What are the types of motor development?

Motor Development is important for children’s overall development. It is a crucial way in which children learn and develop physically and cognitively by aiding in self-confidence, hand-eye coordination, balance, and giving a child a sense of their own abilities. Because motor development can be fun and exciting, children often crave these types of activities, which helps them develop the ability to grasp, sit, crawl, run, color, write, jump, climb, feed themselves, and more. The different types of motor development are Gross Motor (large muscle movements such as arms and legs) and Fine Motor (small muscle movements such as hands and fingers).

These build your child's ability to interact with the world and allows children to develop motor skills, social skills, and creativity. For example, a marching parade for toddlers teaches them motor skills, creativity, language, and social skills. Additionally, allowing your child to engage in different types of motor activities will help them learn in a variety of ways. Parents always will be their children’s first and best playmates. Allot time each day to be actively involved in your children’s motor development.

Play is crucial to the development of children’s gross and fine motor skills. Through play, children can practice control and coordination of large body movements, as well as small movements of hands and fingers support your child’s motor development by planning play activities that provide children with regular opportunities to move their bodies and that practice hand and finger coordination. When given ample opportunities to play in a variety of interesting ways, such as painting, sand building, climbing, and running, young children will grow many new and exciting ways.

Motor development occurs from birth and continues to develop and mature late into adulthood. Even very small babies’ practice with motor development a lot. Know that many things you witness a child doing are usually triggered by some sort of motive to learn more. If you have ever watched a baby mouth objects, it’s not because they are hungry or really wanting to gross you out it’s because they are practicing their motor development while exploring how they feel with their mouths.

* Remember that not every child is the same and some may reach certain milestones at different ages

Gross motor abilities involve control of the arms, legs, head, and trunk. These movements assist in balance, self-confidence, and coordination and include holding their head up, sitting, pulling up, rolling over, and walking. Parents can help children develop gross motor skills by building in opportunities for children to sit, crawl, run, jump, hop, throw and catch, climb, use ride on toys, and more. Activities that enhance your child’s gross motor development include crawling, jogging/running, kicking and throwing balls, using ride-on toys, playing hopscotch, catching balls of different sizes, playing toss with bean bags, climbing, pull toys, and filling and banging pots and pans. Find more examples by age group in the activities section. Remember that gross motor development occurs more rapidly from a young age and can be done inside and outside.

Fine motor abilities involve controlling an individual’s small muscles in the hands, feet, fingers, and toes. Eye-hand coordination, reaching or grasping, and manipulating objects are examples of fine motor skills. Parents you can plan play activities that will actually encourage your child’s fine motor skills (kids learn through play without even knowing they are learning!) Use the examples below and find more in the activity section. Playing with blocks, puzzles of different textures and sizes, stringing items such as cereal or pasta, and scribbling or coloring with chalk and crayons. Other great activities include reading (use thicker board books at first) because your child can work on fine motor while turning individual pages; Or use playdough with a rolling pin and cookie cutters. When they get this concept have them help with cooking real cookies and cutting them out!

You can find more information about developmental milestones, activities, and red flags within each age group by clicking the links. You can also read more about common questions related to motor development and how it affects your child’s world around them as they grow. Lastly, you can also click on the link for videos and pictures to watch and look at different gross and fine motor abilities of children at different ages.

Just remember that babies develop at their own pace. Milestones referenced below reflect the first month in which a child may achieve them. Find out more milestones by clicking HERE

Watch some of our favorite educational videos on motor development.

What are gross motor skills? What are fine motor skills? What are the differences between gross motor skills and fine motor skills? Watch this video for a full break down and ways to improve these skills.

The difference between gross motor and fine motor skills are, how they work together, and how you can help your child develop these skills at home.

Are you doing fine motor activities correctly? I'll show you how you can find out using Handy Learning.

This video is about Motor Skills Development in Children 1-6 years

Motor development means the physical growth and strengthening of a child’s bones, muscles and ability to move and touch his/her surroundings. A child’s motor development can be broken down into: Gross Motor Skills and Fine Motor Skills. Gross motor- movements related to large muscles such as legs, arms, etc. Fine motor- movements involving smaller muscle groups (ex. hands and wrist)

Motor development is just one part of children’s development. However, mastering both fine and gross motor skills are important for children’s growth and independence. When children have good motor control it helps them be able to explore the world around them and also helps with their cognitive development. It also enables independence. For ex. Motor control helps children learn how to finger-feed and later use utensils (e.g. forks and spoons), to dress and undress, brush teeth and wash hands and face, and to learn to use the bathroom.

