Typical Gross Motor Development Milestones for Children Ages Birth to 6 Years Old

This list is the average age a child should meet these milestones, some may hit them before or others later. If you feel like your child is significantly behind in their fine motor development, please contact Summit Pediatric Therapy to see how we can help. This list is not meant to be used to diagnose, simply as information to keep in mind.

• Rolls over front to back and back to front
• Sits with support and then independently

• Crawls forwards on belly
• Assumes a seated position unaided
• Creeps on hands and knees
• Transitions into different positions: sitting, all fours, lying on tummy
• Pulls self to stand
• Walks while holding onto furniture
• Takes 2-3 steps without support
• Rolls a ball in imitation of an adult

• Sits, crawls, walks
• Still has wide gait but walking/running is less clumsy
• Pushes against a ball (does not actually kick it)

• Walks smoothly and turns corners
• Begins running
• Is able to pull or carry a toy while walking
• Climbs onto/down from furniture without assistance
• Walks up and down steps with support
• Picks up toys from the floor without falling over

• Can build a tower of 2 blocks high
• Claps hands together (beginning of bilateral coordination!)
• Waves goodbye
• Can scoop objects with a spoon or small shovel
• Bangs objects together using both hands (beginning of bilateral coordination!)
• Puts small objects into a container
• Scribbles with crayons on paper

• Putting rings on pegs
• Begins holding a crayon with fingertips and thumb
• Removing pegs from a pegboard
• Marks or scribbles with a crayon or pencil
• Can build a tower 3-4 blocks high
• Can open loosely wrapped packages or containers
• Begins to start cutting paper with scissors (closer to 2 years old)
• Can turn pages in a book one page at a time

• Imitates standing on one foot
• Imitates simple bilateral movements of limbs (e.g. arms up together)
• Climbs jungle gym and ladders
• Pedals a tricycle
• Walks up/down stairs alternating feet
• Jumps in place with two feet together
• Able to walk on tip toes
• Catches using body

• Can draw a circle after being shown model
• Cuts a piece of paper in half
• Copies prewriting lines of vertical, horizontal, and circle shapes
• Laces a card
• Can unbutton large buttons
• Can cut along a wide line with 1/2″ accuracy
• Will string 1/2-inch beads
• Cuts along a line with no more than 1/8-1/4-inch deviation from the line
• Sorts objects
• Will fasten and unfasten large buttons

• Stands on one foot for up to 5 seconds
• Kicks a ball forward
• Throws a ball overarm
• Catches a ball that has been bounced
• Runs around obstacles
• Able to walk on a line
• Able to hop on one foot
• Jumps over an object and lands with both feet together

• Able to walk upstairs while holding an object
• Walks backward toe-heel
• Jumps forward 10 times without falling
• Skips forwards after demonstration
• Hangs from a bar for at least 5 seconds
• Steps forward with leg on same side as throwing arm when throwing a ball
• Catches a small ball using hands only

• Runs lightly on toes
• Able to walk on a balance beam
• Able to skip using a skipping rope
• Can cover 2 meters when hopping
• Demonstrates mature throwing and catching patterns
• Mature (refined) jumping skills