You may not know exactly what are gross motor skills or their meaning. Many may have heard the words during your child’s checkup but quickly dismissed it as one of those technical terms that only a physician would care to know.
But all children develop gross motor skills during the first five years of their life. Gross motor skills refer to movements that involve large muscle groups and extensive ranges of motion and use large muscle movements like running, jumping and throwing.
In this article, you will learn about what are gross motor skills that appear in the first four years of a child’s life.
What are Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills are the physical actions and coordination of large muscle groups required for locomotion and manipulating objects. The movement of the head, neck, arms, legs, feet and toes requires muscle strength.
They are used to move your body around in space, such as walking, running, jumping and climbing. Your gross motor skills will be developed through activities such as rough-and-tumble play, swimming, cycling and gymnastics.
Gross motor skills are crucial to healthy development because they help children learn to control their bodies. They also improve balance and coordination.
Gross motor skills are essential for learning other skills such as writing or playing an instrument. These activities require fine motor skills (tiny movements of fingers or hands), which cannot be developed until gross motor skills have matured enough to allow for independent movement of arms and legs.
Parent playing with child to improve gross motor skills | Image from Pexels
Why Are Gross Motor Skills Important
Gross motor skills are the large-muscle movements that allow you to run, jump, and throw. They’re a key part of childhood development because they’re necessary for learning how to navigate the world around us. When children learn how to run or jump, they learn about gravity and inertia—something that can be difficult for adults to understand!
Gross motor skills are essential in all our lives, from interacting with others to moving through our environment. For example, it can be frustrating and scary if you’ve been driving in a car with someone new to driving and doesn’t know how to signal or change lanes safely. This is because they lack gross motor skills such as hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Gross motor skills also play an essential role in learning social cues and developing self-confidence. Children who are good at gross motor activities tend to have higher self-esteem because they feel like they can accomplish things independently instead of relying on others for help all the time!
What Are Examples of Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills are body movements that involve whole muscle groups. The term gross is used to distinguish them from fine motor skills, which are smaller, precise movements of single muscles. So let’s talk about a few examples of gross motor skills!
What Are Gross Motor Activities for Infants and Crawlers
Here are some gross motor activities that you can try with your infant or crawler:
- Rolling on the floor
- Pushing a toy car around
- Climbing up and down stairs in a sitting position
- Sitting and spinning around in a chair or swing
- Standing and walking with assistance from an adult
Baby Gross Motor Skills
One of the most important things to remember is that the baby’s gross motor skills are still developing. This means that they may not be able to do certain things as well as they’ll be able to later on.
As a parent, it’s important to remember this when interacting with your baby. You don’t want to push them too far or expect too much from them!
It’s also important to remember that even if they do something one day and not the next, it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with them—it just means that their skill set is still developing.
What Are Gross Motor Skills Activities for Babies Who Pull Up
Here are some gross motor activities you can try with your baby who pulls up:
- Walking along a line or rope on the floor (or even just holding onto one end of it)
- Hanging from an activity gym or other piece of equipment (and pulling themselves up)
- Crawling through tunnels or over obstacles
- Using a ball to push through a hoop or other obstacle
Image source: iStock
What Are Gross Motor Skills Activities for Toddlers
Here are some examples of gross motor activities for toddlers:
- Walk around the house with your child on your back or in an Ergo baby carrier (this is great for building strength in their legs).
- Play catch with a ball or Frisbee outside (make sure there aren’t any hard surfaces nearby!).
- Go for a walk around the neighbourhood with them riding in their stroller or backpack carrier (again, make sure there aren’t any hard surfaces nearby!).
- Jumping on an exercise ball or mini trampoline
- Stacking blocks or cups
- Tugging on a pull toy or wagon (for older children)
What Are Gross Motor Skills Activities for Preschoolers
Here are some examples of gross motor activities for preschoolers:
- Hopscotch
- Jumping rope
- Jumping jacks
- Tug of war
- Musical chairs
What Are Gross Motor Skills Activities for School-Age Children
Gross motor activities can be done at home or in the classroom, and they should be varied to help keep kids engaged. Here are some examples:
- Running around outside
- Play catch with a large ball (like a beach ball) or a football
- Play tag or hide-and-seek outside
- Walk around an obstacle course (like cones set up in a row) or play hopscotch on the sidewalk
- Roller skating
- Swimming
- Dancing
Gross Motor Delay Causes
Gross Motor Delay is a condition that affects children’s development of motor skills. It is characterised by delayed or uncoordinated movements, difficulty with balance and coordination, and poor eye-hand coordination.
The causes of gross motor delay are varied but generally include some combination of the following:
- Disease or genetic defect
- Birth trauma or other medical issues
- Developmental delays result from environmental factors such as poor nutrition, exposure to toxins, and lack of oxygen during birth
- Injuries that affect the central nervous system (such as spinal cord injuries or brain injuries)
Playing with child to develop gross motor skills
Gross Motor Delay Diagnosis
There are a few ways to diagnose delays in gross motor skills. When you’re assessing your child’s development, keep an eye out for the following:
- Does your child have difficulty with balance? This can include difficulty standing on one foot or basic coordination tasks like walking or running.
- Does your child have difficulty with object control? This includes issues such as catching toys and picking up larger objects like balls or blocks.
- Is your child’s movement repetitive? If so, this could indicate that he or she has trouble with motor planning or sequencing.
- Do you notice any asymmetry between his or her arms and legs? This may indicate that he or she is experiencing weakness in one of those limbs due to lack of use over time.
Gross Motor Delay and Autism
Gross motor delay is a common symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autistic children often struggle with these movements; they may take longer than usual to learn how to walk or run and may have trouble with balance and coordination once they begin doing so.
Other physical conditions or developmental delays can also cause gross motor delay. Suppose your child is experiencing difficulties with gross motor skills and has been diagnosed with ASD or another type of developmental delay. In that case, you must consult your paediatrician or occupational therapist about this issue as soon as possible.
ALSO READ:
6 Exercises to Strengthen Your Baby’s Muscles
4 Ways To Improve Your Child’s Coordination
12 Benefits of Sensory Play to Your Child’s Development
Gross Motor Delay Treatment
Treatment for gross motor delay includes:
Physical therapists can help children improve their balance, coordination, and strength. These therapists may also help with range of motion and endurance exercises.
This therapy can help children improve their fine motor and sensory processing abilities. Occupational therapists will often use play-based activities that focus on specific developmental goals.
Image source: iStock
The use of music has been shown to improve coordination and balance in children who are experiencing gross motor delays. This can involve making songs on the spot or playing games incorporating movement such as hopping or clapping along with the music.
The speech therapist helps the child to develop language skills. This can be done through games that focus on sounds and words.
Dietary modifications can be a crucial part of treating gross motor delay. These changes help children with gross motor delay develop more mature, coordinated movements. They also help to prevent injuries.
Some recommended dietary modifications include:
- Decreasing the number of refined sugars in your child’s diet
- Limiting the number of carbohydrates that your child eats at one time (they can be eaten throughout the day)
- Limiting high-fat foods and increasing fibre content in their diet
Gross motor skills are essential in early childhood development and help a child gain a sense of identity. They enable children to learn basic motor skills, which enable them to perform physical tasks independently of others.
Early stimulation of these skills lays the foundation for future development, so if your child isn’t displaying gross motor skills at their age, talk to your health care provider about what you can do as a parent to encourage these abilities in your child.
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
