Anyone who’s ever raised or cared for children can confirm: They move. Some days it feels like they never stop moving, tearing from activity to activity with an energy level we as adults could only achieve with an unthinkable amount of caffeine. But all this movement is helping our little ones practice and refine very important motor skills they’ll care with them throughout life. After all, children must learn and develop motions we have long considered second nature as grownups — like reaching for a cup or walking up the stairs.

Here's more on the importance of gross motor skills for children and some activities to help little ones strengthen the major muscles in their bodies.

Why Gross Motor Skills Are So Important

Gross motor skills relate to the movement of muscles of the arms, legs, trunk and head — not to be confused with fine motor skills, which focus more on dexterity developed in the wrists and hands.

Childhood is an especially important milestone for gross motor skill development because this is the age where little ones start to make major leaps and bounds (perhaps even literally).

According to Healthline, around ages two and three, many children start to:

• Walk on their own
• Run on their own
• Walk up and down stairs (with a hand from an adult)
• Jump with two feet
• Stand on one foot for several seconds
• Start to peddle a tricycle
• Climb frames and playground equipment

It’s only natural for kiddos to want to explore these exciting developments they’re noticing, plus they have lots of energy to burn. The good news is that it’s totally possible to play and practice gross motor skills for children all at once.

3 Gross Motor Skill Activities Perfect for Children

Coming up with fun, educational things to do day in and day out sounds daunting, but the good news is that children are curious — and usually excited to join in. Here are three simple activities you can try at home, indoors or outdoors, to encourage your little one to move.

Create an Obstacle Course

Create an obstacle course using everyday household objects — everything from cushions to hula hoops and chairs. The key is creating areas to crawl on, under and through, according to Understood For All. While children are focused on making it through the series of obstacles, they’ll be using their arms, legs and core muscles and support themselves.

Keep a Balloon Off the Floor

Most children are still working on the skills they’d need to reliably catch and throw a ball. So, playing with a balloon offers a little more leeway in terms of gravity, which gives children more time to chase it around and get underneath it. Younger participants may simply want to chase the balloon around, pick it up, throw it, kick it and bring it back to you — which, of course, encourages a variety of awesome motor skills. Older participants may want to play with the goal of keeping the balloon off the floor for as long as possible.

Throw a Dance Party

A classic approach to encouraging kids to get up, get down and shake it all around is a dance party. As the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County points out, there are a variety of kid-friendly playlists on YouTube perfect for encouraging everyone in the room to get up and move. You can even ask kiddos to imitate your movements to ensure they’re working as many muscle groups as possible.

If you want to go all out for your next dance party, enlist the kids’ help in creating decorations and choosing fun outfits to wear during the festivities.

The lesson here? Children can have tons of fun while simultaneously honing their gross motor skills through varied movement.