Motor Development

As far as gross motor development is concerned, at this stage your toddler has learned what her body can do and should generally be confident to run around and climb on familiar play equipment. By now, your toddler is able to crawl through tunnels, go over and under obstacles and climb low steps. She moves up and down stairs by holding onto the railing and moving one foot at a time and can push and pull a variety of toys and objects. She can walk up and down ramps and likes to get onto all fours pretending that she is an animal.

She may still ask for help when she plays on unfamiliar climbing equipment or may need to hold your hand when she walks on a balance beam. She can get onto a chair by herself, but may prefer to stand on it to climb onto something higher! You need to have eyes in the back of your head during this time to keep her safe! During this time your toddler will also love kicking a large ball or throwing bean bags into a bin. Remember that the more opportunities given to practice a specific skill, the more skill will be acquired! Make sure that there is plenty of opportunity to move those large muscle groups.

Her fine motor development has most likely also shown improvement in the last couple of months. She should be able to turn doorknobs, unscrew lids and put small pellets into a bottle. Because of these increased fine motor abilities you need to do another security check throughout your home to make sure that your little explorer can’t get to any dangerous materials. She will love handling play dough, scribbling with crayons, manipulating simple musical instruments and imitating finger plays and songs.

If you feel anxious about your child’s motor development, ask your physician for a referral to a developmental therapist for a general development assessment.