An evolutionary balance bike to accompany the development of baby's motor skills.

During their first years of life, children develop their motor skills. They go through great stages that require a lot of effort. For their first steps, their first races or their first jumps, there are many toys to accompany them.

In this article, we give you some pointers so that you can find your way around. We give you an approximate age, but it's only an estimate so don't worry if it doesn't match your little one's developmental stage.

Fine motor or gross motor?

Gross motor skills are often confused with fine motor skills. It designates all of the “child's motor” gestures . This is the set of important movements that ensure the ease of the body. For example, it allows you to coordinate the arms or the legs.

Fine motor skills, on the other hand, concern precise movements that involve small muscles (for example those of the hand and fingers). It is between 4 and 8 months that the child begins to become aware of his body thanks to her.

Each child progresses at their own pace and there is no point in skipping the steps. On the other hand, what does not change is the order in which the child passes through the stages of development. Indeed, the development of the child obeys the proximo-distal law. It is a neurological law that control flows from the center of the body to the periphery. More simply, this means that the shoulders will be checked first, then his hands and finally his fingers. Which explains why babies develop gross motor skills before fine motor skills.

The mastery of motor skills is very important, because it is an essential stage in the physical development of the child. It is through their movements that the children will discover it and then develop it. It is therefore essential that they can practice. The games are perfect for stimulating and soliciting all his little muscles. For each stage of development, “motor” toys enrich their physical activities. They respond to different needs.

Also note that there is a close link between motor skills (our movements) and the psyche (our sensations and thoughts). This is called psychomotricity . Between the ages of 2 and 6, children develop different psychomotor skills. It is their desire to discover new horizons and test new experiences that will motivate them to get started.

How to develop fine motor skills?

To stimulate the fine motor skills of children, you can use games or fun workshops. Over the years, children develop new movements that allow them to better coordinate their fingers, hands and eyes. Accompanying him in his different stages will allow him to apprehend the learning of writing.

• Between 7 and 9 months, your children begin to hold objects to examine them, they hold their bottles and eat their food alone with their fingers. You can give them boxes and things to pick up and put in. You can also play finger games with them.
• Between 10 and 12 months, children pick up objects, hold a spoon (with some difficulty) and scribble on a sheet. Your baby learns to move his arms and fingers with more control. The child demonstrates greater precision in his movements.
• From 1 to 3 years old, the movements begin to become more global. It is between 2 and 4 years old that the child will choose one hand rather than another (which will determine whether he will be left-handed or right-handed). He becomes able to turn a doorknob, turn the pages of a book and make his two hands work together.
• From 3 to 4 years old, children begin to draw. The child tinkers and is able to use a chisel. The fine motor skills of the child will evolve until he is 6 years old

There are several forms of workshops that will help you stimulate your children:

1) DIY activities

By tinkering, children will develop their fine motor skills, but also their imagination. You can encourage children to use the materials (paper or fabric) and several techniques such as collage or decoupage. Cutting with scissors will teach him to hold an object in his hand or to follow complex lines. It is a very good exercise to teach him to make precise movements.

2) Montessori activities

The Montessori method is an educational pedagogy based on the freedom of the child in the choice of his activities, learning through experimentation and autonomy. It is used in particular to learn to read and count, but it can also be used to develop fine motor skills. For example, you can offer your child to do puzzles, put stickers on or string beads to stimulate all the muscles in his little hands. Here you will find some activity ideas.

3) Creative activities.

Painting, drawing or playing with modeling clay allows him to concentrate his efforts on his hands and bring more and more precision to his gestures.

4) Everyday activities to develop autonomy

In your morning routine, take extra time to teach him to dress himself so he can hone his fine motor skills. You can also let him eat with his hands, because without even realizing it baby is exercising. Little by little, he will learn to use a knife and a fork. (which is also excellent for his motor skills)

All these activities will allow him to anticipate the gestures of his daily life. They will help him develop his grasp of objects and dissociate his fingers.

How to develop gross motor skills?

As with fine motor skills, there are different toys to stimulate gross motor skills. This time around, we're mostly going to talk about outdoor games that involve physical activity . The child will also go through different stages of development:

From 8 months, the beginnings of the development of gross motor skills.

Gross motor skills begin from the age of 8 months when the child begins to crawl or crawl. It is at this moment that the children begin to express their great vitalities. Babies are starting to move around, but still have little motor skills. Then at the age of 10 months, he begins to stand on his own or by clinging to furniture. They also start trying to move. At this first stage, you can use different developmental toys to help him learn to walk:

- The baby rocker which is an 1st age toy on which the child sits and swings. To use it the baby must be able to sit up without assistance. This toy will allow him to develop these muscles and improve his balance.

- The baby carrier on which the children sit astride. It's a rolling toy that requires them to push off the ground with their feet in order to move forward. Carriers are generally intended for children of 12 months. By stepping over and moving forward, young children stimulate the muscles of both their legs. They also begin to strain the muscles in his hands and arms as he turns his handlebars.

- The baby pusher that will allow the child to stand up. It is a toy with small wheels. It is also called a walker, baby walker or push toy.

- The baby walker which is also called youpala. It is often associated with the baby pusher, as it is also a walking aid. But unlike the pusher or carrier, the walker is not a toy, but a childcare object.

With these 4 awakening toys, children develop their motor skills and the coordination of their movements. They improve their body balance. By moving, children have a better understanding of their environment. They will thus be able to better understand the distances with the objects and will know how to avoid the obstacles.

