—8 minSelf-careFamily timeOutdoor
Slow Steps, Hold Hands
A short, closely supervised stair routine where your child practises walking upstairs holding an adult’s hand, using a step-to pattern with pauses and a simple ‘stop/slowly’ cue.
What you'll need
Essentials
- a short set of stairs/steps
- an adult hand to hold
Nice to have
- a handrail/wall to lightly touch
- a small ‘pause spot’ marker (e.g., a piece of tape)
Movement level: mild
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneFollows visually supported instructionsMind· 8mo–18mo· core· Step 3
- MilestoneResponds to a few appropriate boundaries, with encouragement and support.Heart· 8mo–20mo· core· Step 3
- MilestoneUnderstands no or prohibitive wordsMind· 9mo–18mo· core· Step 3
- MilestoneWalks upstairs with supportBody· 18mo–2.3y· core
- MilestoneClimbs stairs with adult helpBody· 10mo–18mo· stretch
What it practices
- Walks upstairs holding hand of adult.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Pulls to standing, holding on to furniture or person for support.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Holds an object in each hand and brings them together in the middle, e.g. holds two blocks and bangs them together.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE) — construct-derived activity authored from enriched DM2012 construct