From Crawling to Crayons: How Movement Prepares Kids to Write
How does a child go from crawling to scribbling with crayons and what can you do with your baby and toddler to help ensure writing success later down the road?
I know the overwhelm that comes with disrupted sleep, copious amounts of diaper changes, and eventually explosive, often unexpected tantrums in any given day. It’s easy to question if you’re “doing enough” or “doing it right” even if you’re not thinking about your baby writing down the road.
You likely celebrated your child finally pushing up during tummy time, or even their first attempts at crawling or walking, but did you stop to celebrate the pea they picked off the tray or the water they poured out of the container (hopefully in the bathtub!)? These are just a few examples of activities that are helping your child build the muscles and motor skills they need to eventually write.
By incorporating and encouraging specific activities now, you can help ensure your child has the skills they need to be a successful writer in the future. In this post, you’ll learn how kids typically progress with movement skills and simple ways to support your child at each stage to build a strong foundation.
All of these activities are easy to implement (you’re likely doing a few). After reading this post, you’ll walk away feeling confident with a better understanding of how your child is progressing and activities to help continue your child’s progress long before a pencil enters the picture.
PRE WRITING STAGE
What is the pre-writing stage? Anything before writing—putting pencil (or crayon) to paper. If your child is scribbling or has yet to make their mark, this is a great place to start.
If your child is scribbling on paper, they may be transitioning to the next writing stage. LINK
In this stage, kids are building the skills necessary to learn to write—which may seem archaic in our digital age but research still supports writing as a necessary tool for learning CITE.
Pre-writing skills help kids successfully hold a pencil to accurately color, copy, draw, and write. These skills include physical strength (upper body, core, hand, etc.), hand-eye coordination, and moving and manipulating objects just to name a few. Without these skills, kids can struggle with frustration, fatigue, poor self-esteem, and difficulty learning down the road.
BABIES (0-12)
Babies begin to open up in the first few months, going from passive consumers to active participants in their world. Newborns have big, involuntary movements called reflexes. These automatic responses help your baby develop control, awareness, and strength. In your child’s first year of life, their involuntary movements are replaced by intentional, controlled movements.
Your child doesn’t need fancy equipment or toys to develop their movement, they need dedicated time and space to gain understanding and control of their body. Tummy time, sitting play, and explorative eating are great activities to incorporate throughout your day over their first year of life to encourage your child’s development.
Tummy Time
Tummy time is a supervised play period, where your baby explores on their stomach. It helps them make sense of the world around them, strengthen their muscles, and build body awareness. What seems like a simple and sometimes tedious activity is actually doing a lot.
You can start tummy time in the first week. Try for a couple minutes at a time, multiple times a day. As your baby gets stronger, they’ll get more comfortable and be able to explore and engage for longer periods of time on their stomach. Need some tummy time inspiration or additional information, click HERE.
Sitting Play
Sitting play is a supervised play period, where your baby has the opportunity to practice sitting and exploring. As with tummy time, sitting play helps your baby make sense of the world around them, continue to strengthen muscles, and build body awareness.
A lot of babies start sitting with support around 4-5 months. You can start having your baby sit with support whenever you feel your baby is ready. Signs of readiness include,
Supported sitting can look like your baby sitting on your lap facing outward or your baby sitting with a cushion (like a nursing pillow or rolled up towel) around their hips. Soft pillows placed around the area can help with any wobbles or tips. Slowly taper their support as they get stronger and more comfortable. Want more sitting play ideas, click HERE.
Explorative Eating
Explorative eating is a supervised play period where your baby explores food and utensils in a supported chair. A lot of babies start eating food around 6 months of age.
Your child is likely ready to start eating food if they are,
Every time you do tummy time, guard your wobbly baby from falling over in a seated position, or embrace the mess of exploring new foods–you’re doing meaningful work! Your playful guidance is helping to lay a strong foundation–one small movement at a time. Click HERE for more information on playing with food.
Young Toddlers (12-24)
As your baby transitions into toddlerhood, they grow from completely dependent to increasingly more independent. They are seeking control over their environment. Naturally toddlers are inclined towards big movements as they learn to walk and run, but they also need to work on small motor skills in order to gain the independence they are seeking.
Your toddler doesn’t need the latest trend or a ton of toys to encourage their fine motor skills, they need a couple intentional tools, your playful guidance, and time and space to gain a deeper understanding and control of their body.
As your toddler naturally moves and explores the world around them, you can incorporate puzzles / problem-solving toys, sensory play, and outdoor exploration to help support their growing strength and skill.
Puzzle / Problem-Solving Play
Puzzles and problem-solving toys are a great way to slow toddlers down for more than a second, engaging them in critical thinking while using small, focused movements. Think toys without batteries and objects that can be used in multiple ways (open-ended toys). Knob puzzles, block sorters, stacking cups and a coin box are all examples of open-ended puzzle / problem solving toys.
These types of toys encourage toddlers to match shape and size, grow to understand cause and effect and sequence, strengthen coordination, control, spatial awareness, and grip strength. Your toddler may only be able to sit for a few seconds the first time a puzzle / problem solving toy is introduced. Keep introducing the same toy. As your child gets more acclimated to it and their skills begin to develop their interest and stamina will increase.
Remember less is more. Kids are able to focus more and play for longer with less options. 1-2 toys out at a time is sufficient. Want to see our favorite toys? Click HERE.
Sensory Play
Sensory play is a broad term covering any activity that helps kids engage their senses–touch, sight, sound, smell, and even taste. Our senses help us make sense of the world around us and sensory play helps toddlers learn and practice skills through discovery and movement. Use a wide, shallow container and fill it with rice or water. Provide cups or spoons and let your child play.
Sensory play helps toddlers develop focus, cause and effect, strengthen coordination, control, spatial awareness, and grip strength all while being fun and engaging.
Again, less is more. Your child doesn’t need a million options. Keep your sensory play simple. A couple containers, scoops, or toys is all your child needs. We find that tree works well for us. It also allows us to rotate new scoopers/containers which helps keep the activity fun and engaging. Check out more sensory play ideas HERE.
Outside Exploration
When in doubt, go out! Outdoor exploration is a great way to get toddlers moving and exploring. The great outdoors offers endless opportunities yet to be discovered.
Some experts suggest kids should spend 3 hours a day outside, which is far greater than the current 4-7 minutes of free outdoor play most kids are likely getting. Being outside also helps with the recommended 3 hours of physical activity toddlers are supposed to have. Additional benefits of being outside are emotional regulation support, fresh air, curiosity and wonder cultivation, and opportunities to strengthen small muscles.
Follow your child’s lead. They may want to collect nature treasures (rocks, sticks, etc.), look under rocks, splash in the water or mud, or smack things with sticks. All of it, is building life long skills for your growing toddler. Need more outside ideas, click HERE.
Every missing piece found, swept up sand, and muddy sink, is evidence of the important work you’re doing! These playful moments are great ways to fill your days and strengthen your toddler’s motor skills. Whether they’re stacking, scooping, sorting, or stick collecting, your child is developing the skills needed for their future learning. No need to push the pencil. Your child is learning through play.
Future Writer
Most of what prepares a child to write doesn’t look like writing at all. These small, play-filled moments–incorporated into your every day rhythms–are skill building spaces. Don’t feel pressured to start worksheets or “school lessons.” These simple tools and activities are meeting your child where they are and are helping them build the necessary skills for later academic success.
The pencil should wait. Be confident in the work you are doing and more importantly, the connections you’re making with your child. Trust that these small steps and playful movements are crafting a capable, curious, confident future writer.
