YOUR QUESTION. A CLEARER NEXT STEP.
Is it normal that my toddler isn't jumping yet?
Jumping with both feet usually appears between 24 and 36 months, with a wide normal range — many toddlers run and climb well before they jump. If your child is under about 2.5 years, not yet jumping is commonly normal. Seek a friendly developmental check if there's no jumping past age 3, or if other gross-motor skills also seem behind. This is reason to assess, never a diagnosis.
In this answer 4 sections
If you're watching the other toddlers leap about the playground and wondering why your little one hasn't joined in, that gentle attentiveness is exactly the right instinct.
In short
In most children, jumping with both feet leaving the ground arrives somewhere between 24 and 36 months — and there is a wide, perfectly normal range. Many toddlers are confidently running and climbing well before they ever jump, so if your child is under about 2 to 2.5 years, not yet jumping is very commonly within normal development. It becomes worth a friendly developmental check if your child is past their third birthday and still cannot get both feet off the ground, or if other gross-motor skills also seem delayed.
What to watch
Jumping is a later gross-motor milestone — it needs leg strength, balance and the confidence to lose contact with the ground all at once. Rather than the jump alone, watch the whole picture of movement:
- Building blocks first — can your toddler walk steadily, run, squat to pick up a toy, and climb onto a low sofa or step? These come before jumping and show good progress.
- By ~30 months — many children jump in place or off a low step with both feet.
- By 36 months — most jump forward and clear the ground with both feet together.
- Gentle flags — past age 3 with no jumping at all, very stiff or very floppy legs, frequent falling, strong reluctance to bear weight, or losing a movement skill once had. Any of these simply means a check is wise — not a diagnosis.
Trust your instinct: if movement overall feels behind, an early look turns small differences into early opportunities.
The Pinnacle way
A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an online list. Our clinicians map your child's whole gross-motor baseline and shape playful support around their strengths. Explore more about jumping as a milestone, and how our occupational therapy team builds strength, balance and confidence through play.
Trusted sources
CDC developmental milestones and "Learn the Signs, Act Early" guidance on toddler motor skills; American Academy of Pediatrics (healthychildren.org) on movement milestones; WHO and the Nurturing Care framework on early childhood development.
Next step — Trust what you've noticed. Book a developmental check with a Pinnacle clinician so your toddler's movement is reviewed with clarity and care.
CONNECT THE ANSWER TO YOUR CHILD’S DAY
Something to notice. Something to discuss.
What to notice
Watch the whole movement picture, not the jump alone: steady walking, running, squatting and climbing come first. Many children jump in place by ~30 months and jump forward clearing the ground by 36 months. Seek a check if there's no jumping at all past age 3, very stiff or floppy legs, frequent falling, reluctance to bear weight, or loss of a movement skill once had.
In everyday life
Make jumping a game — hold both hands and bounce together, jump over a floor ribbon, or hop like a frog or rabbit. Practising on a soft mat or low step builds leg strength and the confidence to lift both feet at once.
Bring your observations and questions to your child’s professional. Choose activities that suit your child’s comfort, abilities and agreed plan.
Bring your questions to a first visitQuestions families ask
At what age should my toddler start jumping?
Most children begin jumping with both feet between 24 and 36 months. Many jump in place by around 30 months and jump forward clearing the ground by their third birthday. The range is wide and normal.
My 2-year-old runs and climbs but doesn't jump — should I worry?
Usually not. Running, climbing and squatting come before jumping and show good motor progress. Jumping needs extra leg strength and balance, and often arrives a little later. Keep watching, and review by age 3 if it hasn't appeared.
When should I get my toddler's movement checked?
Arrange a developmental check if your child is past their third birthday with no jumping at all, has very stiff or floppy legs, falls frequently, resists bearing weight, or loses a movement skill once had. This is reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
FOLLOW THE SOURCE
References behind this answer.
- Source referenceICF d4
- Source referenceCDC: Developmental Milestones & Learn the Signs, Act Early
- Source referenceAAP HealthyChildren: Toddler movement milestones
- Organisation website · further readingWHO Nurturing Care Framework for early childhood development
References are supplied with this answer. An organisation homepage offers further reading; it does not establish an independent review of this page.
Content attribution: SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network.
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