Toe Walking: Is It Just a Phase or Something More?

It is one of the most common questions we get from parents here in Perth: "Is it okay that my child is walking on their tippy-toes?" 

As a Physiotherapist with 20 years of experience working exclusively with babies and children, I want to help you navigate what’s normal and when it might be time to seek a bit of extra support.

Is Toe Walking Normal for Toddlers and Children?

In some cases, yes! After toddlers start walking well they start experimenting with balance and sensory input. Around the stage where they learn to jump It is quite common to see toddlers practising tip toe walking 

However, we start to pay closer attention if:

• Your child walks on their toes more than 50% of the time.
• This stage lasts more than a month or so
• Your child is over the age of three
• They cannot physically put their heels flat on the ground.
• They are walking with one foot flat and one foot tip toe
• They seem to be losing skills or tripping frequently.

Toe Walking Home Games to Encourage Flat Feet

The goal isn't to constantly nag them to "put your heels down." Instead, we use simple, achievable strategies to build strength and sensory awareness through play.

Toe Walking Tip 1: Challenge Your Child’s Balance

When we make balancing tricky, children naturally have to drop their heels to find a wider, more stable base. You don't need specialised equipment; you can create a DIY Therapy circuit at home:

• The Cushion Trail: Line up sofa cushions or pillows. Walking on these soft, uneven surfaces forces the foot to work harder and encourages the heel to sink in.
• Garden Obstacles: Use a row of bricks, a garden hose, or a timber plank as a "balance beam." To stay upright, they’ll need to get heels down
• Single Leg Fun: Try kicking a light ball or balloon. Standing on one leg—even for a second—usually requires the standing foot to plant firmly.

Toe Walking Tip 2: Try Funny Animal Walks

Make it silly to encourage different foot positions:

• Penguin Walks: Walk on heels with toes pointed up and out.
• Bear Crawls: Walking on hands and feet with bottoms in the air helps stretch the calves.
• Stilts: Walking on stilts slows your child down and makes it physically impossible to stay on tippy-toes!

Toe Walking Tip 3: Build Strength Through Play Equipment

Building leg strength is key to helping a child feel "grounded."

• Squatting Play: Place their favourite toys on the floor so they have to squat down and stand back up repeatedly. Squatting with feet flat is one of the best ways to stretch the Achilles tendon and strengthen the glutes.
• Wheels and Motion: Activities like scooting, rollerblading, or skateboarding are fantastic. These require a flat foot to maintain balance on the board, providing great feedback to the brain about where their feet are in space.

Toe Walking Tip 4: Use Sensory Play for Foot Awareness

• Beach Days: Walking in soft sand is a fantastic workout for the whole foot. Encourage them to "make deep footprints" with their whole foot.

• Flippers: Putting on a pair of swimming flippers in the backyard is a fun way to make it physically impossible to walk on toes!

Toe Walking Support at Walky Talky Hub

If you are in Perth and would like a clinical eye on your child’s gait, we’d love to see you at our clinic home in Myaree. We offer 1:1 Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, and Psychology assessments where we can check joint range, muscle tone, and coordination. We are providers for NDIS (self and plan managed), Medicare, and Private Health.

Our multidisciplinary approach ensures we aren't just looking at the feet, but at how your child’s movement supports their overall development and participation in daily life.

This information is general in nature and does not replace 1:1 clinical advice. If you have concerns about your child’s development, we recommend an assessment at our Myaree clinic or with your local therapist.