What Activities Might Encourage the Use of Space for Toddlers?

Build With Boxes

• Sometimes the simplest household objects can be the most fun toys. Gather some empty boxes of all sizes for a variety of toddler activities. Tape them shut to use them as building blocks. Clear a large space for building and help your toddler build a tower and then encourage him to knock it down. Ask him to construct a castle using the large blocks, since construction activities encourage focus and concentration as well as develop fine motor skills, according to Kathy Eugster, a registered play therapist. As your toddler builds he will also be using many gross motor skills, including reaching and climbing.

  Boxes can also lead to some fun imaginative play. Use them to build a pretend city for your toddler to drive his toy cars through. Set them up as cages and fill them with stuffed animals to make your own play zoo. Find a large box that your child can sit inside, and let him imagine himself zooming around the race track, blasting off into outer space or engineering his own locomotive.

Obstacle Course

• Keep your toddler moving with an obstacle course set up inside your house or out in the yard. Include obstacles that he will have to jump over, crawl under, move around or squeeze through. As he moves through the course say things such as, "First go under the table, and then run around the chair." Not only is he getting active play, but he is also reviewing some developing language skills, such as positional words and following multistep directions. Use a long piece of masking tape on the carpet or draw a long line with sidewalk chalk outside and have your toddler practice balancing on the line or jumping over the line, working on motor skills. As you set up your obstacle course, keep in mind that toddlers' judgment and reasoning skills have not always caught up to their developing motor skills, leading them to often show no fear, according to KidsHealth. Because of this, your little one needs close supervision as he plays.

Make Music

• Toddlers are naturally drawn to music and it can be an effective way to keep your little one active. Push back some furniture to clear a large space for dancing and turn on some of your toddler's favorite music. Playing games like "Follow the Leader" or "Freeze Dance" help him learn about self-control and following directions in a fun way. Sing songs that require your little one to move along, such as "Ring Around the Rosie" or "London Bridge." Encourage even more movement by attaching some jingle bells to elastic that will fit around your toddler's ankle. He will enjoy making his own music as he runs, jumps and dances. Put on your own parade with instruments like drums, maracas, bells and rhythm sticks. If you don't have any instruments, make your own with household items such as empty containers and wooden spoons for a drum or a small-lidded container filled with uncooked rice for a shaker.

Balls and Balloons

• A ball can provide your toddler with fun for hours and help him to gain some important motor skills in the process. Set up some games for him to play with the ball to keep him interested and active. For example, place a laundry basket about three feet from him and ask him to toss a soft ball into it. Turn the laundry basket on its side and it now serves as a goal for him to kick or roll the ball into. Use balloons to help your toddler work on ball-handling skills such as catching and batting. Toss the balloon into the air and have him try to catch it as it slowly falls. Make a racquet with a paper plate attached to the end of a ruler and encourage your toddler to bat a balloon across the floor to a goal or keep the balloon in the air. Be sure to carefully supervise your child with a balloon, as a popped balloon can pose a choking hazard.