Last Updated on December 26, 2024 by Sheryl Cooper
Inside: Here is our collection of favorite toys that help develop large motor skills with toddlers and preschoolers. We use these toys daily in our school gym, but they can also be used at home, and some can be used outdoors as well.
It’s important that children work the large groups of muscles in their arms and legs. At our preschool, we make sure our toddlers and preschoolers get time outdoors and in our gym. We researched carefully before buying our toys that help develop large motor skills. In this collection, I’ve included our favorites.
I’d love to hear what your children’s favorite large motor toys are! Please share in the comments section!
Favorite Toys that Help Develop Large Motor Skills
Our toddlers and preschoolers love to rock in these chairs and then turn them over and balance on top. There are endless ways you can use these chairs! The benefits include stimulating creativity, improving hand-eye coordination, strengthening the core, improving balance, and helping with sensory issues.
We have a variety of balls from small to large and they are all loved by our preschoolers! Playground balls are very durable. We’ve had them for years and have only needed to replace a couple of them.
It takes awhile to get the knack of balancing the hoop and swinging it around the waist, but this is a favorite even if that skill hasn’t been mastered yet. We use them to roll across the room (and then chase them!) and on the floor to hop in and out of. They’ve been part of obstacle courses and have been turned into cars and horses and trains.
Tossing balls into basketball hoops is an important large motor toy because preschoolers need to use both legs, both arms, and cross over the midline of the body.
Bouncy balls (also known as Hoppity Hops and Hippity Hop Balls) are a good way to develop balance and body coordination. They work well indoors and out!
The wood rocking boat is loved by all our preschoolers! It seats 2-4 children. When you turn it over, it becomes a set of stairs.
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Always great to see toys that are designed for helping kids out! Thanks for sharing these!
Thank you, Stephanie!
Great post with fabulous ideas for play. Often we can look more to FINE motor than gross motor activities. Thanks for this.
I am so guilty of that! That is why this post is so special to me.
How fun and such great suggestions! I too am ‘guilty’ of focusing a lot more on fine motor development without specifically emphasizing gross motor activities. I love these ideas 🙂
Thank you, Rachel!
The tunnel is a favourite in our house.
And after reading about how important it is for developing the arms, core and legs, I am making sure ours is being used more often!
I need to get our tunnel out… I too tend to focus on fine motor for some reason.
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
Thanks, Jill! I love your blog!
Sheryl I’ve never seen those Bilibo chairs before! Do you know what age/weight they work for?
Hi Meredith! The company says the chairs are meant for ages 2-7 (younger children tip over in them and need help getting back up), but older children seem to like them as well. As for weight, I think as long as your rear end can fit in one, you are fine. They are quite durable! 🙂
I love those Bilibo chairs, and have wanted some for a long time. However, they are out of our price range. Someday though, they are awesome!
Hi Jenn – keep checking Amazon as sometimes they can have good deals, or perhaps you can find one used. They are worth every penny if you do have that extra cash. 🙂
I have 4 Bilbo chairs and they have been used for so many things. The kids love them. They sure did make the enter go by a little faster…