Checklist for Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills develop throughout childhood, starting with your baby's ability to roll over and going right through to throwing a ball and skating when your child is older. The important thing to remember with checking gross motor skills is that every child develops at a different rate. If your child is behind on one or two skills, you probably have nothing to worry about. However, if your child seems to be behind schedule on most gross motor skills, raise the issue with your family physician.

  1. Baby Skills

    • In your baby's first year, she should learn to lift up her head, sit on her own, crawl, get up from the ground and stand on her own, walk with help and roll a ball.

    Toddler Skills

    • As your child goes through the toddler years, she should walk unaided, forward and backward, pick toys up off the floor, pull and push toys, sit down in a small chair by herself, walk up and down the stairs with assistance and start to move to music. As she gets a little older, other gross motor skills include running forward, jumping in one place, standing on one foot, walking on her tiptoes and kicking a ball.

    Preschool Skills

    • Your preschooler should be able to run around obstacles, walk on a line, balance and hop on one foot, ride a tricycle, use a slide by herself, throw a ball overhead and catch a bouncing ball.

    School Age Skills

    • Once a child is ready to enter school, her gross motor skills should include walking backward toe to heel, jumping forward 10 times without falling, walking up and down stairs independently and alternating feet, and doing somersaults. Once children are over 5 years old, they can usually run on their toes, walk on a balance beam, hop for two meters, skip on alternate feet, jump rope and skate.

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