From its first steps, a balance bike to learn balance

Between 10 and 20 months is the age when your child begins to take their first steps. At this age, children love interacting with you and are very interested in games. They begin to gain confidence and explore the world around them. To accompany him in this first stage of development, he must be encouraged in his learning of balance.

For that, think of the balance bike that helps him without him even realizing it. By advancing on his two feet, he instinctively finds his balance. This position also allows him to acquire autonomy. Indeed, learning the balance bike can be done alone and your little wolves will thus have more and more self-confidence. It is a learning process that is done quickly and easily. It is very rewarding for your child to see that he can manage on his own, it will motivate him to continue his efforts. The balance bike also allows you to develop your reflexes by managing the direction, the speed or the transition to a stop.

It has another big advantage. It allows the child to find a physiological and natural position. Unlike the tricycle, the balance bike mobilizes the whole body to move forward. It is then a very good position to start developing motor skills.

From 2 years old: a tricycle to learn to pedal

In general, it is estimated that a child can start using the tricycle from the age of two. It is only used when the child is able to walk and sit up without too much difficulty. The tricycle offers many advantages. It accompanies your child in learning his sense of direction and coordination. With the balance bike, your child has found the right posture that will help them take their first steps on a real bike. But by pedaling, he develops his ability to synchronize his movements. He learns to coordinate his lower and upper body while having fun.

Thanks to its 3 wheels, the child finds much more balance than on a classic bike. It is a safe toy, because the child has little chance of falling. Your little wolves will be able to go on an adventure in complete safety!

Also, by pedaling your child tones his muscles. Even if the tricycle is much more stable than a conventional bicycle, it requires the child to make physical efforts. By using it, the little ones develop their strengths.

Like the draisienne, the tricycle participates in the physiological well-being of the child. It boosts his self-esteem and self-confidence by giving him independence.

From 3 years old, the age of the 3-wheel scooter

From the age of 3, your children have acquired ease in their movements. They become autonomous and gradually begin to take initiatives. However, their balance is not yet perfect. Children want to get started, but still need to be reassured.

The 3 wheels allow the child to maintain a certain stability. Thus, it plays a transitional role before your child takes full autonomy. There are two types of 3-wheel scooter: one with two front wheels and one with two rear wheels. When the two-wheelers are at the back, the child has an easier time in terms of fluidity of movement.

In addition, they are once again excellent for encouraging your child to do sports. The child can combine pleasure and safety by ensuring a certain control over his racing car. With a good grip, children can fully spend without mom or dad having to worry.. ;)

2 wheel scooter

Around 5 years old, your child reaches his last stage of development . He can now jump rope, climb, slide, swing or pedal. Your child has now acquired his autonomy and already has all the confidence to be able to get started.

The 2-wheel scooter is one of the last means of transport on wheels before learning to ride a bike without small wheels. She teaches children to progress at their own pace. The use of the scooter allows him to master all the more balance, coordination of movements and perception of space. It is a very good exercise for orientation and learning to turn. Learning to ride a bike will become easier.

The importance of playing

Beyond boosting physical activity, all these motor toys will stimulate children's creativity and imagination . The game boosts all their development, especially their intellectual development. By entertaining children, toys give them emotions. When you engage in physical activity with your child, he is happy to have fun and understands that exercise is fun.

Also, when you ride with them on their cars, you allow them to explore new places and meet new people, which will increase their curiosity . Being curious is a great quality in children, because it contributes to their development and learning.

Play promotes social development. The child learns to live with others by sharing with his friends. At the same time, the child develops his language by expressing his ideas and exchanging.

Each child develops their motors at their own pace, but by helping them with play you can encourage their development. You have to help him progress by making his efforts fun. This is why it is advisable to provide children with games and accessories so that they can fully develop in their growth. But you will have understood that each stage of development corresponds to different needs and therefore to different games.

So why bother with all these products when you can find them all in one toy?

You may have heard of it, there is a new category of product that allows you to find everything your little wolves need to develop their motor skills: these are evolutionary toys. They make it possible to accompany the children in all their learning while respecting their rhythm. They offer several functions with which children will gradually become familiar.

Evolutionary balance bikes, evolutionary scooter or even evolutionary tricycle, all its products allow them to explore their bodies and their abilities in complete serenity. This is why Looping has chosen to develop an evolving 5-in-1 balance bike: the Scootizz. It accompanies your child from the age of 1 and until the end of the development of his motor skills thanks to 5 functions that we have stated above:

- The 2-wheel and 3-wheel balance bike.

- The tricycle.

- The scooter 3 wheels then 2 wheels.

Beyond the many benefits for the child, the Scootizz saves you from renewing your little one's car every year. Space-saving, you can take it everywhere with you (and even for air travel...). It is the solution for parents looking for a durable product and maximum comfort for children since it is a scooter for all ages.

The advantage of the Scootizz also lies in its "assisted" function. If you wish or if your little ones are not yet ready for autonomy, you can add a push bar to the balance bike or tricycle function. And when the child gets tired, he just has to put his feet on the footrest and let himself be pushed by his parents. It also allows you to stay in control to prevent baby from escaping. You can then be reassured when you walk around town.

In short, the child goes through many major stages throughout his growth and it is sometimes difficult to navigate. We hope these indicators will help you! Motor skills are very important in children, because their development will give them the keys to grow and flourish.

Of course, many other factors come into play in its development, in particular its good diet. To find out more, do not hesitate to consult our previous article: how to eat healthy, for my family and myself.

Affectionately,

Louisa.