Motor development can be large or small movements and can be made with the entire body or just a finger. Between the ages of 0-36 months children’s development grows drastically as they learn to grasp objects, turn over, sit, crawl, feed themselves, dress themselves, walk, run and more.

Motor development nurtures the development of skills such as feeding, dressing, brushing teeth, running, climbing, jumping. When children use motor activities they integrate all types of learning and development, such as, puzzles help children with hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, shape recognition, memory, problem solving, and patience. Or, when children climb, they are improving their muscles, balance, and hand-eye coordination, body awareness, fine motor control, and the list goes on!

Motor Development is a key aspect of children’s ability to obtain optimal development and parents play an important role as they can assist with gross and fine motor development. Aiding in your child’s motor development can be done during the time you usually interact with your child. You can have tummy time, have a obstacle course during play time, or scribble or color together. You can also have your child flip pages during bedtime stories, create scavenger hunt for finding pajamas, play toss or kick a ball, play games have races while cleaning up toys, etc.

Make it a priority in the home by building motor development activities into your child's day. Important to allow time for freedom to engage in unstructured play with supervision. Parents can learn so much about their children's motor strengths and needs by watching them play – do they grasp, crawl, jump, feed themselves, etc. Supporting your child’s motor development can be accomplished by providing appropriate motor activities, structuring their environment to encourage motor development, and increasing the complexity of gross and fine motor skills when developmentally appropriate.

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• Description: Use books with textures and sounds. They are great motivators for young babies to touch and feel. You can also make your own DIY sensory book with household items!
• Skills: Helps: Fine Motor, reach, sensory, tactile exploration.
• Ages: 3-6 months

• Description: Place a small object like a small towel or rattle in your baby's hand and tug on it very gently. This activity helps build muscle as your baby resists your efforts.
• Skills: Helps: Grasp, Fine motor, sensory
• Ages: 3-6 months

• Description: Although your child is not able to stack blocks yet, they can certainly knock them down. Place a couple of stacked blocks a few feet away from you child to encourage
• Skills: Helps: Gross motor, hand-eye coordination
• Ages: 3-6 months

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• Description: Lay your baby on their stomach to help strengthen their neck and back muscles. A good way to get your baby’s attention is to make an interesting noise while holding a bright colorful toy. Tummy time sessions should only be about a minute or two.
• Skills: Helps: Fine motor, Gross
• Ages: 3-6 months

• Description: Lie down and let your baby crawl all over you. Let them use you as a support to pull themselves up to a standing position.
• Skills: Helps: Gross Motor, sensory, balance
• Ages: 6-9 months

• Description: Your baby is starting to understand object permanence. To enhance this, set your child a couple feet away and show them you hiding different toys under a few cups and then have your baby crawl over and hunt for them.
• Skills: Helps: Fine motor, cognition, object permanence.
• Ages: 6-9 months

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• Description: As babies start to use their fingers and thumb to secure tiny objects you can help develop their pincer grasp. Place single pieces of cereal (Cheerios, Kix) in front of them. Model a crab pinching to encourage them to use fingers and thumb to secure them.
• Skills: Helps: Fine motor, refining reach and grasp.
• Ages: 6-9 months

• Description: Place a toy to either side almost out of reach and encourage your child to reach across their body with their left hand to grasp a toy on the right and then switch right to left.
• Skills: Helps: Fine Motor, reach, grasp, crossing midline
• Ages: 6-9 months

• Description: When your child starts eating finger foods use this fun learning opportunity to build fine motor skills. Encourage your baby to pick up bites of fruit, cereal, etc. Demonstrate how to do this and praise every successful snack. Begin with small pieces of soft food that dissolve easily. As your infant grows and becomes comfortable eating finger foods, you can branch out.
• Skills: Helps: Fine motor, reach, grasp, sensory
• Ages: 9-12 months

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• Description: Babies love to make noise in many ways! Place your baby in front of some pots, pans, and spoons. Allow them to use these to bang on, stir in and make noise.
• Skills: Helps: Fine motor, grasp, cognition.
• Ages: 9-12 months

• Description: By now your baby is ready to start pulling up at low furniture. Use overturned cardboard boxes or an overturned laundry basket and place toys of interest on top and encourage your child to pull up on knees and eventually stand to obtain the toys.
• Skills: C) Pull to Stand-By now your baby is ready to start pulling up at low furniture. Use overturned cardboard boxes or an overturned laundry basket and place toys of interest on top and encourage your child to pull up on knees and eventually stand to obtain the toys. Helps: Gross motor, weight shift, weight bearing, strength.
• Ages: 9-12 months

