Gross Motor Skills in Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
Gross motor skills are movements that require the larger muscles in your body. Here's an age-by-age timeline for children, plus activities to encourage gross motor skill development.
Your little one will master a myriad of milestones in their first few years, and many of them involve gross motor skills. These "whole body" movements require coordination of the large muscle groups, like those in the legs, arms, and torso.
Gross motor skills are necessary for everyday activities like walking, jumping, balancing, kicking, running, and climbing. Mastering these skills
lets your child perform everyday tasks like sitting at the table, playing in
the park, and throwing a ball.
Keep reading for a breakdown of gross motor skill milestones by age, activities to improve these skills, and situations that warrant a visit to the pediatrician.
Gross Motor Skills vs. Fine Motor Skills
Physical development in young children can be divided into gross and fine motor skills. You've likely heard both of these terms before, but you might not know how they relate. So what's the difference between them?
Gross motor skills require the larger muscles in our body. In contrast, fine motor skills describe the small muscle movements usually displayed by the
hands and wrists. Fine motor skills allow people to hold a crayon, draw, thread a bead, and pick up or manipulate small objects.
Gross motor skills are actually crucial for fine motor skill development. After all, you can't use scissors (a fine motor skill) without sitting at the table, stabilizing your core, and moving your arms (gross motor skills). Both fine and gross motor skills require complex coordination, and learning them is a huge milestone for your little one!
