Young children are naturally full of energy and spend much of their time hopping, jumping and running. Toddlers need practice to learn these skills and can often become restless if they have to sit still for a long period of time. Mix movement exercises into your lessons to improve coordination, muscle control, and get the wiggles out so the children will be able to focus again.

Races
Measure an empty space for your race and mark a "Start" and "Finish" line on the floor with masking tape. Divide the children into two teams. The first two children will race while walking, the second two will run, the next will jump, then gallop or hop. Older children will enjoy hopping on one foot or balancing a book on their heads as they walk. Also incorporate this exercise into your animal lessons; the children can move like animals such as elephants, snakes, crabs, frogs, penguins or other animals.

Singing
Teach the children "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and point to the body parts as you sing. Begin by singing slowly so the children can follow your movements, then repeat the song three or four times and sing faster each time. Also sing "The Hokey Pokey" and have the children copy the movements as outlined in the song.

Dancing
Select several types of music for your class. Choose music that is slow, fast, happy, sad or with different rhythms. Instruct the children to dance the way the music makes them feel, then turn on the music. Play each selection for 30 seconds and dance along with the children. Use the same music as a rhythm teaching tool; the children can clap or stomp to the beat of each song.

Objects
Place a small chair in an open space. Choose one child to approach the chair and give him an instruction, such as "Go under the chair." When the child completes the task, choose another child and a new instruction. The children can take turns going over, around, toward, away from, in front of or behind the chair.

Jumping
Make a river in the classroom with blue tape or butcher paper. The children will enjoy seeing how far they can jump by jumping over the river. Hang balloons or soft balls from the ceiling with string at various heights and the children can jump to try and touch them. Older toddlers may enjoy using a hula hoop like a jump rope; the child stands in the middle of the hoop, swings the hoop down towards her feet, and then jumps over the hoop.