Age appropriate therapeutic play is great to encourage at every age! The more you can turn things into a game, the more engaged your kiddo will be. Try using toys with lots of pieces, such as a puzzle, and have your child reach on tip toes for the pieces, or jump to get them. Also invite siblings to play to encourage imitation of movement and to race against. Below are some activities for each age group birth to 13 years old. Keeping in mind that every kiddo is different and reaches milestones at their own pace, these are solely a rough guideline. If the activities listed for your child’s age group are inappropriate for them, simply move to a previous group!
0-1 mo
-Tummy time on caregiver’s chest
-Looking both directions when laying on back
2-3 mo
-Tummy time
-Reach for toys with both hands on back
-Playing on side
4-5 mo
-Tummy time on elbows
-Rolling tummy to back
-Baby sit-ups
-Playing with toys and feet and bringing them to their mouth
-Sitting with hands on floor
6-7 mo
-Rolling back to tummy
-Sitting and playing with a stable toy
-Pivoting on tummy
-Reaching for toys on tummy with straight arms
-Army crawling
8-9 mo
-Rocking back and forth in hands and knees position
-Standing with hands held
-Sitting while manipulating toys
-Getting in and out of sitting
-Crawling on hands and knees
10-11 mo
-Pulling to stand at furniture
-Cruising
11 mo-1 y/o
-Standing by themselves
-Squatting to get toys off floor
-Encouraging walking
-Throwing a ball in sitting
1-2 y/o
-Play catch with a large ball
-Riding a tricycle
-Kicking a ball
-Bowling with a large ball and cups
-Reaching on tiptoes for toys or to pop bubbles
-Jumping like an animal, “Hop like a bunny” song
3-4 y/o
-Hopscotch
-Tag
-Play catch with a small ball
-Obstacle course with a balance beam and jumping over objects
-Throwing a ball through a hula hoop
-Bouncing a ball back and forth
5-8 y/o
-Jumping rope
-Skipping and galloping
-Kicking a ball into a goal or towards “bowling pins”
-Bouncing a basketball
-Sturdy Birdy game (or make your own!)
-Riding a bike
9-12 y/o
-Agility course
-Sports activities
-Yoga
-Sack races
-3 legged races
-Hitting a balloon back and forth and not letting it touch the ground
13+ y/o
-Hitting a ball with a racquet or ball/stick
-Sports activities
-Climbing over large obstacles (safely)
-Obstacle course with any of the above activities
-Dancing
-Riding a bike/scooter
Additional Resources:
Pathways.org is a great resource for milestones and games and activities for each age group from birth to 6 years old!
The following link is a great resource for tummy time:
https://www.choa.org/medical-services/orthopaedics/orthotics-and-prosthetics/tummy-time-tools
GoNoodle Videos are a fun way to get your child engaged and active!