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Gross motor skills for kindergarten


Gross Motor Development Checklist - Kid Sense Child Development

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Instructions:  Answer all questions up to your child’s current age bracket by answering ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

Interpretation: If you tick 2 or more boxes with a ‘Yes’ then contact Kid Sense Child Development on 1800 KIDSENSE (1800 543 736).

Does your child have difficulty with:

 Age Skill  Yes  No 
 0-6 months Rolling over from front to back or back to front.
Bringing feet to hands/mouth while on back.
Holding head erect in a support position.
Sitting (initially with support).
Pushing body off ground with arms when lying on tummy.
6-12 months Roller over from front to back, or back to front.
Crawling on belly.
Sitting independently.
Getting up on all fours.
Pushing body off ground with arms when lying on tummy.
Bringing self into a seated position unaided.
Creeping on hands and knees.
Transitioning into different positions e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy.
Pulling self into standing position.
Stands momentarily without support.
Walking while holding onto furniture.
Taking 2-3 steps without support.
Rolling a ball in imitation of adult.
1-2 years Sitting, crawling or walking independently.
Getting up on all fours.
Creeping on hands and knees.
Transitioning into different positions (e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy).
Pulling self into standing position.
Standing without support.
Trying to run (running stiff with eyes on floor).
Walking while holding a toy.
Changing direction while walking.
Rolling a ball in imitation of an adult.
2-3 years Transitioning into different positions (e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy).
Walking smoothly and turning corners.
Running with control (still has wide gait).
Climbing onto/down from furniture without assistance.
Pulling self into standing position.
Walking up and down steps (with support).
Walking while holding a toy.
Changing direction while walking.
Picking up toys from the floor without falling over.
Rolling a ball.
3-4 years Transitioning into different positions (e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy).
Imitating an adult standing on one foot.
Imitating simple bilateral movements of limbs (e.g. arms up together).
Running with control.
Climbing onto/down from furniture without assistance.
Climbing on jungle gym and ladders.
Pedalling a tricycle.
Changing direction while walking.
Walking up and down stairs with alternating feet.
Jumping with two feet together 5 times in a row.
Walking on tip toes.
Picking up toys from the floor without falling over.
Throwing objects with an overarm action at a target.
Rolling a ball.
Catching a ball (using the whole body, not just arms).
4-5 years Standing on one foot for up to 5 seconds.
Imitating simple bilateral movements of limbs (e.g. arms up together).
Walking up and down stairs with alternating feet.
Climbing onto/down from furniture without assistance.
Climbing on jungle gym and ladders.
Pedalling a tricycle.
Kicking a ball forwards.
Throwing a ball overarm.
Catching a ball that has been bounced.
Catching a ball with hands instead of using arms and body.
Running around obstacles.
Jumping 10 times in a row, maintaining the distance of jumps.
Walking on tip toes.
Walking along a line.
Safely performing a forward roll.
Hopping on one foot.
Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together.
5-6 years Standing on one foot for 10 seconds.
Kicking a ball.
Walking up stairs while holding an object.
Walking backwards heel-toe.
Jumping forwards 10 times without falling.
Skipping forward after demonstration.
Running around obstacles.
Hanging from a bar for at least 5 seconds.
Stepping forward with leg on same side as throwing arm when throwing a ball.
Walking along a line.
Hopping on one foot.
Safely performing a forward roll.
Catching a small ball using hands only.
Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together.
6-7 years Running smoothly with arms opposing legs and a narrow base of support (feet not too far apart).
Running around obstacles while maintaining balance.
Standing on one foot for at least 10 seconds.
Skipping forward without demonstration.
Stepping forward with leg on opposite side as throwing arm when throwing a ball.
Kicking a soccer ball with reasonable accuracy.
Walking backwards heel-toe.
Walking on a balance beam.
Hanging from a bar for at least 10 seconds.
Holding and moving across monkey bars without support.
Using a skipping rope.
Hopping on 1 foot.
Jumping forwards with both feet together.
Safely performing a forward roll.
Catching a small ball using hands only.
Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together.
Riding a bike without training wheels.
7-8 years Holding and moving across monkey bars without support.
Safely performing a forward roll.
Running smoothly with arms opposing legs and a narrow base of support (feet not too far apart).
Running around obstacles while maintaining balance.
Stepping forward with leg on opposite side as throwing arm when throwing a ball.
Kicking a soccer ball with reasonable accuracy.
Kicking a football with reasonable accuracy and consistency.
Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together.
Catching a small ball using hands only.
Walking on a balance beam.
Walking backwards heel-toe.
Standing and maintaining balance on one foot.
Using a skipping rope.
Hopping on one foot.
Riding a bike.

