Gross Motor Skills: 90+ Examples for Kids Ages 0 to 7

Before you can walk, you must learn to crawl.

Day in and day out, we see children developing their gross motor skills, which are skills that involve the large muscles. These skills are important for everyday life—walking, running, etc. They’re also important for developing fine motor skills, balance, strength, and body awareness. From their first roll to skipping down the street, kids make huge progress and growth in gross motor skills from birth through elementary school.

In general, gross motor skills start out rough and then get more refined as kids get practice. For example, a child will start to walk in wobbly steps, then with a wide gait, and finally smoothly and nimbly.

Image: Pulsenotes

Below are the gross motor skills that kids develop from birth through elementary school. (One caveat: All kids are different and may develop skills slightly before or after this sequence. If you have concerns about your child, talk to your pediatrician.)

The first few months are all about first movements. Babies are figuring out just how they can move their heads, legs, and arms.

By 3 months a baby will:

Now, baby’s head is more stable, and they are learning how to hold their body on their own.

By 6 months a baby will:

Once baby has mastered sitting, they’ll be reaching for toys and trying to move on their own by crawling and scooting.

By their first birthday, a child will:

Image: Samantha Cleaver

Toddlers are all about motion, and kids will start to move independently and express themselves through movement, as they wave their hands to get your attention or clap when they’re proud of themselves.

Young toddlers will:

Toddlers are getting more mobile every day. By 2 years old, kids can walk, run, and play.

Toddlers will:

Older toddlers are on the move all the time—now they’ll need you to run to catch up with them, and they can really engage with games that involve kicking and rolling.

At 2 to 3 years old, toddlers can:

Preschoolers are adding more motion to their skill set, including bike riding, walking on tiptoes, and starting to somersault and throw.

Preschoolers will:

By the time they start school, kids will be playground-ready. They can skip, stand on one foot, jump rope, and climb.

By kindergarten, kids will:

Kids in elementary school love to play active games that put their gross motor skills to the test, like tag, jumping rope, and soccer.

Elementary schoolers will:

Developmental Checklist

Centers for Disease Control Developmental Milestones List