What are the five motor development?

Gross motor skill development involves the large muscles in the arms, legs and torso. Gross motor activities are important to everyday physical activities like walking, running, throwing, lifting, kicking, etc. Gross motor abilities also form the basis for fine motor skills and relate to body awareness, reaction speed, balance and strength. Learn more about all developmental milestones by age.

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Gross motor development milestones: General physical activity guidelines for children ages 0 to 5 years
Newborn to 2 months
3-4 months
5 months
6-8 months
9-11 months
11-12 months
13-14 months
15-18 months
2 years
3 years
By 4 years
By 5 years
Physical activity recommendations
Problems with reaching developmental milestones? How to improve your child’s gross motor skills

Gross motor development milestones: General physical activity guidelines for children ages 0 to 5 years

Newborn to 2 months

Turns head to both sides while on back
Lifts head and able to turn to both sides while on belly
Head lag with pull to sit
Kicking both legs and moving both arms equally while on back
Performs tummy time on floor regularly

3-4 months

Raises head in line with trunk when pulled to sit
Pushes up on forearms and turn head side to side while on belly
Tolerates tummy time well
Rolls from belly to back

5 months

Rolls from back to belly
Brings feet to mouth laying on back
Pushes up on hands with arms extended while on belly
Pivots in a circle while on belly to each side

6-8 months

Sits alone
Reaches for toys to play in sitting
Catches self with loss of balance in sitting
Crawls on belly

9-11 months

Moves between laying down and sitting upright without help
Crawls on hands and knees
Pulls to a standing position with one foot leading
Cruises around furniture
Walks with two hands held

11-12 months

Walks with one hand held
Stands alone for a few seconds

13-14 months

Crawls up stairs
Stands up from the floor without support
Walks alone well
Squats and stands back up without holding onto support

15-18 months

Walks up stairs with hands or rails to help
Crawls down the stairs (on belly, feet first)
Can run, though falls easily
Kicks a ball forward

2 years

Walks and runs fairly well
Jumps in place with both feet off the ground
Walks up and down stairs alone
Kicks a ball with either foot

3 years

Balance on one foot for a few seconds
Jump forward 10-24 inches
Catches a large ball
Rides a tricycle

By 4 years

Can run, jump and climb well, is beginning to skip
Hops proficiently on one foot
Can do hopscotch
Catches a ball reliably
Begins somersaults

By 5 years

Skips on alternate feet and jump rope
Begins to skate and swim
Rides bicycle with/without training wheels
Climbs well

This information is a general guide to help you determine if your child is progressing at the rate expected for his or her age. Please keep in mind that each child is unique and develops skills at their own rate.

Physical activity recommendations

By exploring many different types of movement, your child can build the confidence, motivation and physical competence to engage in an active lifestyle.

According to the American Heart Association, a daily dose of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is recommended for children ages six to seventeen years old. Infants and toddlers are recommended to get 180 minutes of activity spread throughout the day based on the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is suggested that both structured play as well as unstructured play should be incorporated throughout the day.

Ideally, children should participate in 60 minutes of continuous activity. However, for both older children and toddlers the daily amount of activity can be split up throughout the day. For example, two 30-minute segments or four 15-minute segments for children is still beneficial. Whether you’re at home or on the playground, here are some activities, that with proper guidance, may encourage your child to get moving: •

Indoor:

Infants/toddlers: crawling and walking over various surfaces such as creating obstacles with pillows and blankets; sitting with support at torso on an exercise ball, mommy/daddy and me classes (yoga, tumbling, swimming)
Children: bounce house play, jump rope activities, yoga, dance, gymnastics, cheerleading

Outdoor:

Infants/toddlers: mommy/daddy and me swim classes; water play in buckets or playing at water tables; infant/toddler swings or slides at the playground; obstacles over various surfaces such as gravel, grass
Children: swimming, sprinkler water play, water parks, marco polo, ice skating, snow tubing, sledding, roller skating, skateboarding, playgrounds, riding scooters, tricycle and bicycle riding, hiking, jumping and hop scotch activities, soccer, baseball, swinging

Our therapy programs can also help bring out the best in your child. From aquatic therapy, to sports therapy and more, our team takes an integrated approach, using the right therapy or therapies your child needs at the right stage in their development. We can help your child learn or regain the skills they need to be successful during everyday activities and participate with peers.