 

This checklist was designed to serve as a functional screening of developmental skills per age group.   It does not constitute an assessment nor reflect strictly standardised research.

The information in this checklist was compiled over many years from a variety of sources. This information was then further shaped by years of clinical practice as well as therapeutic consultation with child care, kindergarten and school teachers in South Australia about the developmental skills necessary for children to meet the demands of these educational environments. In more recent years, it has been further modified by the need for children and their teachers to meet the functional Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) requirements that are not always congruent with standardised research.

Kindergarten physical development benchmarks - TODAY

Kids & Health

Here's what you should know about your kindergartner's physical development.

Getty Images

By Aisha Labi

Starting kindergarten at the age of 5 or 6 marks the beginning of your child’s formal schooling. Kindergartners are still developing both their gross motor skills, which involve whole body movement, and their fine motor skills, which involve the coordination of small muscle movements.

Below are guidelines on your kindergartner's physical development and sleep. However, the information here is intended only as a general guide. If your child seems to be out of step in terms of physical development, you should consult your pediatrician.

Gross motor skills

Balance

Your child's balance will improve significantly throughout this year. By the end of kindergarten, your child should be able to hop up to 10 feet without stopping.

Walk on tiptoes

Your child should be able to walk on tip toes for 10 feet.

Skipping

Your child should be able to skip with ease.

Stand on one foot

Your child should be able to stand on each foot for at least 5 seconds, with their hands on their waist.

Kicking a ball

Your child should be able to kick a ball with accuracy at a target 10 feet away.

Catching a ball

Your child should be able to catch a ball bounced from five feet away.

Fine motor skills

Overview

Your child’s fine motor skills will be developing as quickly as their gross motor skills. One of the most important things you can do to help them develop these skills is to let them struggle from time to time to accomplish tasks, such as fastening buttons or cutting food. Only by repeated effort will your child learn how to do these things, and learning to handle frustration is also crucial for their emotional development.

Grip a pencil

Your child should be able to grip a crayon or pencil properly, not using a fist.

Print name

Your child should be able to print their own name.

Utensils

Your child should be able to eat using utensils and to cut food using a knife.

Lace shoes

Your child should be able to lace shoes.

Scissors

Your child should be able to use scissors to cut shapes out of paper.

Tools

Your child should be able to screw and unscrew nuts and bolts.

String beads

Your child should be able to string beads.

Sleep

Overview

Restful sleep is a fundamental requirement for a healthy kindergartner. It allows a rapidly growing body the opportunity to recharge and ensures that your child is prepared for the day ahead. Studies have shown that a well-rested child is alert, refreshed, and less susceptible to infection. In fact, a child’s misbehavior or hyperactivity is often a result of too little sleep. It is important to prioritize sleep by ensuring that your child has a dark, quiet, and comfortable bedroom and by establishing a regular nightly routine with your child before tucking them into bed. A well-rested child will wake up spontaneously and have energy throughout the entire day.

Nightly needs

Kindergartners need 10 to 11 hours of restful sleep every evening. For students who need to be up at 6 a.m. to get ready for school, their bedtime should be around 7 or 8 p.m.

Learn more about supporting your child with our kindergarten physical health tips and physical activity recommendations pages.

Parent Toolkit resources were developed by NBC News Learn with the help of subject-matter experts, including Dr. Jayne Greenberg, District Director, Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Aisha Labi

Development of general motor skills in children. What parents need to know

Children use the acquired gross motor skills for daily activities in kindergarten and school, at home and outside.

Children with poor gross motor skills find it difficult, for example, to perform movements such as climbing, jumping, rolling or throwing a ball. Difficulties in a child with gross motor skills may be a sign of an illness called dyspraxia . nine0003

Terminology

Motor skills is the motor activity of an individual, consisting in a sequence of movements necessary to perform a specific task. It involves not only the musculoskeletal system, but also the nervous and visual systems.

