Susie's Spotlight: Improving Gross Motor Skills
Tips for Improving Gross Motor Skills
Usually acquired during childhood, gross motor skills use the legs, arms, and torso to perform
everyday functions. These include not only basic tasks, like walking, running, jumping, and
sitting upright, but also activities that require hand-eye coordination, such as throwing,
catching, kicking a ball, swimming, or riding a bike.
Why gross motor skills matter
While riding a bike may not feel like an essential function, the importance of gross motor skills
can be seen in self-care skills, such as getting on and off a toilet, stepping into pants, or even
carrying a backpack between classes.
Imagine the challenges that would come from a delay of these important aspects of gross
motor skill development:
• Balance: The ability to maintain a controlled body position while stationary (“static balance”)
or engaged in movement (“dynamic balance”)
• Bilateral integration: Using two hands but with one hand leading and the non-dominant hand
providing support or stabilization
• Body awareness: Knowing the body’s movement and position in space in relation to other
limbs or objects
• Crossing Mid-line: The ability to cross the mid-way line of the body running from nose to
pelvis that divides the body into left and right side
• Hand-eye coordination: The ability to process information received from vision to control,
guide and/or direct the hands
• Eye-foot coordination: Similar to hand-eye coordination but in reference to the foot instead
• Muscle strength: The ability of a muscle to exert force against resistance
• Muscle endurance: The ability of a muscle (or group of muscles) to exert force against
resistance repeatedly (sustained engagement)
• Postural control: The ability to stabilize he trunk and neck to coordinate limbs
Signs of gross motor skill difficulties
The symptoms of a developmental delay in gross motor skills will look different based on the
child’s age, but it’s worth noting that serious motor delays are typically seen before 18 months.
Although by no means a formal diagnosis of a gross motor skills developmental delay, the
following** age-related red flags could be worth further discussion with a pediatrician:
• 4 months: When lying on tummy: has difficulty lifting head; stiff legs with little or no
movement; When lying on back: head is not in midline
• 6 months: When seated: poor head control and rounded back; When lying on back: does not
bring arm forward; arches back and stiffens legs; is not rolling; when held in a standing position;
stiff legs; arms held back behind body
• 9 months: Uses only one side of the body to move; has difficulty crawling; when held in a
standing position cannot support weight on legs or does not have a straight back
• 12 months: Difficulty getting to a standing position because of stiff legs; when seated sits with
weight to one side or uses hand to maintain a seated position. Poor balance when standing; is
no crawling
• 18 months: No signs of walking; walks on toes
• 2 years: Not walking steadily; walks on toes; very clumsy
• 3 years: Has a lot of trouble with stairs and balance
• 4 years: Cannot jump in place
Beyond just reaching developmental milestones (such as sitting, crawling, walking, running, and
hopping) later than their peers, children with gross motor skill difficulties may appear clumsy,
move stiffly, or appear to lack fluid body movements.
Improving gross motor skills
The good news is that regular “play”—either organic or structured—is typically enough for
children to develop their gross motor skills. But if you’re looking for specific ways to proactively
boost the development of these skills, here are some tips:
1. Play “Simon Says” and incorporate instructions to jump, hope on one foot, leap, skip, and
make “snow angels.”
2. Take turns acting like different animals using your entire body (e.g., kangaroo, snake, gorilla).
3. Set up a low balance beam with a board and have your child walk across it while using their
arms to balance.
4. Create a silly obstacle course in which your child has to crawl under and climb over things,
skip, run, swing, etc.
5. Roll, kick or toss large rubber balls with your child for the duration of a song you sing
together.
6. Explore naturally on slightly bumpy an uneven terrain to improve balance, strength, muscle
tone, and endurance.
7. Think old-school P.E. class and incorporate activities that include jump ropes, hula hoops,
hurdles, or even a game of dodgeball played with rolled-up socks instead of a ball!
8. Dancing is a simple, free way to engage a variety of muscles and boost balance, and you can
start with a quick YouTube search for the Hokey Pokey, the Macarena, The Chicken Dance, or
the ever-popular Baby Shark Dance. (Be forewarned: these songs may get stuck in your head all
day!)
9. Teach your child how to ride something with wheels: a tricycle, a bike, a skateboard, or roller
skates.
10. Break out the sidewalk chalk and teach your little one how to play hopscotch or let them
create their own obstacle course to walk, jump, or skip through.
Although most kids will develop gross motor skills organically through regular play and
exploration, engaging them in these activities can help strengthen these vital skills in ways that
simply feel like fun!
**SOURCE: “Infant Toddler Developmental Red Flags” – Wayne State University
https://www.courts.michigan.gov/4a2bc8/siteassets/educational-materials/cws/supplementalhandouts/
developmental-red-flags-birth-to-age-5.pdf