Crawling for pre-schoolers; how do you apply it in the gym class?

On average, babies start crawling between the ages of 7 and 10 months. Of all babies, 5 to 10% skip crawling and move around by sliding on their bottoms, or start standing (and walking) immediately. Because a child has to move its arms and feet at the same time, connections are made between the left and right hemispheres. And these connections in turn ensure that these brain hemispheres work well together. This in turn ensures good cognitive development.

So there are many good arguments to make crawling part of your gym class. In this blog you’ll get some great tips on how to do it in a varied and methodical way!

Crawling with small equipment

By using small materials, you can make (boring) crawling just a little bit more challenging. Have the children put a beanbag on each other’s backs and then go through a course. Hoops can also be used to go through. With sticks, blocks and steps you can create challenging obstacles to make it all a bit more difficult!

Different directions, together or alone!

Of course, crawling does not always have to be done in a forward direction. Let the children follow a course completely backwards, and then sideways! And what is more fun than doing this together with a friend? Let them hold each other’s feet or hands during the course. Guaranteed fun!

Device variation

By varying the height, length, width and stability of the equipment, you ensure that every toddler finds a challenge in the same basic movement. For example: on a bench, over a seesaw, through a tunnel, and so on! By varying your offer every week, you will keep all toddlers motivated and active!

Exercises

On this platform you will find more than 500 methodical steps, translated into short videos, to teach your toddler basic motor skills in a fun and educational way!

Subscribe to the Gymnastics Tools Youtube channel for more videos and exercises.

Did you use any other exercises of our platform to teach crawling? Let us know in the comments!