Development at 29 Months
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Activity 1
Age Appropriate Gross Motor Development
Imitates Balancing on One Foot
 I am learning to imitate you as you balance on one foot. Show me how you stand on one foot and observe if I can imitate you. Repeat this with the other foot and see if I can do the same. I usually develop the ability to imitate standing on one foot when I am between 24 and 36 months old. |
Steps
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Stand on one foot and encourage your child to imitate you.
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Observe if he is able to imitate you balancing on one foot without any hand support.
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Repeat on the other foot and observe if he is able to do the same.
Feedback
Your child is developing good body balance and coordination in this task. This task is another activity which reflects your child's balancing ability. To be able to imitate and balance on 1 foot shows that he is doing well in the control of his body and balance. Your child will be able to balance on one leg for a longer duration as his ability improves. You may look at the suggested activities for more ideas with this task.
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Encourage your child to balance on one leg frequently to allow him to develop his balance.
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You may do this in the form of games such as “Simon says”. Ensure he gets to practice on both legs.
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If your child has difficulty in balancing on one leg, you can try letting him put one foot on a stool while balancing mainly with the foot kept on the ground. Throw him a balloon so that he has to hit it while maintaining his balance in that position. Change legs after a few minutes or when he gets tired. Make sure that someone stands close to him to catch him if he loses his balance.
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Let your child stand on your feet with his back facing you, allowing him to hold your hands lightly for support. Walk slowly so that he has to keep his balance so that he stays on your feet. Gradually make it harder by decreasing the support you give him."
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Activity 2
Age Appropriate Cognitive Development
Turns Pages in Correct Order, One Page at a Time
 I know that each page represents a part of the whole book. When I flip a page one at a time, I know that I am reaching the end of the book very soon. I will do this between 24 and 36 months. |
Steps
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Give your child a favorite story book.
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Observe how your child rights the book.
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Observe whether he flips each page, 1 at a time.
Feedback
Your child's spatial development has enabled him to be aware of the pages with reference to the storybook as a whole. This is a very good beginning for his reading readiness. This skill is right on track for children between 24 and 36 months.
Continue to interest him by reading his favorite books and getting him to participate in reading by turning the pages one by one. You may wish to leave him alone at times with a new book. Allow him time to explore and figure out how to flip the pages to discover the interesting pictures in it!
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 If your child is turning the pages in a hurry:
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Use a favorite story or a story with a preferred character.
Try getting him books with hard cover pages for easy turning.
- Try stapling page markers (like that in a diary) at each page for easy flipping.
These strategies will help to slow your child down.
If your child is passive and does not show interest in the book:
Use books with feely materials that he can touch or interact with. Try preparing home-made books with nice surprises inside each page. He can even take each surprise out and do something with it, e.g. cookie, sticker, etc. Buy/Prepare short books of 3-4 pages first. -
Buy books that have big pictures with a character that he is interested in.
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