Developmental Gross and Fine Motor Skills

Newborn - 1 month

Gross motor skills: lifts head briefly, head lag in pull to sit, reflex standing and walking

Newborn - 1 month

Fine motor skills: follows moving objects to midline, hands fisted, jerky arm movements

2 - 3 months

Gross motor skills: Chest up in prone position, head up to 90 degrees briefly, rolls prone to supine, ATNR, needs full support to sit

2-3 months

Fine motor skills: can see farther distances, hands more open, visually follows through 180 degrees, palmar grasp reflex

4-5 months

Gross motor skills: bears weight on arms, pivots in prone to reach toys, rolls from supine to side, feet to mouth, sits alone briefly

4-5 months

Fine motor skills: grasps and releases toys, uses ulna-palmar grasp

6-7 months

Gross motor skills: rolls from supine to prone, gets to sitting position without help, sits independently, may crawl backward

6-7 months

Fine motor skills: radial-palmar grasp, rakes with fingers to pick up small objects, voluntary release to transfer object to other hand.

8-9 months

Gross motor skills: hands and knee position, moves from sitting to prone, sits without hand support, pivots in sitting position, stands at furniture, pulls to standing, crawls, crusing

8-9 months

fine motor skills: active supination, radial-digital grasp, inferior pincer grasp, points, pokes

10-11 months

gross motor skills: stands without support briefly, pulls to standing from half kneeling, picks up object from floor from standing with support, walks with both or one hand held, bear walk

10-11 months

Fine motor skills: fine pincer grasp, grasps crayon adaptively

12-15 months

Gross motor skills: walks without support, fast walking, walks backwards and sideways, creeps up stairs, throws ball in sitting

12-15 months

fine motor skills: marks paper with crayons, builds tower with two blocks

16-24 months

gross motor skills: squats in play, walking up and down stairs with one hand and both feet on one step, propels ride on toys, kicks ball, throws ball

16-24 months

fine motor skills: folds paper, strings beads, stacks 6 cubes, vertical and horizontal crayon strokes, holds crayon with thumb and fingers

2 years

gross motor skills: rides tricycle, walks on tiptoe, runs on toes, walks downstairs alternating feet, catches a large ball, hops on one foot

2 years

fine motor skills: turns knob, opens/closes jar, buttons large buttons, child size scissors with help, 12-15 piece puzzles

3-4 years (preschool age)

gross motor skills: throws ball 10ft, walks on a line 10ft, hops 2-10 times on one foot, jumps up to 2 feet, jumps over 12 inches, throws/catches small ball, runs fast and avoids objects

3-4 years (preschool age)

fine motor skills: controls crayons, copies a circle or cross, matches colors, cuts with scissors, draws recognizable human figures with head and two extremities, draws squares

5-8 years (school age)

gross motor skills: skips, hopscotch, jump rope, bounces large ball, kicks ball with more control,

5-8 years (school age)

fine motor skills: hand preference evident, prints well, able to button small buttons

9-12 years (later school years)

gross motor skills: mature patterns of movement in throwing, jumping, and running. Competition increases, improved balance, coordination, endurance and attention span. Boys - preadolescence fat spurt

Girls - prepubescent changes - hips and breasts

9-12 years (later school years)

fine motor skills: greater control in hand usage, learns to draw, handwriting is developed

13+ years (adolescence)

gross motor skills: rapid grow in size and strength for boys, changes in body proportions causing cog to rise for boys toward shoulders and lower for girls toward hips

Balance and coordination skills, eye-hand coordination

13+ years (adolescence)

fine motor skills: greater dexterity in fingers for fine tasks such as sewing, arts and crafts, knitting.