, and their environment from entirely new perspectives.

And while therapists often appreciate the movement opportunities crawling can provide, it’s important not to view development too rigidly. Every baby’s developmental journey is unique, and there is a wide range of normal when it comes to movement milestones.

Over the years working with children and families, one thing becomes clear quickly: no two babies develop in exactly the same way.

Some babies spend months crawling before walking. Others move quickly toward standing and walking. Some prefer scooting, rolling, or other creative movement patterns before eventually walking independently.

Development is a dynamic and individualized process — not a checklist that unfolds perfectly step-by-step for every child.

The most important thing is creating supportive opportunities for supervised movement, play, exploration, and interaction throughout infancy.

Want to learn more about movement milestones and age-appropriate play ideas? Our team of pediatric therapists shares free educational resources designed to help parents better understand and support everyday developmental experiences throughout the first year.

As pediatric occupational therapists working with infants and families, a core part of our role has always been helping parents better understand how everyday routines, positioning, play, and interaction can support early development.

Sometimes that involves recommending activities or environmental strategies that may help create more comfortable or engaging opportunities for movement and exploration. Other times, it simply involves helping parents think differently about common routines during infancy.

With that in mind, here are three common patterns we sometimes encourage families to think more intentionally about during the first year.

1. Spending Too Much Awake Time Swaddled

Swaddling can be a helpful and comforting tool during the newborn stage, particularly for soothing and sleep routines when used appropriately and safely.

At the same time, babies also benefit from opportunities to move freely during supervised awake time as they grow and develop.

During the first several months, babies gradually begin exploring movement patterns like stretching, reaching, kicking, turning, and bringing their hands toward midline. These experiences help babies interact with their body and environment in new ways over time.

That’s why many families gradually begin transitioning away from extended swaddling during awake time as babies grow and become more active and alert.

As always, families should follow safe sleep guidance and consult their pediatrician with questions regarding swaddling and developmental readiness.

2. Over-Reliance on Containment Devices

Many parents use products like jumpers, seats, swings, and activity centers throughout infancy — and these products can certainly serve practical purposes during everyday routines.

At the same time, babies also benefit from opportunities for supervised floor play, movement exploration, reaching, rolling, position changes, and interaction with caregivers during awake time.

Floor-based movement experiences allow babies to gradually explore balance, coordination, weight shifting, and movement patterns at their own pace in more natural ways.

This doesn’t mean parents need to avoid supportive devices altogether. Rather, it’s simply about balance and ensuring babies also have regular opportunities for supervised movement and exploration outside of contained positions throughout the day.

3. Leaving Too Little Space for Back-and-Forth Interaction

Talking, singing, reading, and engaging with your baby are all wonderful ways to support connection and interaction during infancy.

One thing many babies also benefit from is having time and space to respond during interaction — even before they’re using words.

Early communication often begins through eye contact, facial expressions, cooing, smiling, movement, and turn-taking during interaction with caregivers. Pausing during play or conversation can give babies opportunities to process, observe, vocalize, and participate in those early back-and-forth exchanges.

These moments may seem small, but they can become meaningful opportunities for connection and engagement over time.

At the end of the day, parenting isn’t about perfection. Every family, every baby, and every routine looks different.

Often, the most meaningful developmental experiences come from simple everyday moments — floor play, movement, interaction, responsiveness, and connection during supervised awake time and play.