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Children's Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Motor skills occur when the brain, nervous system and muscles all work together to make movements. Your child will develop fine and gross motor skills through directed activities and periods of free and independent play. Although every child is different, there are certain milestones usually reached at specific ages. If you are concerned about your child’s development, ask his doctor for guidance.
Motor Skills
Fine motor skills entail small movements and require hand-eye coordination. Examples of fine motor skills include picking things up with fingers, doing puzzles and using tools or instruments. Gross motor skills involve using the whole body to make large movements, such as:
- running
- jumping
- catching
- throwing
- kicking
- hopping
Young children need concentration and time to learn these skills, especially gross motor skills that require balance 1. Your child eventually will become coordinated enough to do more than one gross motor skill at once, such as hopping backward.
- Fine motor skills entail small movements and require hand-eye coordination.
- Examples of fine motor skills include picking things up with fingers, doing puzzles and using tools or instruments.
Birth to 12 Months
Physical Factors that Influence Child Development
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Motor skills develop rapidly in the first year of your child’s life. When she is born, she can do little else than lie there helplessly. Within a few months, she may be able to sit unassisted and roll over. She will also begin crawling around 7 months of age. She will use her fine motor skills to pick things up and will develop her pincher grasp, which allows her to pick up small objects like cereal using her thumb and index finger. According to Medline Plus, she may stand alone by 12 months of age.
- Motor skills develop rapidly in the first year of your child’s life.
- According to Medline Plus, she may stand alone by 12 months of age.
12 to 18 Months
Your child likely will begin walking somewhere between 12 and 15 months. This gross motor skill will take some time to perfect and tune, but his coordination will improve continually. Medline Plus states that he may be able to use fine motor skills to build a block tower at around 15 months, and scribble on a piece of paper between 15 and 18 months. By age 16 to 18 months, he will be able to walk backward and go up or down steps with assistance.
- Your child likely will begin walking somewhere between 12 and 15 months.
- By age 16 to 18 months, he will be able to walk backward and go up or down steps with assistance.
18 Months to 2 Years
Activities to Improve Balance and Coordination in Children 2 Years Old
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A child age 18 to 24 months may be able to throw and kick a ball. She may not be accurate, but this gross motor skill will improve over time. She will be able to jump in place by the time she is 2 years old. Her fine motor skills are improving as well, and she may be able to feed herself with a spoon and use a regular cup to drink liquids. Other fine motor skills at age 2 include stacking, using puzzles and washing her hands. She will also be able to turn a doorknob, hold a crayon and draw a horizontal line.
- A child age 18 to 24 months may be able to throw and kick a ball.
- Her fine motor skills are improving as well, and she may be able to feed herself with a spoon and use a regular cup to drink liquids.
3 Years and Older
By 3 years of age, your child’s gross motor skills have developed to include standing on one foot and riding a tricycle. He may also be able to dress and undress himself. He will be able to use child-safe scissors and might be able to make the letters in his name. His gross and fine motor skills will continue to improve and will become smoother as he gets older.
- By 3 years of age, your child’s gross motor skills have developed to include standing on one foot and riding a tricycle.
- His gross and fine motor skills will continue to improve and will become smoother as he gets older.
Related Articles
References
- Healthy Children: From Motor Skills to Sports Skills
- Healthy Children: Movement and Coordination
- Medline Plus: Toddler Development
- Babycenter: Physical Development Milestones/Fine Motor Skills
- American Council on Exercise. ACE Personal Trainer Manual, 4th ed. San Diego, A: American Council on Exercise, 2010.
Writer Bio
Rose Welton is a journalism major and a freelance writer. Her education is focused on nutrition and early childhood studies, making her an expert when it comes to writing about health and children's growth and development. She has written numerous articles and blog posts on various topics for online publications and has also worked on an Internet news team.