Raising Kids What To Know About Motor Skills in Children Discover when your child is expected to master certain motor skills, such as gross motor skills like walking and fine motor skills like writing. By Terri Mauro Published on April 18, 2024 Medically reviewed by Lyndsey Garbi, MD In This Article View All In This Article What Are Fine Motor Skills? Fine Motor Skill Milestones What Are Gross Motor Skills? Gross Motor Skill Milestones Motor Skill Delays Trending Videos Close this video player Motor skills are the physical abilities that allow us to move and coordinate our bodies. Fine motor skills use the small muscles of the hand or wrist while gross motor skills employ the large muscles in the body to allow for balance, coordination, reaction time, and physical strength. Motor skills enable the movements children need for everyday tasks, from playing to feeding themselves. Children are expected to develop certain motor skills around the same age, but not every child will reach fine and gross motor skill milestones at precisely the same time. Learn signs that your child is on track with their motor skill development, and activities that can boost their coordination and confidence. Paul Bradbury / Caiaimage / Getty Images What Are Fine Motor Skills? Fine motor skill activities involve manual dexterity and often require coordinating movements of the hands and fingers with the eyes (aka hand-eye coordination). Research shows that early mastery of these skills better predicts future academic success than cognitive tasks like letter identification. Components of fine motor skills include being able to grip and manipulate objects, using both hands for a task, and using just the thumb and one finger to pick something up rather than the whole hand. You can encourage your baby to improve their fine motor skills by laying them under a play gym, using wrist or ankle rattles, or moving a colorful toy around so they can track it with their eyes. For toddlers, activities that might improve fine motor skills include encouraging them to pick up objects with tongs, building with blocks, and doing craft projects. You can also encourage toddlers and preschoolers to play with sensory toys like clay or playdough, sponges, dry pasta, or water toys. Examples of Fine Motor Skill Milestones Children will start developing small, coordinated movements in the newborn period, and by early elementary school, are likely able to do some tricky things, like writing the alphabet and fastening buttons. Here's a selection of fine motor skills you can look for your child to develop as a baby, toddler, and preschooler. Birth to 2 months Will close hand when an object is placed in their palm (grasp reflex)Moves arms in random motions 3 to 6 months Can open and close both handsBrings their hands to their mouthReaches for toys using both arms and can transfer them from hand to hand 6 to 9 months Begins to grasp and hold onto objects using their thumbsCan hold a bottle independentlyUses a raking grasp to move objects with fingers 9 to 12 months Puts small or medium-sized objects in a cup or containerDevelops pincer grasp (using index finger and thumb to grasp objects)Feeds themselves finger foods 12 to 18 months Builds a block tower two blocks highRemoves socksPoints with isolated fingerScribbles with crayons on paper with a fisted grip 18 months to 2 years Turns pages in a book one page at a timeCan scribbleHolds and drinks from a cup without spilling much 2 to 3 years Zips and unzips large zippersCan snip with scissorsCan draw crossing linesCan screw and unscrew lids 3 to 4 years Colors mostly in the linesDraws a circle after being shown an exampleCan get dressed with some help 5 to 6 years Cuts well with scissorsWrites the alphabet and their nameCan get dressed independently How Milestones Are Adjusted for Preemies If your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy), they may develop motor skills later than other children the same age. Talk to your pediatrician about adjusted expectations for your child as they grow. What Are Gross Motor Skills? Gross motor skills are movements that involve large muscle groups and are generally more broad and energetic than fine motor movements. These movements include walking, kicking, jumping, and climbing stairs. Some milestones for gross motor skills also involve eye-hand coordination, such as throwing or catching a ball. Encourage your baby to work on their gross motor skills by doing lots of tummy time. Once they master that, encourage them to reach for (and later crawl towards) toys placed in front of them. To encourage your baby to walk, help them stand and take steps by holding their arms. With toddlers and preschoolers, encourage them to build forts, dance to songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," play pretend, and pull their toys in wagons. Examples of Gross Motor Skill Milestones The phrase, "You must walk before you run" applies to child development, too. It takes a while for kids to learn to move their bodies in graceful or agile ways. These are some examples of gross motor skills your child might learn in their first several years, remembering that some children will develop some abilities a little earlier or later. Birth to 2 months Lifts head while on their bellyTurns head from side to side while on their backCan kick arms and legs 3 to 4 months Pushes up on their forearms when on their belly Rolls over from their belly to their back Keeps head in line with their body when supported in a sitting position 5 to 6 months Rolls back and forthBrings their feet to their mouth when on their backPushes up using their hands when on their belly 6 to 9 months Sits independently Crawls on their belly 9 to 12 months Crawls on their hands and kneesPulls to a standing position and starts to cruise around furnitureCan walk with one or two hands held 1 to 2 years Crawls up stairsLearns to walk unassistedCan kick a ball forward 2 to 3 years Can walk and run fairly easilyJumps with both feetCan kick a ball with both feet 3 to 4 years Can balance on one footCan catch a large ball 4 to 5 years Can ride a bicycle (with training wheels)Can skip on alternate feetCan learn to skate and swim How To Track Developmental Milestones For key developmental milestones, including motor skill development, many pediatricians rely on checklists created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics. These checklists show major physical, cognitive, and social/emotional milestones mastered by 75% of children at a certain age. The CDC also offers a free Milestone Tracker app you can refer to as your child grows. What To Know About Motor Skill Delays A child with motor impairments may have trouble moving in a controlled, coordinated, and efficient way. If your child seems to be delayed in developing fine or gross motor skills, they will likely undergo an assessment and may require physical or occupational therapy to catch up. Talk to your pediatrician if you have concerns—they should be able to point you in the direction of a specialist who can help. Fine motor skill delays Children with neurological conditions or developmental delays may have difficulty with fine motor skills. Difficulties with fine motor skills often aren't diagnosed until preschool when it becomes more obvious that children are struggling with different school activities, such as learning to copy shapes or letters. Some children will be diagnosed with dysgraphia, a learning difference that affects writing skills, while others might be diagnosed with dyspraxia (also known as developmental coordination disorder or DCD), a condition that is still not widely understood. Kids with fine motor skill difficulties might need occupational therapy, modifications, or assistive technology. Gross motor skill delays It may be easier to notice if your child isn't reaching gross motor skill milestones because gross motor skills are among the most anticipated. You're probably eagerly anticipating your baby rolling over, crawling, pulling themselves up along furniture, and taking their first steps. As your child grows, it's natural to note when they are running and playing and how well they do in physical games and sports. Gross motor skill delays may also be a sign of dyspraxia. If children's gross motor delays affect everyday movements, they may receive physical therapy and need modifications or assistive technology to keep up with mobility or athletics. It's natural to compare your child to a same-age peer or sibling who has precociously learned to skip down the street or write their name in chalk on the blacktop, but some kids simply take a little longer to feel comfortable with certain movements. Still, you want to be aware if your child has motor skill delays, as early intervention can help get them back on track. Keep up with your child's well visits so their pediatrician can monitor their development, and don't hesitate to speak up if you have any concerns. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Problems With Coordination. Child Mind Institute. 2023. Fine Motor Development Milestones. Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. n.d. Is Your Baby's Physical Development on Track?. American Academy of Pediatrics. 2023. Gross Motor Skills: Birth to 5 Years. Children's Hospital of Richmond. n.d. CDC's Developmental Milestones. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2023. Developmental coordination disorder and dysgraphia: signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and rehabilitation. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2019.