{"id":78713,"date":"2023-12-15T14:27:08","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T11:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog?p=78713"},"modified":"2023-12-15T14:30:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T11:30:19","slug":"gross-motor-skills-development-in-early-childhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/gross-motor-skills-development-in-early-childhood","title":{"rendered":"Gross Motor Skills Development in Early Childhood"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Acquiring motor skills is an important part of your baby&#8217;s development. <\/span><span class=\"tm8\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Motor skills allow children to engage in physical activities and achieve age-appropriate developmental milestones. They help a child move and complete tasks efficiently. Motor skill development also supports cognitive, speech, and sensory development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills are necessary for everyday activities like walking, jumping, balancing, kicking, running, and climbing. Developing these skills lets the baby and the child perform everyday tasks like sitting at the table, playing in the park, and throwing a ball.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">In the first year of life, a baby achieves lots of milestones and many of them involve gross motor skills. In this article, you will read everything you need to know about gross motor skills. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-are-gross-motor-skills\" class=\"tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">What are gross motor skills?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills are those skills that require whole body movements and involve the large (core stabilizing) muscles of the body to perform everyday functions like standing and walking, running and jumping, and sitting upright at the table.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\"> \u201cGross,\u201d in this case, means \u201clarge,\u201d and \u201cmotor\u201d means \u201cmovement.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">These skills also include eye-hand coordination skills such as throwing, catching and hitting a ball as well as riding a bike, a scooter and swimming.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills require proper coordination and the function of:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/body\/21787-skeletal-muscle\"><span class=\"tm8\">Skeletal muscles<\/span><\/a><span class=\"tm8\"> (the strength and power behind the movements).<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Bones (the structures that your muscles attach to).<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/body\/22584-nerves\"><span class=\"tm8\">Nerves<\/span><\/a><span class=\"tm8\"><span class=\"tm8\"> (the \u201cmessengers\u201d of your brain that tell your muscles when and how to move).<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"why-are-gross-motor-skills-so-important\" class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm7\">Why are gross motor skills so important?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills (sometimes called large motor skills) development is very important because it enables a child to perform everyday tasks. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Practising gross motor skills helps children learn how to control and coordinate their body movements. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm12\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills are those used to move the arms, legs, and torso in a functional manner. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm12\"><span class=\"tm8\">They involve whole-body movements. This is why they&#8217;re necessary for other abilities like balance, coordination, body awareness, physical strength and reaction time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm12\"><span class=\"tm8\">Walking, running, playground skills (e.g. climbing), sporting skills (e.g. catching, throwing a ball) are all gross motor skills. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm12\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills affect well being and give children the opportunity to socialize in play.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm12\"><span class=\"tm8\">Confidence and coordination in gross motor skills are essential for children in developing their fine motor skills. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-are-some-examples-of-gross-motor-skills\" class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm7\">What are some examples of gross motor skills?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Examples of everyday movements that are classified as gross motor skills include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Standing<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Walking<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Running<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Sitting upright without a back support<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Chewing<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Jumping<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Twisting your torso<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Bending over<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Moving\/twisting your neck<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Raising your arms and hands<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Waving your arm<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Examples of hand-eye and foot-eye coordination skills that are also gross motor skills include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Throwing and catching a ball<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Kicking a ball<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Doing a cartwheel<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Skipping<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Swimming<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Riding a bike or skateboard<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Rollerblading or ice skating<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-difference-between-fine-and-gross-motor-skills\" class=\"tm9\"><span class=\"tm14\">What is the difference between fine and gross motor skills?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills and fine motor skills may appear similar because they both involve using muscles and motor planning but they are controlled by different parts of the brain. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Gross motor skills<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\"> involve the large muscles of the body, such as the\u00a0torso, legs and arms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Fine motor skills<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\"><span class=\"tm8\"> are at the opposite end of the spectrum and involve the smaller muscles of the hands and fingers. Your baby practices fine motor skills by grabbing and perfecting the pincer grasp. Eventually they use them to feed and dress themselves.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"how-do-gross-motor-skills-develop\" class=\"tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">How do gross motor skills develop?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">The first gross movements happen while your baby is in the uterus. The fetus kicks and moves their arms and most people tend to feel these kicks and punches around 19 weeks of pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills continue to develop rapidly after birth as both involuntary reflexes and purposeful movements. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Purposeful movements tend to develop from the head down. Babies typically learn to first lift their heads while on their bellies. Then they learn to push up with their arms. Next, they usually learn to crawl using their arms and legs and eventually walk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Each gross motor skill that your baby practices and then masters will help them build on the next one as they grow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">But you should always remember that every child is unique. Your child may not follow the typical timelines and that is still perfectly normal because every child develops in sync with their own internal clock.