Does Your Child Have Age Appropriate Motor Skills?

Isn’t every new thing that your toddler does a genuinely delightful sight? It is so lovely to see them learn new things every day! From eating on their own to speaking in complete sentences– aren’t all these moments simply priceless?

But how would you know if your child is learning everything they should be?  It is tricky to know if your preschooler’s actions are at par with the appropriate physical abilities for their age. Especially since every child has their own pace of development. This is where thoroughly researched, and predetermined developmental milestones come in. Let’s see how you can tell if your child has proper motor skills for their age1.

Before we start, let’s understand what motor skills are. In simple terms, it refers to your child’s ability to control their voluntary muscles and use them to perform various physical activities. And here is how these skills should develop2:

By Age 2

Gross Motor Skills

Your child at this stage should be able to walk and run. They might even start learning to jump with both feet. Kids also begin to stand on tiptoes and balance on one foot. You could also find them climbing furniture and stairs while holding the railing for support.

Fine Motor Skills

Kids start brushing their teeth on their own around the age of 2. While playing, they would also be able to build a block tower of 4 to 5 blocks. Pulling their pants up or down, zipping, turning on taps and washing hands is also normal at this age. One crucial development comes when they start using their fingers to hold utensils and crayons instead of a fist.

By Age 3

Gross Motor Skills

Your child might start walking and running without tripping over their own feet now. Watching them jump, hop, and stand on one foot could also be a regular sight. They’d also be able to walk backwards, climb stairs one foot after the other, kick, throw and catch the ball, and start to pedal a tricycle.

Fine Motor Skills

Your child can now draw circles with crayons and play with toys that have moving parts and buttons. They can also turn the pages of a book and doorknobs.

By Age 4

Gross Motor Skills

You’ll notice that your child can now start, stop, turn and go around obstacles while running. You won’t have to do much to dress them up since they can do a lot of it independently. Kids at four can also jump over objects and climb on jungle gyms. Your kid might also successfully pedal and steer the tricycle now.

Fine Motor Skills

Moving on from circles, now your child can copy and draw basic shapes. They can also use tools like scissors purposefully. While playing now, they can stack towers of as many as ten blocks and even pinch and shape clay into recognizable objects.

By Age 5

Gross Motor Skills

Your kid can now walk heel-to-toe without losing balance, run on their toes, get up without using their hands for support and even jump down several steps. They can also hop proficiently. If they started learning early on early, kids at this age could also ride bicycles.

Fine Motor Skills

Your kid becomes more independent as they can tie shoelaces without help (Sigh!). They can also draw a human with around six body parts. You can also find your child eating with a fork, folding paper diagonally, or threading tiny beads on a string.

By Age 6

Gross Motor Skills

They can now throw and catch a ball without fail most of the time. They can also move to the beats of music, skip, gallop, and dance. If they started to learn early on, kids could also begin to swim.

Fine Motor Skills

Now you can altogether leave dressing up to them since they can now zip, button, and lace clothes themselves. Your kid can also cut soft food with a knife, sweep, dust, and make their bed independently.

Remember, these are abilities that an average preschooler acquires, and you might not find your child doing these things at the exact age. There are often delays, and it’s pretty normal, but as a parent, you can aid your child’s growth by providing them with all the necessary nutrients. Nutritional drinks like Junior Horlicks and a regular diet can help provide them A to Z nutrition. Junior Horlicks contains nutrients like choline, iron, iodine, etc., which are known to support brain development and calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K & protein, which are known to support physical growth and development. It also contains nutrients such as Vitamin E, A, Selenium & copper to support healthy immune function.