Did you ever wonder why an infant or toddler would crawl or walk to get their favorite toy only sometimes as they are learning these skills? But at other times they’ll look, they may start moving for it, but ultimately look around and find something else to play with? We find it all has to do with their perception of their abilities and what they’d need to do to get their favorite toy.
When you are teaching or encouraging practice of motor skills by moving those favorite toys around your house, it’s important to keep in mind the idea ‘just right challenge’ or that your child perceives that they can accomplish their goal, but is still challenged to improve their skills. If they perceive the activity as something they are able to do, they go for it. If they think it’s too hard, they find another toy.
This is why you often see therapists moving furniture half an inch farther apart at time, or ‘accidently’ bumping a toy a little farther away when the child is half way there while crawling to push kids to go just a little further without significantly changing how the child perceives the activity.
If your child goes after that toy every time, would they still do it if it was a little farther away or on the couch or half way up the stairs instead of the floor? If your child looks around for something else to play with, what happens if you move their favorite toy just a little bit closer? Have fun experimenting with finding the motivation that is ‘Just Right’ for your kiddo!