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tm8\">It&#8217;s very important to note that physical development doesn&#8217;t always follow a straight line, so you shouldn&#8217;t compare your kid with other kids their age.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">On the other hand t<\/span><span class=\"tm8\">here are certain gross motor skills that children usually practise at particular ages. These can include:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"by-0-6-months\" class=\"tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm14\">By 0-6 months<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Normal\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your baby, <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Begins to push themselves up while on their tummy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Starts making deliberate movements with arms and legs. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Holds their head upright.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Bears weight on their legs when feet are flat on the floor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Brings their feet to their mouth when lying down. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Pushes up from tummy to elbows.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Sits without support.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Rocks on hands and knees.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Rolls over.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Moves objects from one hand to the other.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"by-6-12-months\" class=\"tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm14\">By 6-12 months<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Normal\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your baby,<\/span><span class=\"tm8\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm12\"><span class=\"tm8\">Sits up on their own. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Reaches for items while in a seated position.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Moves their body into different positions (like lying and sitting).<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Crawls on their tummy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Creeps and then crawls on their hands and knees. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Pulls themselves up to stand. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Stands alone for a few seconds.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Walks with support and possibly takes a few steps without support. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"by-1-year\" class=\"tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm14\">By 1 year <\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your baby,<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm12\"><span class=\"tm8\">Squats to pick something up. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm12\"><span class=\"tm8\">Walks alone.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Carries items while walking.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Crawls and then walks upstairs\u2014usually with the assistance of hands or rails.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Crawls downstairs on their belly, leading with the feet.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Runs, although 1-year-olds usually fall easily.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Sits on small objects by themselves.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Climbs onto bigger objects and then turns to sit down.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"by-2-year-old\" class=\"tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm14\">By 2 year old<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Normal\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your child, <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Walks and runs with reasonable ease.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Stops and starts easily while moving.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Ascends and descends stairs independently.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm11\">J<\/span><span class=\"tm8\">umps in place with their feet together.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Kicks a ball with either foot.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Learns to throw with their arms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Stands on tiptoes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"by-3-year-old\" class=\"tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm14\">By 3 year old<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Normal\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your child,<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Maintains balance on one foot for a short time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Walks backwards and sideways.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Jumps forward for a small distance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Rides a tricycle.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Catches a large ball (usually with stiff arms).<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Stands on one leg for a short period of time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"by-4-year-old\" class=\"Normal\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">By 4 year old<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Normal\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your child,<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Goes up and down the stairs normally.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Demonstrates good running, jumping, and climbing skills.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Hops on one foot.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Catches a ball with their arms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Climbs ladders and playground equipment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Moves on tiptoes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Navigates around obstacles.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"by-5-year-old\" class=\"tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm14\">By 5 year old<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Normal\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your child,<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Skips on alternate feet and gallops.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Jumps rope.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Walks along a narrow path.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Rides a bicycle.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Swims, dances and skates. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Plays ball games.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-if-your-child-has-gross-motor-skill-delays-or-difficulties\" class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">W<\/span><span class=\"tm8\">hat if your child has gross motor skill delays or difficulties?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"Normal\"><span class=\"tm8\">You should always keep in mind that every child is unique and development never really follows a straight trajectory. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Below are some things that you may want to look out for during the development of your child:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your child isn\u2019t interested in the physical activities that their peers are happy with doing. In fact, they even try to wiggle out of them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your child fails tasks on purpose to mask that they\u2019re having a hard time doing them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Your child tells other kids how catch a ball or do any other thing but they don\u2019t take part in the game.