Gross motor skills is the use of the muscles of the trunk, arms and legs to perform movements of the whole body. The development of gross motor skills occurs when performing actions such as bending, crawling, somersaults, walking, running, jumping, throwing, etc. All people develop gross motor skills in a certain order according to a common pattern. nine0003

Fine motor skills - includes the work of relatively small muscles - hands (for example, pass something from hand to hand, juggle, squeeze-unclench, twirl) and fingers with small objects (grab, fasten buttons), the ability to manipulate small objects (knit, write, draw, cut, play musical instruments).

Association of gross motor skills with psychophysical qualities

We use gross motor skills to perform everyday activities that involve our large muscles, from general exercise to raking leaves in the garden. Most people use these skills without much thought, automatically. However, the development of gross motor skills is a more complex issue than it seems at first glance. nine0003

Gross motor skills are the coordinated actions of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. She is responsible for balance and coordination. It also forms the basis for fine motor skills to help move the hands, feet, fingers and toes

Gross motor skills are associated with the following psychophysical qualities:

  • Balance - maintaining balance.
  • Coordination - coordination of the activity of various muscles of the body when performing a motor task. nine0036
  • Proprioception - the feeling of the position of parts of your body relative to each other.
  • Physical strength.
  • Reaction speed.

All these abilities help children to successfully participate in kindergarten and school activities, carry out daily activities at home, celebrate friends' birthdays, play with them in the yard, on playgrounds and sports grounds.

In our time, there is no shortage of means for the development of general motor skills and the physical qualities of the child closely related to it. So, for a kindergarten, the Lazalka online store offers a variety of children's playgrounds, sports complexes, as well as children's exercise equipment, such as "Rowing", "Rider", "Twister", "Running on the Waves", which serve to develop the strength of various muscle groups , as well as coordination of movements, flexibility and mobility of the joints. nine0003

Parents can also choose sports and play equipment for their kids that develops general motor skills at home: sports complexes, trampolines, swimming pools, wall bars, horizontal bars, chain and rope ladders, gymnastic rings, ropes, etc.

Now imagine what physical education or playing with other children is like for a child with poor gross motor skills.

Danger of insufficient development of gross motor skills

With age, children reach ever higher stages of gross motor development. For example, at the age of 3-4 they can usually jump with two legs, and by the age of 7-8 they can ride a bike without training wheels. nine0003

If the child regularly skips these stages or does not show adequate motor activity for a long time, then this may be a sign of a condition called developmental coordination disorder, or dyspraxia - a disease that causes the child to have difficulty performing daily activities.

If you have any doubts about your child's motor skills, talk to your child's doctor. And read about how sensory problems can affect motor skills. nine0003

Remember that insufficient development of gross motor skills can affect a child's self-esteem and social life !

Development of gross motor skills in children

Parents, and often teachers, underestimate the need for the development of gross motor skills in children. And it is the basis for the formation of fine motor skills, which is important in preparing for school. Let's figure out what gross motor skills are, why and how to develop them.

Article content:

  • What is gross motor skills
  • Why develop
  • Gross motor disorder in children
  • How to develop gross motor skills
  • Developmental games and exercises
  • Output

What is gross motor skills

Gross motor skills, or general, are active body movements that involve arms, legs, torso, head. In fact, adults use these skills without thinking, and children have to master them gradually. nine0003

During the first year of life, the baby develops rapidly and learns to control his body:

  • focuses his eyes;
  • holds his head;
  • controls arms and legs;
  • is learning to sit;
  • crawling;
  • tries to get up;
  • walks, runs, jumps.

The success of all these important processes depends on the health and life of the child.

  • By the age of 2, a child masters complex general motor skills of arms and legs. The kid throws and kicks objects. Holding hands, he climbs the stairs. nine0036
  • Children at the age of 3 learn to walk, run, jump more confidently.

Gross motor skills are formed through any movements: active games, copying the actions of adults and animals, sports, dancing, aerobics.

It is important to start working with your child as early as possible. The good physical development of a preschooler is the key to his further success in school, life and the ability to avoid many problems.

