Age-appropriate gross motor skills are essential for your child to develop the strength and coordination needed to participate in sports, get dressed independently, engage in activities with family and friends, and navigate their community safely.
Below are some activities designed to help improve gross motor skills in children:
Core Strength
- Encourage your child to play with a favorite toy or watch a show while in a half-kneeling or tall-kneeling position. Start with 30 seconds in half-kneeling (with either leg forward), and gradually work up to 1 minute, alternating legs. For tall kneeling, aim for maintaining the position for at least 1 minute and build from there.
- Bear crawls
- Crab walks
- Sit-ups without using their arms or pulling on their legs. By age 5, children should be able to perform at least 2 sit-ups from a lying position with knees bent.
- Lower leg lifts while holding large play blocks between their ankles and lifting them to help build a tower.
Leg Strength
- Jumping down from a height of 24–30 inches with both feet together, demonstrating good control during landing.
- Jumping forward at least 22–24 inches with both feet together, maintaining control during landing.
- Jumping over hurdles with both feet together during takeoff and landing. Start with 2-inch hurdles and gradually increase to 10 inches.
- Climbing up and down stairs independently.
Balance
- Playing soccer to improve single-leg balance.
- Using a stomp rocket.
- Stomping coins into a toy piggy bank.
- Navigating obstacle courses that include stairs, balance beams, and stepping stones.
Coordination
- Jump rope with an adult managing the rope or using a three-person jump rope setup.
- Playing soccer: kicking a ball with accuracy and stopping a rolling ball with their foot.
- Catching a ball.
- Performing jumping jacks.
- Galloping or skipping.
- Riding a bike or scooter.
Your child may already be working on some of these activities during their physical therapy sessions. However, including these playful exercises in your daily routine at home can further support their development and make practice fun and functional!