There’s no better gift to your child or grandchild than something fun and educational at the same time. As I’m putting a lot of focus on the physical development of my daughter, I’ve put together a list of unforgettable gift ideas that would improve her gross motor skills.
So if you are looking for a useful gift for Christmas, birthday, or some other occasion, that your child or grandchild would never forget and that would benefit their development, read on.
The price categories you’ll see below are as follows:
- $ – $1-50
- $$ – $50+
- $$$ – $100+
I have added the suggested age for each of the toys. Please note that these are approximate suggestions indicating at what age kids could start using them, but you should always review the official suggestions of the manufacturer and consider the individual development of your child.
The links referring to the products may earn affiliate income for us with no extra cost for you.
A Pikler Triangle
Price: $$$, age 6 months to 6 years
This is, in our opinion, the strongest candidate on the list to improve your toddler’s gross motor skills. Our daughter (18 months old) is climbing on it daily and I just love to see how her confidence in climbing increases day by day.
Pikler triangle is a tool that your kids will most likely use starting from 8-12 months, up to 5-6 years. It will help them learn climbing and balancing skills, as well as use their imagination to create various games with, on, and under it.
A Pikler triangle is relatively expensive but well worth its cost. The cheaper ones generally start from $150 but depending on the design and functionality, they average around $200-400 and can go up to $700.
If you are like me and want the best development tools for your kids or grandchildren, take a look at the article I have written about 50+ Pikler triangles with their functionalities and prices compared.
A Balance Bike
Price: $$, age: 18 months to 4 years
If your kid is 1.5-2+ years old, buying a balance bike for them as a gift is a great idea. Balance bikes are the logical step to introduce biking to the kids and in my opinion, a much better option than a three-wheeler or a bike with training wheels. The reason? It provides a huge benefit to the kid’s balance.
You can get a reasonable balance bike from under a hundred bucks ($60-70) but the prices do go up to the hundreds. You’ll probably find some even cheaper ones but always consider ergonomics and safety when buying one for your kid. Buying one second hand is always an option as well.
Search Amazon for the best balance bikes for your kid.
A 3-Wheel Scooter
Price: $$, age: 18 months to 4 years
As an alternative to balance bikes (see above), 3-wheel scooters also allow your toddler to get acquainted with the rolling motion and balancing. Some of the scooters come with an attachable seat, so they can be used similarly to a balance bike.
The scooters are generally cheaper than balance bikes but in my opinion, balance bikes are more universal and offer more bang for the buck in terms of motor development of a child. See all the 3-wheel scooters on Amazon.
Gross Motor Card Games (Action Card Games)
Price: $, age: 18+ months
There are a lot of different gross motor card games available but they mostly have a similar objective – choose a card and do the activity shown on it. In many cases, the primary activities are connected with mimics, sounds, etc. For example, you might get cards that ask you to walk like a cat to the closest chair while smiling.
Gross motor card games are an awesome way of spending quality time with your little one, and are easy to take with you when visiting other kids, going camping, or staying with grandparents in summer.
These cards are generally quite cheap, starting from around $10 but the best we’ve found is the ThinkFun Roll and Play Game for Toddlers (on Amazon).
If you have some time on your hands, you can also make an action card set yourself.
Inflatable Bouncer
Price: $$$, age: 24 months to 10 years
Aaah… What I would have given for an inflatable bouncer in my childhood.. 🙂
The inflatable bouncers come in various sizes and possibilities, allowing toddlers from around 24 months to improve their balance, coordination, jumping skills, and much more. The smaller ones can even be used indoors, but generally, they are more suited for outdoor use.
It’s great for individual play but will be a hit during birthdays and playdates.
You’ll have to open up your wallet for this one, though. Prices start from around $100 and go up to the hundreds and even thousands, depending on the size and possibilities it offers. Amazon has a lot to offer, so check out the bouncers there.
