Toddler Activities: Foot Parade

By Deborah Pace Rowley

As a young mother I worked at Parent Cooperative Preschool in Salt Lake City. One tradition at this popular preschool was a favorite of the two-year-old class. It was the annual Foot Parade. You can have your own foot parade at home or with a playgroup of friends. This activity works best outside for reasons that will soon be made clear. It is perfect for a long summer afternoon. All you need are some shallow containers (disposable cake pans work great) and a variety of items your toddler can walk on or step in. 

Line up your items in a row and let the foot parade begin. Mom or Dad should help their child step in each container and cross each surface in the parade. Ask your child which surfaces she likes to feel on her feet and which ones she doesn’t. Be sure to have a camera handy to capture all the funny facial expressions. 

Here are some ideas to get you started in creating your own foot parade. Think up some of your own.

Textured Surfaces:

Grass

Cement

Plush Carpet Square

Silk Throw Pillow or Silk Scarf

Quilt Batting

Fuzzy Scarf or Sweater

Square of Artificial Turf or Rough Door Mat

Piece of Plywood (Step carefully to avoid splinters)

Cool Marble Cutting Board

Big Bubble Wrap

Items in shallow containers:

Feathers

Wood Chips

Cotton Balls

Jello

Warm water

Sand or Salt

Potting Soil

Paint

The tray of paint was always the last item in the foot parade. The children would step from the tray of paint onto a roll of paper and then march down the paper, leaving a set of darling footprints as a priceless memento of the day. Be sure to add the date and age of your child.