Toddler Midline Activities

The body is divided into two vertical halves with an imaginary line. When children can cross their hand from the left side onto the right side of the body, this is known as midline crossing.

When your baby was little you perhaps noticed that they would pick up a toy with one hand, bring it to the centre of their body and then transfer it into their other hand without passing one hand across this midline. This was normal for this age.

Now that you have a toddler, they should be able to cross this line spontaneously. Some children feel a sense of spatial disorganization when they try to do this. These toddler midline activities will prevent any issues from arising later.

Chalk drawing
Purchase some side walk chalk. Seat your toddler on a spot and get them to make rainbows from one knee to the other with all the different colours. You may want to combine this toddler midline activities with my Noah's Ark Crafts

Hopscotch
Create your own hopscotch block with chalk on paving outdoors or purchase a hopscotch mat for indoors similar to the one in the margins of this page. Show your toddler how to hop on one leg (older) from block to block.

Ball fun
Purchase a large Pilates ball and roll your toddler on this whilst holding his/her feet firmly. They should lie face down with their arms stretched out in front. You can also move it from left to right.

Purchase a selection of balls and bean bags to through and catch from different directions.

Place one tennis ball in the end of old pantyhose. Ask your toddler to stand against a wall. Let them hold the end of the hose in one hand and swing the ball from left to right over their body to bounce off the opposite side of the wall.

Window washing
Give your toddler a bucket of warm water and a sponge. Let them wash your windows for you in big swishing movements form left to right across the midline.

Shaving foam fun
Let your toddler smear shaving foam across a plastic kiddies table from left to right. This is a great tactile midline activity.

Painting fun
Take a large piece of butcher’s paper and stick it on a wall where you don’t mind a mess. Perhaps a shower wall will be best. Let your toddler paint with big strokes from left to right and right to left, making arks like a rainbow across their bodies.