You’ve probably heard your therapist, pediatrician, or friend who’s a parent talk about gross motor skills. But what exactly are they, and why are they important?
In this blog, NAPA pediatric physical therapist Cait is here to discuss the progression of gross motor skill development, provide gross motor skills examples by age, and share tips for supporting your child in reaching gross motor milestones. Let’s dive in!
Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body, allowing for big movements like crawling, walking, running, jumping, and climbing. They also encompass higher-level coordination skills such as skipping, balancing, and throwing or catching a ball.
Movement is important to all of us, but especially to our developing little ones.
Babies, toddlers, and children learn so much through movement, and gross motor skills are a significant aspect of their overall development. From crawling and walking to jumping and climbing, these skills help children explore their environment, build strength, and gain confidence.
As babies grow, they first develop control in their neck (head control) and trunk (sitting balance) and then they learn to control their shoulders, elbows, wrists, and finally, their fingers. The same goes for the lower body, starting at the hips first, then learning to control their legs, feet, and eventually toes.
Babies develop gross motor skills from head to toe, meaning upper-body control comes before lower-body control.
Each child develops at their own pace, so these gross motor milestones by age listed below are approximate. As gross motor development happens at these approximate ages and stages, they build upon each other. For example, a baby needs to be able to pull up to stand before they can walk. We start with foundational skills and work through a developmental progression. For instance, we know that oftentimes, rolling leads to crawling and crawling leads to walking.
We typically see a range of child development for each gross motor milestone, where kids may develop that skill in the few months before or after their peers. If you notice your child continuing to struggle with the development of an age-appropriate gross motor milestone, please see your pediatrician to request a PT evaluation. Find an overview of examples of gross motor skills by age below!
In addition to the skills listed above, gross motor skills for 2-year-olds include:
Examples of gross motor skills for 3-year-olds include:
While gross motor skills involve large muscle groups (arms, legs, trunk), fine motor skills involve the small muscles (hands and fingers) used for tasks like writing, buttoning, or grasping small objects. Gross motor skills develop first and lay the foundation for fine motor control.
Gross motor skills develop first and lay the foundation for fine motor control.
Gross motor skill development helps children to build strength and confidence in their bodies. Kids also enjoy the same benefits of exercise and physical activity as adults do, which is important for a healthy lifestyle, no matter your age.
Developing gross motor skills helps a child grow in the ability to do more complex skills, such as navigating a new playground environment or playing a team sport. As kids gain control of their bodies, they start to build up strength. Little ones need lots of opportunities to practice movement because that’s how they learn and grow!
Little ones need lots of opportunities to practice movement because that’s how they learn and grow!
Anything a child does to get from one spot to another is locomotion. Examples of gross motor skills in the locomotion category can include rolling, belly crawling, crawling on hands and knees, scooting, walking, running, climbing, leaping, jumping, and hopping.
Gross motor skills that are stationary include head control, sitting balance, standing on one or both legs, rising, falling, bending, stretching, pushing, pulling, swinging, swaying, twisting, and turning.
Think about all the things a child can do with a ball – they can roll, throw, catch, kick, stop, or bat a ball. All of these actions are manipulative gross motor skills.
When a child’s gross motor development is delayed, pediatric physical therapy is often prescribed to help a child work towards gaining gross motor skills.
Physical therapy for kids focuses on developing a wide range of foundational skills to help children maximize their gross motor potential, including:
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Cait received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor’s degree in Pediatric Health and Motor Development from Pepperdine. During her 10-week clinical rotation at NAPA, we fell in love with Cait (and the feeling was mutual.) Cait is passionate about the power of play and strives to educate and empower all of her families. When she’s not working with the superstar NAPA kids, Cait enjoys swimming, surfing, traveling, and organizing/leading physical therapy service trips.
NAPA Center is a global leader in pediatric therapy. We offer a multidisciplinary approach integrating physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapy. We specialize in individualized intensive therapy programs designed to accelerate progress and help children achieve meaningful developmental milestones. With clinics throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, we aim to bring hope to families worldwide by providing access to the best and most innovative therapies all under one roof.
If you’re concerned that your child may be experiencing delays in gross motor skills, we’re here to help. Schedule a complimentary 30-minute phone screening with a NAPA physical therapist to discuss your concerns, learn about our therapy programs, and receive personalized recommendations for your child. Welcome to the NAPA Family!
