Your Toddler: Safe Ways to Explore

Overview

The typical toddler likes to crawl, walk, run, climb, and seek out new experiences. Toddlers need stimulation to improve their motor and sensory skills.

Here are some ways you can help your toddler grow in strength and coordination.

• Play and interact with your toddler.

  Playing, dancing, marching, and doing other simple activities with your child helps your child develop physical skills. At the same time, you can encourage and watch your child's development.

• Be physically active.

  Take walks, go to the park, visit any place where a toddler is safe to move around freely and explore the outside world.

• Provide engaging toys and materials that improve your toddler's coordination and strength.

  For example, balls, push-toys, pull-toys, blocks, and sandboxes all boost physical skills.

As your toddler becomes more mobile and curious, safety issues become very important. At about 18 months of age, toddlers just start to understand cause and effect and that their actions have consequences. But they don't understand dangers such as stairs, pets, toxins, and other possible hazards. Try your best to know where your children are and what they're doing so that you can warn them about safety hazards. Take steps to childproof your home. For example, use safety-approved gates and keep potential hazards stored out of reach or locked up. This includes cleaning supplies, medicines, matches, guns, knives, and tools. Also, make sure play equipment is safety-approved.

The right balance of supervision and safety precautions can help prevent injuries while your child is exploring.