Understanding Gross Motor Skills: Newborns to 18 Months

What Are Gross Motor Skills?

Gross motor skills in newborns to 18 months are the movements the body makes using the large muscles in the arms, legs, and torso. As your child is growing and developing, they use these large muscles for skills such as rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking.

These skills start off mostly as involuntary, reflexive movements, and gradually become more purposeful and refined with practice.

Gross motor skill development is often described in terms of Motor Milestones.

Milestones refer to the series of gross motor skills a child achieves as they grow and develop. These skills are typically accomplished along a predictable age range throughout infancy and early childhood.

Having milestones allows you to tell what skills your child should be achieving during a specific timeframe, and whether they are developing as

expected.

It is important to understand all children will develop at their own pace. Keep in mind skill development can take time, and not all babies reach the same point at the same time – a skill may appear a few weeks or months before or after their peers.

Gross Motor Skills for Newborns to 18 Months - Example Milestones

Newborn to 2 Months:

• Kicks both legs and moves both arms equally while laying on their back

• Turns head while laying on their back

• Lifts chin/head in tummy time

• Progresses from head bobbing to head control in supported sitting

2 Months to 4 Months:

• Props up onto forearms in tummy time

• Starts to roll from back to side, progresses rolling from front to back

• Sits with trunk support, improved head control

• Holds head higher in tummy time and turns both ways

4 Months to 6 Months:

• Rolls from back to front

• Sits momentarily while propped on hands

• Pivots side-to-side in tummy time

• Brings feet to mouth while laying on their back

6 Months to 8 Months:

• Sitting independently

• Catches self when off balance in sitting- Crawls on belly

• Pushes up on arms in tummy time

8 Months to 10 Months:

• Transitions between laying down and sitting independently

• Crawls on hands and knees

• Pulls to stand

10 Months to 12 Months:

• Cruises along furniture

• Stands with one hand held

• Stands alone for a few seconds

12 Months to 14 Months:

• Walks independently

• Stands up from the floor without support

14 Months to 16 Months:

• Crawls up stairs

• Squats to pick up a toy without support

16 Months to 18 Months:

• Walks up stairs with one hand held

• Crawls down stairs on belly, feet first

• Starts to run

Supporting Gross Motor Development At Home

Playing offers your child the opportunity to explore their environment and practice controlling and coordinating their movements.

By interacting with the world around them your child is motivated to move and gain new gross motor skills. Placing yourself or interesting toys in different positions around your baby can encourage movement and help

develop their strength and coordination.

Incorporate different playing positions, such as laying on their back, sitting, and on their tummy to help strengthen different muscles in the body.

What To Do If Gross Motor Development Is Delayed

Sometimes, children are delayed in achieving age-appropriate milestones. If you notice your child is struggling to develop an age-appropriate milestone or missing milestones, it is important to speak to your healthcare provider.

How Can Physical Therapy Help?

A pediatric physical therapist can provide a comprehensive assessment of your child’s gross motor skills, strength, and coordination, and provide recommendations to address your concerns.

We can provide a rehabilitation program that is specific to your child’s age and abilities to assist them in their gross motor development.