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Examples of Large Motor Skills

Large or gross motor skills require the coordinated movement of large muscle groups (as opposed to fine motor skills like writing, which require the use of small muscle groups). According to LiveStrong, you begin developing these skills at birth, and they continue to progress throughout adolescence. While there are several different large motor skills, some of the more fundamental ones are listed below.

  1. Moving the Head

    • One of the very first large motor skills you develop is the ability to hold your head steady and move it from side to side. According to the University of Missouri, most babies begin to do this when they're around three or fourth months old.

    Rolling

    • According to the University of Missouri, at approximately four months of age, babies begin developing the ability to roll from their backs to their sides and from their sides to their backs. By six months of age, babies are usually able to roll completely over from their backs to their stomachs and from their stomachs to their backs.

    Crawling

    • The rudiments of crawling begin to show at around seven months of age, when babies drag themselves across the floor using their arms, according to the University of Missouri. By the time they're eight to ten months old, most babies can get up on their hands and knees and scuttle around the floor with a fair amount of speed.

    Standing and Walking

    • Starting between the ages of 12 and 15 months old, most babies are able to stand and walk (at least momentarily) unassisted. According to the University of Missouri, by 18 months of age, most babies are able to walk for extended periods of time and even backward.

    Running and Jumping

    • Also at around 18 months of age, according to LiveStrong, children begin developing the ability to run. While at first the running may be awkward and unsteady, it gradually becomes more coordinated as large motor skills develop further.

    Jumping and Climbing

    • Between the ages of 18 months and 3 years old, children become increasingly nimble and develop basic jumping and climbing skills, according to the University of Missouri.

    Skipping and Lateral Jumping

    • A skip is essentially an exaggerated run, requiring you to shift your weight from one leg to the other while propelling yourself upward and forward simultaneously. According to the University of Missouri, children usually begin developing the ability to skip when they're around 4 years old; this is the same time they begin developing the ability to broad-jump (or jump laterally over objects).

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