Understanding Gross Motor Skills: A Guide for Parents

I like to explain motor development simply as the way your child gradually learns to control and coordinate their body. Gross motor skills are an important part of this and involve the larger muscle groups in the neck, shoulders, back, tummy, arms and legs.

Your child’s gross motor skills develop as they learn to coordinate these larger muscle groups and control the movements they make. This includes maintaining their posture and balance, as well as controlling movements involving their whole body or larger parts of it, such as their arms, legs or upper body. They use these skills during play and physical activity, but also for everyday tasks such as getting up from the floor, climbing into a chair or balancing while getting dressed. With time and opportunities to move, their strength, coordination, balance and body awareness begin to work together.

Gross motor skills look different at each stage of childhood. Here are some examples you may notice as your child grows:

Your child may find one movement easier than another, for example, they might be a confident climber but still need more time with catching. You may also notice the quality of their movements changing. When a toddler first begins to run, it may look like a quick, slightly stiff walk, with short steps and arms held out for balance. With time and plenty of opportunities to move, you’ll notice those first quick steps become steadier and smoother, with your child lifting their knees more as they run.

Gross and fine motor skills are different, but your child uses them together throughout the day. Gross motor skills involve the larger movements, while fine motor skills involve smaller, more precise movements, particularly in the hands and fingers. Holding a pencil, turning a page and fastening a button are all fine motor skills.

Take painting at an easel as an example. Your child needs gross motor control to stand steadily and hold their arm in position, while fine motor control helps them grip and guide the brush. The larger muscles in their trunk, shoulder and upper arm provide a stable base for the smaller, more precise movements of their hands and fingers.

Movement gives your child new ways to explore their surroundings. When your baby can sit and turn their head, they gain a different view of the room. As your child learns to stand and move independently, they can choose what to investigate and make their own way towards it. This builds independence and provides sensory experiences.

Movement also supports cognitive development. By reaching, crawling, walking and handling objects, your child learns about space, distance, surfaces and cause and effect. They plan movements, respond to sensory information and solve problems. New movement skills create opportunities to interact and learn, although meeting milestones earlier does not mean a child is more intelligent.

Gross motor skills support physical activity, confidence, social play and school readiness. They help your child manage routines, use outdoor spaces and participate in nursery or school life.

I always say to parents that everyday life gives your child plenty of opportunities to move without specialist equipment.

For babies: Offer short periods of supervised tummy time while your baby is awake, building up gradually. Lie face-to-face or place a mirror nearby, and provide floor space to kick, reach and roll.

For toddlers: Roll or kick a soft ball, chase bubbles, make a simple cushion obstacle course or use chalk marks for jumping games. Everyday jobs such as pushing an empty laundry basket or putting toys away provide movement too.

For preschoolers: Try musical statues, animal walks, hopping or a chalk balance path. Practise catching with a soft ball or rolled-up socks. Tricycles, balance bikes and scooters can also support coordination with suitable safety equipment and supervision.

Missing one milestone at a particular age does not necessarily mean your child has a delay. As I said earlier, children develop at different rates, particularly with independent walking. However, not sitting unsupported by around nine months or not walking independently by 18 months are reasons to speak to your health visitor or GP. If your baby was born prematurely, their corrected age may also need to be considered.

Ask for advice sooner if your child loses a skill, if their arms or legs often seem very tense or difficult to move, or if their body feels unusually loose and difficult to support when you hold them. Also mention if your child consistently uses one side of their body much more than the other or finds movement increasingly difficult.

You know your child best, so if their movement feels a little off to you, a healthcare professional can help reassure you or decide whether additional support would help.

Your child will develop at their own pace, so use these stages as a guide rather than a schedule.

Birth to three months: Babies develop steadier head control and may lift their head briefly during supervised tummy time.

Three to six months: Upper-body control strengthens. Babies may push up on their arms, roll and sit with support.

Six to nine months: Many babies learn to sit independently. They may pivot, roll, shuffle, crawl or begin pulling themselves upwards.

Nine to 18 months: Babies may pull to stand , cruise along furniture, stand alone and take independent steps. Although walking is often associated with the first birthday, the typical window extends to around 18 months.

Eighteen months to three years: Walking becomes steadier, while running, climbing, kicking, using steps with support and jumping begin to emerge. Running commonly appears during the second year before becoming more controlled.

Three to five years: Children refine their balance and coordination through more confident running, hopping, climbing, pedalling, changing direction, throwing and catching.

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, published by the Department of Health and Social Care, recommend building movement into children’s days from birth. Activity can be spread throughout the day rather than treated as a formal exercise session.

Walking, dancing, gardening and playing at the park can all contribute to these totals. Adult-led games can introduce particular movements, while child-led play gives children time to repeat, explore and adapt them.

One of the best things you can do is let your child follow their curiosity and allow their movements to develop naturally, rather than forcing them into positions they cannot control. Offer a mix of outdoor play , structured games and uninterrupted free play. A little boredom can encourage your child to follow a new interest or adapt what they are already doing. Across these experiences, they naturally move in different ways and practise for themselves.

Playing catch is a great example because it grows with your child. For a baby, it simply means moving a soft ball towards them and from side to side while keeping hold of it. You can then roll it back and forth before progressing to gentle throwing and catching. At first, your child may catch the ball against the middle of their body before learning to reach in different directions. Playing catch brings together strength, balance, timing, coordination, visual tracking and attention. When a challenge feels achievable and your child wants to succeed, they will often keep trying. If it becomes overwhelming, make it easier, pause or return to it another day.