Read also: what a 2-year-old child should be able to and know

Why develop

Without developed gross motor skills it is impossible to fully develop a person. Benefits of developing motor skills:

  • strengthen the musculoskeletal system;
  • improve coordination;
  • provide muscle protein synthesis;
  • stimulate cognitive activity;
  • increase efficiency;
  • develop independence;
  • improve speech; nine0036
  • help develop reading and writing skills;
  • motivate to vigorous activity;
  • form interhemispheric interaction;
  • develop creativity;
  • contribute to successful socialization;
  • learn to control their body in space;
  • contribute to the knowledge of the world and themselves.

As you can see, the value of developing gross motor skills is great. This work allows you to preserve and increase the physical and mental development of children. nine0003

Difficulties of a child with a lack of gross motor skills

Each baby is individual and its development is uneven. It is better not to compare your child with other children. One child may start walking at 9 months and another after a year. This is fine. The main thing is to exercise regularly with the baby. However, there are criteria by which it can be determined that a child has poorly developed gross motor skills:

  • drawing and writing skills are difficult;
  • inability to dress and use cutlery independently; nine0036
  • inability to maintain a sitting posture;
  • loses orientation in space: falls, stumbles, crashes;
  • lethargy;
  • speaks poorly;
  • cannot play with small toys;
  • poorly switching to a new activity;
  • low self-esteem;
  • is hard to communicate with peers.

If gross motor impairment is suspected, see a physician for correction. nine0003

How to develop

The main objectives of the development of gross motor skills are:

  • creation of conditions for the implementation of the child's motor activity;
  • development of skills to control and manage movements;
  • learning coordination of actions;
  • development of motor activity.

Based on the tasks, parents need to equip the space in the room, stock up on the necessary equipment and control the process. The room should have enough space for running, jumping, bending. Start with the simplest: teach your baby to do morning exercises. If you can do it outside, even better. Simple exercises are quite enough: squats, walking, turns, bends. nine0003

Buy a variety of equipment for outdoor games: balls, jump ropes, hoop. At home with a child, you can play skittles, basketball, gorodki, dodgeball. The ideal option would be to arrange a special sports corner in the room. If this is not available, you can simply dance to your favorite music, alternating slow and fast movements.

For walks on the street, stock up on a bicycle, scooter, roller skates and other equipment according to age. In winter - skates, skis, slides. In addition, for the development of the child's motor activity, you can sign up for the nearest children's center or sports section, where ideal conditions are created for a full-fledged formation. nine0003

Household chores also help develop gross motor skills. It is necessary to load the child with feasible chores around the house. For example, sweep the floor, wipe off the table, arrange toys, hang or fold laundry.

Games and exercises for the development of gross motor skills

There are a great many exercises and games for the development of speech and gross motor skills. These can be exercises to strengthen the muscular corset, to coordinate to create spatial representations in preschool children. Games are played in pairs or groups. nine0003

  1. Boat. Lying on the back with outstretched arms. The child needs to simultaneously raise straight arms, head and legs. Hold the pose for as long as possible. The same exercise can be done lying on your stomach.
  2. Log. Starting position as in the previous exercise. Roll with the whole body alternately to the right and left side.
  3. Lying on your stomach, put your hands behind your head. Elbows apart. Slowly raise your upper body while keeping your legs straight. nine0036
  4. "Spider". Squat down, palms lean behind. Crawl like an insect.
  5. Goose step. Squatting position, only hands on knees. Walk in different directions: forward, backward, left, right. You can complicate the exercise by putting a flat object on your head.
  6. "Narrow path". Lay out a long rope on the floor with bends and turns. Invite the child to walk along it. On an imaginary track, you can roll cars and other toys. nine0036
  7. Stand alternately on the right and left legs, on the toes, on the heels. Make a "swallow".
  8. March in place with high legs.
  9. Exercises with cross movements of arms and legs.
  10. "Hit the target." The game develops the eye well. You can purchase a traditional ring thrower or build your own from improvised material. Any container where you need to throw objects at a distance will do. This also includes options for bowling, towns, skittles. nine0036
  11. Ball games or fitball exercises.

Also find out what are the exercises for the development of fine motor skills in children.

Conclusion

Gross motor skills are the motor skills a child needs for full physical and mental development. Abilities are formed from an early age through simple exercises, housework, outdoor games and active sports activities.

Learn more