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"when-should-you-contact-your-doctor-about-gross-motor-skill-concerns\" class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">W<\/span><span class=\"tm8\">hen should you contact your doctor about gross motor skill concerns?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills are important for major body movement such as walking, maintaining balance, coordination, and reaching. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">These abilities have connections with other physical functions which are important for play, sports, and fitness. They are also connected to other actions necessary for daily life and academic success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Delays in gross motor skills can lead to some problems including fine motor abilities. For example a child&#8217;s ability to maintain upper body support will affect their ability to write.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor development may have an impact on a child&#8217;s cognitive and motor abilities as they grow older. And early intervention is very important. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">If you\u2019re worried your child isn\u2019t reaching gross motor skill milestones, talk to their pediatrician. They\u2019ll ask questions about your concerns and can perform tests.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">If your child has a decline in gross motor skills, talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible, especially if the decline is sudden. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-causes-gross-motor-developmental-delays\" class=\"tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">What causes gross motor developmental delays?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Some children reach gross motor milestones later than others, and there is no known cause or long-term issue. And this is generally considered to be normal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">If a gross motor delay is related to a medical issue, however, it typically involves the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Premature birth that results in muscles developing more slowly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Genetic causes (such as Down syndrome).<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Nerve and muscle disorders (such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy).<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Developmental diagnoses such as autism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Hormonal causes such as hypothyroidism.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"activities-to-encourage-gross-motor-skills-in-your-child\" class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">A<\/span><span class=\"tm8\">ctivities to encourage gross motor skills in your child<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">As their muscles get stronger and their brains continue to develop, the fine-tuning and number of gross motor skills of your child grow. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills continue to develop throughout childhood and adolescence. They get more complex with the passage of time. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Babies and children learn a lot of gross motor skills by interacting with their environment. But there are also ways to help your child practice gross motor skills at different stages of development.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"babies\" class=\"tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm14\">Babies<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Head position practice:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\"> Alternate the side that you position your baby\u2019s head when you lay them down. Choose left one day and right the next day. This will encourage your baby to lift their head and to strengthen both sides of their neck.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Tummy time:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\"> Tummy time strengthens your baby\u2019s neck and back muscles. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Rattle tug: <\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\">It\u2019s never too early to start building those biceps. Put a rattle in your baby\u2019s hand and tug gently.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Sitting your baby up:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\"> Prop your baby up to encourage them to develop the motor skills to sit independently. As they\u2019re learning, offer a hand to keep them stable.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Sticky notes on the wall:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\"> Once your baby can pull themselves up to a wobbly stand, try putting post-It notes on the wall just out of their sitting reach. They\u2019ll delight in pulling themselves up to grab the notes and pull them off the wall.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Free movement: <\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\">Once you create a safe space for your baby, spending less time with them in bouncers and jumpers and more time encouraging them to move on their own is incredible. Don\u2019t forget to scatter their favorite toys around. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"toddlers\" class=\"tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm14\">Toddlers<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Going for walks: <\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\">Allow your toddler lots of time to walk around when at the park. Baby proof your home and let your child walk around. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Sand play: <\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\">Sand play is magical. As your child digs, scoops, pours, and sifts, they\u2019re working on their gross motor skills.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">Create obstacle courses:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\"> Put safe objects around the room so that your toddler needs to duck, crawl, sidestep, reach, pull themselves up and even move items to get from one side to the other.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"preschoolers\" class=\"tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm14\">Preschoolers<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Gross motor skills are mostly developed early and, as noted above, involve just the large muscle groups. Once your child has picked up on those skills, they can add other layers of skill like coordination, muscle development, posture, balance, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><span class=\"tm8\">Some examples of building upon their gross motor skills include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Hopscotch and skipping<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm11\">T<\/span><span class=\"tm8\">rampoline jumping<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Swimming<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Normal tm9 tm10\"><span class=\"tm8\">Playing musical instruments<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"Normal tm9\"><strong><span class=\"tm7\">References: <\/span><\/strong><span class=\"tm8\">webmd.com, verywellfamily.com, parents.com, understood.org, canr.msu.edu, healthline.com, oxfordhealth.nhs.uk, whattoexpect.com, sciencedirect.com, pathways.org, clevelandclinic.org<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Normal\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Acquiring motor skills is an important part of your baby&#8217;s development. \u00a0 Motor skills allow children to engage&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":78721,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[345],"tags":[1423,1543,1539,1540,1548,1452,1541,1546,1547,1544,1292,1237,1545,1542,1538,1342],"table_tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78713"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78713"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78720,"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78713\/revisions\/78720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78713"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invidyo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=78713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}