Kids can be mind-blowingly active. They physically need to burn off energy every day. So if your play space isn’t set up with toys that encourage physical movement, you may find your child running circles around the living room or couch surfing with no end in sight.
The right playthings can help kids channel their energy so they get into less trouble and have more fun. Active toys are also hugely important for your child’s development, exercising gross-motor skills like climbing, balancing, jumping, and coordinating.
Work a few of these active toys into your regular rotation and you won’t have to rely on the park playground (or sunny days!) when your kid’s got a case of the wiggles.
Balance Boards
Also known as wobble boards or rocker boards, these wooden arches are great for balancing, rocking, climbing, sliding and spinning. Place it one on the floor or position it up against a couch and the activities are endless. When kids are tuckered out, don’t put it away! It makes an awesome bridge for cars or dolls during pretend play, too.
Triangle Climbers
If you want to set up an indoor climber without sacrificing a ton of floor space, look for a compact triangle style that folds for easy storing. Toddlers and preschoolers will have a blast going up and over, over and over again, but babies can use this toy even before they start climbing. Hang travel toys on the rungs to encourage sitting babies to reach and pull at. When they start standing, climbers provide a good base for them to hold onto and move around.
Try: Lily & River Little Climber Pikler Triangle
Play Tunnels
Once you’ve got a curious crawler on your hands, a play tunnel is a huge plus to have at home. It encourages movement for kids of all ages, and getting down on your hands and knees is a sensory experience that also opens up a whole new world of play.
Try: Tunnel
Foam Play Sets
Foam playsets are amazingly versatile toys. They encourage physical movement just as much as creativity. Kids can climb on them, squeeze through them, slide down them, build with them, solve puzzles with them, and more. And because they’re soft, they stimulate the senses and encourage balance and body awareness.
Try: Gathre Block Playset
Ball Pits
Ball pits are a subversive sensory experience. They help babies and kids balance and work on their coordination, plus reaching, grabbing, rolling and throwing small, slippery balls is also great for fine-motor skill development. They’re fun for kids to hang out in but there are also so many imaginative games you can play together inside too.
Try: Crate & Barrel Pop Up Ball Pit
Balance Beams
They definitely help kids develop their balance and coordination, but new modular balance beams take it to the next activity level. Because the wood boards detach from the base pieces, kids can design their own configuration or shape to play on.
Try: Acrobat Balance Beam
Indoor Slide
It’s easy to think of slides as outdoor toys, but they’re beneficial for kids to play on anywhere! New portable styles are designed to move around the house, which is even more fun. As kids slide down and come to a stop they engage their vestibular system, which helps process their position and control their movement.
Try: The Stair Slide
