Babies officially become toddlers once they turn 12 months old, according to the CDC. And the label toddler is quite appropriate once your little one starts experimenting with putting one tiny foot in front of the other while maintaining balance. Some babies are eager to get going on two feet, while others might benefit from a few prompts to take those first steps.

Parenting website “What To Expect” suggests placing favorite toys just out of reach, so your baby is encouraged to pull themselves up and possibly try a few new moves to get to a cherished stuffy. You can also line up baby-safe furniture to provide stable hand holds as your little one cruises along. “What To Expect” also says this is a great time to introduce a push walker or shopping cart-type toy to help provide stability and promote walking.

Once your babe is confidently up and moving, how can you continue to help them develop crucial movement skills? The answer is one that you often see in this column: go outside!

Up here in the Peak to Peak, sidewalks and pedestrian-friendly paved roads are few and far between. A walk around our backyards has us traversing over rocks of various sizes, exposed tree roots, gravel drives, rutted forest floors, and even more “hazards.” But there are massive benefits of walking on uneven ground from toddlerhood through seniorhood.

A study published by the National Library of Medicine titled “Biomechanics” and energetics of walking on uneven terrain found that moving over irregular surfaces compared to even surfaces led to “increased knee flexion and increased hip extension,” “hip power also increased by 75% during mid-stance,” “increased muscle activity,” and “a significant increase in energy expenditure.” A huge difference in how your body works on a forest hike compared to a sidewalk stroll! Uneven terrain is the only surface our ancestors got around on, so it makes sense that our bodies are equipped for this type of movement. But with sidewalks and paved roads, we may not tap into these capabilities that often.

Walking on irregular surfaces could help prevent injuries, as well, according to a story from Time titled “Why Hiking Is the Perfect Mind-Body Workout.” “Pumping up those oft-neglected muscles may improve your balance and stability, which helps protect you from falls.” What parent doesn’t want to hear that?

Getting your baby outside and onto uneven terrain may help supercharge their walking efforts and help them become more aware of what’s under their feet. Though potentially difficult in our mountain terrain, some parents swear by letting their kids go shoeless during appropriate play times. A Washington Post article titled “Why kids should go barefoot more (and probably adults, too)” points out, “One major benefit of allowing a child to go barefoot is that it strengthens the feet and lower legs, making the body more agile and less prone to injury. It also enhances proprioception, the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement. In other words, going barefoot helps a child develop body awareness.” In the same article, Dr. Kacie Flegal, who specializes in pediatrics, reports that “Another benefit to keeping babies barefoot is the encouragement of presence of mind and conscious awareness. This creates focus and awareness of walking and moving through space; babies get more tuned in to their surroundings.”

If you’re not comfortable letting your little one go barefoot in the forest, Jena Shultz, a pediatric physical therapist, suggests shoes with soft soles. In a blog post titled “The Hard Facts Behind Soft- Soled Shoes,” shared by toddler shoe retailer Sun and Lace, Shultz says, “A soft-soled shoe allows the baby to feel the dynamics of the ground beneath them while also maintaining a layer of protection when walking on uneven or irritating surfaces. She also points out that many traditional hard-soled shoes can restrict foot growth. “We can form a good foundation for our littles by ensuring the shoes they wear are flexible, have a wide toe box and soft sole to promote healthy foot development.”

Of course, you’ll still need to dress your little one for the weather, so in snow or rain, reach for whatever footgear will keep them warm or dry.

While the focus of this article has been on toddlers, getting outside and walking on uneven terrain can benefit kids of any age. And, the older kids get, the more able they’ll be to explore other off-theground surfaces like climbing boulders and trees.