Problems with reaching developmental milestones? How to improve your child’s gross motor skills

If you have concerns regarding your child’s development or your child is regularly missing development milestones, physical therapy can assess development and address concerns. If you are concerned about your child's development of gross motor skills, a physician or therapist may be able to assist with an evaluation.

Physical therapists can provide a comprehensive examination of your child’s strength, balance, coordination and gross motor skills in order to determine barriers to safe body movement. We provide therapeutic activities that are engaging and specific to a child’s age, cognitive status, ability level and interests.

To make an appointment with a pediatric physical therapist, call one of these locations:

Information provided by Kristen McBee PT, DPT; Anisha Craft PT, DPT, PCS; Renee Leiby PT, DPT and Jan Steinberger PT, DPT.

Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on October 25, 2021

Fine motor skills are activities in which you use the small muscles in your hands and wrists to make precise movements. They’re different from gross motor skills like running and jumping, which use larger muscles.

You need fine motor skills for self-care activities like:

Dialing the phone
Turning doorknobs, keys, and locks
Putting a plug into a socket
Buttoning and unbuttoning clothes
Opening and closing zippers
Fastening snaps and buckles
Tying shoelaces
Brushing teeth and flossing
Bathing or showering
Using the toilet

‌Fine motor skills are also necessary for cooking and eating, like:

Picking up small foods like raisins
Eating with a fork or spoon
Opening and closing containers such as lunch boxes and zip-top bags
Screwing and unscrewing lids
Using a ladle, tongs, or a large spoon to take a serving of food
Cutting food with a knife
Spreading toppings like jam, mayonnaise, and butter
Sprinkling spices
Setting the table
Pouring drinks and condiments like salad dressing and ketchup
Scrubbing and peeling fruits and vegetables
Stirring, mixing, and whisking

Fine motor skills are especially important for school activities such as:

Turning the pages of a book
Coloring
Drawing and painting
Tracing
Writing
Cutting with scissors
Pasting and gluing
Measuring with a ruler
Typing and using a computer mousepad
Playing musical instruments

Children use fine motor skills during play, including:

Shaking a rattle
Stacking blocks
Stringing beads
Working puzzles
Dressing dolls
Playing with puppets
Sculpting with clay
Putting together train or car tracks
Building with Legos or other construction toys
Playing board games (rolling dice, moving small pieces, spinning spinners)
Playing video games (using a joystick or other controller)

Milestones are skills that children develop as they grow. Most of them learn fine motor skills at certain ages.

3 months. Your infant doesn’t have a lot of control over their arms. They can probably bring their hands to their mouth. A newborn’s hands are often tightly clenched. Your baby’s hands start to relax and open up at 3 months. They may try to reach for dangling toys and might be able to swing their arm in the direction of a toy. ‌

6 months. Most babies at this age can clasp their hands together. They can usually reach for things with both arms at the same time. At 6 months, your baby may be able to hold small objects for a short time.

9 months. Children can typically bring objects to their mouths and pass things from one hand to the other at 9 months. Their hands are relaxed and open most of the time. Many babies start using a pincer grasp. This is when they use their thumb and index finger to pick up small items.‌

12 months. Most children can let go of things on purpose and may be able to hand you an item if you ask for it once they are a year old. They can bang two toys together, take items in and out of a container, and point at objects.

18 months. Children at this age can often clap their hands, wave goodbye, and use a crayon to scribble without help. Your child may start drinking from a cup and eating with a spoon.

2 years. Most children will point to pictures in books and turn the pages by are 2. Your toddler may be able to stack three or four blocks into a tower.

Children develop at different rates. Some learn to eat with a spoon earlier or later than others, and that’s OK. Talk with your child’s doctor if your child doesn’t seem to be reaching many of the milestones for their age group or if you’re concerned about their development. Your doctor can help you set up an evaluation with a specialist.‌

You can also call your local early intervention office for a free evaluation if your child is under 3 years old. Call your local public elementary school if your child is 3 or older. Tell them that you’re concerned about your child’s development and would like to have them evaluated for preschool special education services. Acting early can help your child get the support they need.