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Gross Motor Skills Development Chart

Gross motor skills involve full-body movements using large muscles for activities like sitting, walking, running, and coordination tasks such as catching or kicking a ball.

Note: Each stage builds on earlier ones.

How to use this chart: Review skills up to the child’s age. If earlier skills are missing, contact us.

Age

Developmental Milestones

Potential impacts of missed milestones

0-6 months

  • ⦿ Rolling over is achieved from front to back and back to front
  • ⦿ Sitting is first done with support, then independently
  • ⦿ Muscle development for locomotion is poor
  • ⦿ Independent play ability is delayed

6-12 months

  • ⦿ Forward crawling is performed on belly
  • ⦿ A seated position is assumed unaided
  • ⦿ Creeping is done on hands and knees
  • ⦿ Transitions are made between different positions: sitting, all fours, lying on tummy
  • ⦿ Standing is achieved by pulling self up
  • ⦿ Furniture is held onto while walking
  • ⦿ 2-3 steps are taken without support
  • ⦿ Sensory development is delayed due to decreased environmental exploration
  • ⦿ Muscle development is poor
  • ⦿ Play skills are delayed

18 months

  • ⦿ Sits, crawls, and walks
  • ⦿ Gait remains wide, but walking and running are becoming less awkward
  • ⦿ Pushes a ball rather than kicking it
  • ⦿ Play skills are delayed
  • ⦿ Difficulty engaging with the environment due to limited mobility
  • ⦿ Muscle development is underdeveloped

2 years

  • ⦿ Walks smoothly and can turn corners
  • ⦿ Starts to run
  • ⦿ Can pull or carry a toy while walking
  • ⦿ Climbing on/off furniture without assistance
  • ⦿ Walking up/down the steps with support
  • ⦿ Picking up toys from the floor without losing balance
  • ⦿ Muscle development remains insufficient for running and jumping
  • ⦿ Struggles with independent play and interaction with surroundings
  • ⦿ Reduced social interaction ability

3 years

  • ⦿ Attempts to balance on one foot
  • ⦿ Imitates simple movements with both sides of the body (e.g. raising both arms)
  • ⦿ Climbs playground structures and ladders
  • ⦿ Pedals a tricycle
  • ⦿ Walks up and down stairs alternating feet
  • ⦿ Jumps in place with both feet together
  • ⦿ Walks on tiptoes
  • ⦿ Catches a ball using the body rather than hands
  • ⦿ Limited social interaction opportunities
  • ⦿ Poor body awareness and challenges in movement planning
  • ⦿ Difficulty using playground equipment
  • ⦿ Lacks confidence when playing with other children in active settings (e.g. play cafés, playgrounds)

4 years

  • ⦿ Can stand on one foot for up to five seconds
    ⦿ Kicks a ball forward
    ⦿ Throws a ball overhand
    ⦿ Catches a bounced ball
    ⦿ Runs around obstacles
    ⦿ Walks along a line
    ⦿ Hops on one foot
    ⦿ Jumps over objects and lands on both feet
  • ⦿ Lacks confidence in movement-based tasks
    ⦿ Ongoing challenges with playground equipment
    ⦿ Hesitancy or lack of confidence in engaging with peers in active environments

5 years

  • ⦿ Walks upstairs while carrying an object
    ⦿ Walks backward toe-to-heel
    ⦿ Can jump forward 10 times without falling
    ⦿ Can skip forward if shown how
    ⦿ Hangs from a bar for at least five seconds
    ⦿ Coordinates stepping forward with the same leg used for throwing
    ⦿ Catches small balls using hands only
  • ⦿ May experience low self-esteem when comparing abilities to peers
    ⦿ Lacks confidence in physical activities
    ⦿ Struggles with sports and movement-based games
    ⦿ Difficulty using toys that require motion, like bikes and scooters

6 years

  • ⦿ Runs lightly on toes
    ⦿ Walks confidently on a balance beam
    ⦿ Skips using a skipping rope
    ⦿ Hops a distance of two meters
    ⦿ Shows mature throwing and catching techniques
    ⦿ Demonstrates refined jumping skills
  • ⦿ Sensory development is delayed due to decreased environmental exploration

This chart provides a functional screening of age-based developmental skills, not a formal assessment. It combines decades of multi-source data, clinical experience, and educator input from South Australian schools, adapted to align with practical ACARA curriculum requirements beyond standardized research.

Reference List Entry:
Kid Sense Child Development. (n.d.). Child development charts.

Content adapted and inspired by developmental milestone charts from Kid Sense Child Development (https://childdevelopment.com.au/). Credit to Kid Sense for foundational insights used in creating materials for Aliana Pediatric Therapy.

Aliana Pediatric Therapy

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