House Cleaning Play Set
Price: $, age: 18+ months
At around 12-18 months, kids tend to start copying their parents a lot. This also applies to cleaning the house. So why not get a cleaning playset for your kid – they’ll love it, they’ll move around a lot while using it, and they’ll learn good habits while doing it.
The cleaning playsets are relatively cheap, starting from around $10 but we recommend the Melissa & Doug dust, sweep and mop set on Amazon which is a little bit more expensive but nothing crazy. It’s wooden, so it’s more durable and environmentally friendly than most plastic ones, and it has tons of positive reviews from other users.
Soft Foam Play Climbers or the Nugget Play Couch
Price: $$$, age: 6+ months
These are gifts that have a long life in terms of use. Babies as young as 6 months can start climbing on the cushions to discover and learn new skills, while older toddlers can unleash their creativity to build obstacles and then climb through the course.
The Nugget is also multifunctional – it’s actually a bed or a couch, so it can be used for rough gross motor play as well as for quiet moments or naptime.
Both of them are relatively expensive, though. The foam sets start around $100 and go up to the hundreds, and the Nugget is usually priced a little over $200.
See the foam playsets on Amazon.
An Automatic Bubble Machine
Price: $, age: 18+ months
Bubbles are a hit with our 18 months old daughter. Whenever we make some, she runs around, trying to catch them.
And when she does that, I feel happy – she is running around, trying to keep her balance, while keeping her eyes on the bubbles. I know how beneficial this is for her so whenever she asks to play with bubbles, I’m more than happy to oblige.
The bubble machines are really affordable, starting from around $15. Check out this bestseller doggo on Amazon.
A Balance Beam / Obstacle Track / Balancing Track
Price: $$, age: 18+ months
There are so many options to help improve your kid’s balance with games and activities without having to pay a penny. But if you want to give them a special gift, there are multiple options available.
Balancing tracks and obstacle courses will provide a lot of fun and open-ended play options to improve your kid’s balance and creative thinking. The cost of these tracks tends to be between $50 and $100 but there are both cheaper and more expensive ones available.
Here’s one balancing track with reasonable pricing and good quality on Amazon.
Stepping Stones
Price: $$, age: 2+ years
Stepping (or balancing) stones are a great gross motor skill gift for toddlers. Although they are generally suggested for kids 3 years and up, you can introduce them much earlier and just place them so that the gaps wouldn’t be too long and your kid could walk (and not jump) from one to the other.
This type of toy sets are excellent for learning balance and understanding how uneven surfaces under the foot can alter their balance.
Stepping stones playsets range around $50 on Amazon. We really like this set of National Geographic balancing stones.
A Wobble Board / Balance Board / Rocker
Price: $$ – $$$, age: 12+ months
Wobble boards, balance boards, and rockers are great gifts for toddlers starting from 12 months old, as well as for older kids at 2-3-4 years old. The reason is that everyone can use it based on their skills.
Our daughter’s grandparents brought her a rocker for her first birthday and she used it first for, well, rocking. We did flip it upside down and showed the climbing possibilities but she wasn’t ready for that. After some time, she got interested in climbing, and later on in balancing on the rocker on her two feet.
Any of these boards or rockers can be used the same way, just let the kid use them in a way appropriate to their age.
Here are some links to look for ideas yourself:
- Wooden wobble board by Gentle Monster on Amazon
- Search results page for rockers on Etsy
A Play Tunnel
Price: $, age: 12+ months
Always encourage your toddler to climb over and under various objects to learn new movements and improve their balance. Building or buying a play tunnel is one way to provide them with an awesome experience and help them learn something new.
The play tunnels are relatively affordable on Amazon, starting at around $20. I’m not going to highlight a specific one here as there is so much variety in the possibilities out there (smaller, bigger, with tents, pools, etc). Just check this search link on Amazon to find the best for you. If there’s an IKEA near you, they also have a basic tunnel-and-tent option available called BUSA.