• Description: Once your baby is able to pull to stand on her own it is time to place toys just out of reach to the left and right sides and encourage her to take steps sideways and cruise along the furniture to secure the toys.
• Skills: Helps: Gross motor, stepping, weight bearing, cruising, weight shift, balance.
• Ages: 9-12 months

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• Description: Sing and do the hand motions to "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Wheels on the Bus," and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes."
• Skills: Helps: Gross Motor, coordination, joint attention, language
• Ages: 12-18 month old

• Description: Puzzles are a fun and educational way to challenge children to think strategically while learning life skills. Large jigsaw puzzles are available for your toddler and usually involve cut out shapes that fit into a base. These shapes may have pegs that are easier for very young children to grasp and fit in spots
• Skills: Helps: Fine motor, cognition, visuo-spatial skills, shape recognition
• Ages: 12-18 month old

• Description: Play games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. Try holding your hands over your face and say things like, “Where did Johnny go, he was just here?” Then lower your hands and say, “Peek a boo, I see you” or “There you are!”. Try to get your child to imitate you.
• Skills: Helps: Gross motor, coordination, joint attention
• Ages: 12-18 month old

• Description: Use bubbles as a way to encourage your child to use their hands and feet. Model and have your child imitate you clapping, poking, stomping on, and jumping on bubbles!
• Skills: Helps: Gross/Fine Motor, balance, coordination, joint attention, cause and effect
• Ages: 12-18 month old

• Description: Go outside!! Show your child how to roll and tumble in the grass. Pretend to be different animals or objects. Encourage various activities at the park such as swinging, climbing, and sliding. You can also have them jump from safe heights. Give them shakers with beans, rice, or anything that makes fun noise and encourage them to shake out their sillies!
• Skills: Helps: gross motor, sensory, tactile, imaginary play, creativity
• Ages: 18-24 months

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• Description: Toddlers love to throw and kick! Draw a bullseye on a box, turn a laundry basket on its side, or even use a hula hoop held to the side of your body. Have your child throw beanbags overhand and underhand at the target. Toddlers are wobbly but can still briefly balance to kick a ball- have them kick large stationary balls 1st; Then work on kicking rolling balls and using smaller balls.
• Skills: Helps: Gross motor, grasp, controlled release, balance, coordination, fine motor
• Ages: 18-24 months

• Description: I am sure you have noticed how much energy your kid has at this age! Go outside and have your toddler use a ride-on toy that moves when their feet propel it.
• Skills: Helps: Balance, gross motor
• Ages: 18-24 months

• Description: Placing a rope in the grass, make it into different shapes as you have your child jump in and out of the rope. Take this time to say the shapes and praise as they jump in and out!
• Skills: Helps: Shape recognition, gross motor, balance, language, coordination
• Ages: 18-24 months

• Description: Cut out several big green circles from paper and scatter them across the floor. Tell your child pretend to be a frog while you both hop from lily pad to lily pad without falling in the water. Don’t forget to “ribbit” together!
• Skills: Helps: Gross motor, jumping, coordination, imagination, creative thinking
• Ages: 24-36 months

• Description: Use your sidewalk, fence, patio or driveway for a place for your child to get creative with sidewalk chalk that washes off with water. Model drawing different letters, numbers, and shapes for your child to copy while telling them what each one is. Even if it doesn’t look close to the letter, clap and tell how proud you are of the accomplishment.
• Skills: Helps: Fine motor, imitation, handedness, thumb & fingers grasp, letter/shape/number.
• Ages: 24-36 months

• Description: Play this outside or inside depending on the weather! Grab various noise makers such as rattles, bells, shakers, cans or pots with a spoon, etc.) for yourself and your child. Then while playing some marching music take turns with your toddler leading each other around the imitating the leader of the musical parade!
• Skills: Helps: Gross motor, fine motor, cooperation, imitation skills, turn-taking
• Ages: 24-36 months

• Description: Use a large stand-up poster board and cut out 4-6 large holes and label them red, yellow, blue, green, etc with the appropriate color. Get plastic fruits/balls for each color and make a game of first placing then throwing the same color ball into the matching hole. As they get better have them scoot back for more of a challenge. Call out the fruit and color as they place or throw it in the hold
• Skills: Helps: Cognition, color matching, language, gross motor, coordination.
• Ages: 24-36 months