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Motor Skills for 21-Month-Old Toddler

Motor skills are voluntary bodily movements requiring muscle control and are categorized as fine and gross. Fine motor skills require coordination in small muscles, as when drawing, while gross motor skills involve the larger muscles used for walking, running and jumping. Typically, babies master walking at around 12 months, and by 21 months toddlers are fine-tuning their motor skills.

  1. Gross Motor Skills

    • Toddlers may have learned to walk at around 12 months, but between 12 and 24 months, they are still perfecting these gross motor skills. Climbing chairs and sofas may become a new pastime for many toddlers at 21 months. Running and jumping, along with falling, are normal for this age. When given a ball, a 21-month-old will try to throw and catch. As she grows, she will even try kicking the ball. Learning to balance herself is another gross motor skill your toddler is perfecting at 21 months.

    Fine Motor Skills

    • Fine motor skills at 21 months include holding and drinking from a cup, so it's a good time to switch from bottles. Toddlers who may have used only their fingers to pick up food will begin to feed themselves with spoons and safety forks. Stacking toys is a challenge that toddlers at 21 months enjoy. They also scribble with crayons, typically in tight circle patterns.

    Play to Promote Motor Skills

    • Push toys, such as pretend vacuums and shopping carts, promote balance in gross motor skills. Ball play, small slides and tumbling mats are also good for gross motor skills. Dancing or marching to music and playing with tambourines and drums are fun at this age. Books with lots of flaps and tags keep curious fingers moving, and water and sand play are tactile activities that can be introduced around 21 months. Playground equipment designed for toddlers promotes motor development of a 21-month-old.

    Jumping and Climbing

    • Safety is a concern for toddlers who want to climb and jump. Create a safe tumbling and climbing environment with soft mats and pillows and always supervise toddlers. Toddlers may also be enrolled in parent and toddler gymnastics classes to channel their gross motor skills.

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