🎨 Moving & making · Ages 2–3 · about 3 weeks

Move, Stop and Roll

Goal: Explore moving and stopping, and roll a soft ball towards a partner while using beside, near and far.

For parents: Stay beside your child on a clear, level, non-slip floor, away from steps and furniture edges. Choose movements that suit their body: reaching or rolling while seated counts too. There is no need to balance without help.

Do together

  1. Move and pause

    You need: A clear floor space

    Move slowly together, walking or moving your arms. Say 'Stop' and pause together. Say 'Go' before starting again. Let your child give the signals with a word or gesture. Keep each turn short.

  2. Reach near and far

    You need: One large soft toy with no loose parts

    Sit together on the floor. Put the toy near your child's hand, then a little further away but within comfortable reach. Say 'near' and 'far' as they reach. Then place it beside your knee and say 'beside'. If your child prefers to stand, offer your hand and keep both feet on the floor.

  3. Roll to me

    You need: A large soft ball, or an adult sock rolled into a large soft bundle with no fastenings

    Sit close together and roll the ball along the floor to each other. Move a little further apart when your child wants to try. Talk about the ball being near or far. Supervise throughout and put the sock away if it unrolls or goes into a mouth.

Talk about it

  • How shall we move?
  • Is the ball near you or far away?
  • Shall we roll again or have a rest?

Words to use

  • move
  • stop
  • go
  • roll
  • near
  • far
  • beside

Play

  • Position Quest
    Position words
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