Physical development in children depends on the active engagement of small and large muscle groups. You can promote a young child's physical development by providing opportunities for her to play outdoors and by providing access to grasping toys and age-appropriate finger foods. Older children benefit from physically challenging activities such as throwing and catching a ball, skipping or hopping and involvement in group dance, sports or gymnastics.
Identification
Physical development in children refers to an increasing ability to control and use small and large muscles and the mastery of balance and coordination that occurs as children gain muscle strength, according to the North Dakota State University Extension Service. Physical development provides the foundation for skills such as rolling over, crawling, climbing, running, participation in sports and even writing.
Categories
Physical development can be categorized as normative or dynamic. Normative physical development refers to typical capabilities and limitations based on a child's age and cultural environment, according to the North Dakota State University Extension Service. Normative developmental guidelines are often found in milestone checklists and give parents an idea of what to expect from children at any age in terms of physical development.
Dynamic development refers to a child's progress in physical activities based on experience and the passage of time. Beyond achieving the milestone of normative development, dynamic development is individualized based on practice and mastery beyond the typical level.
Types
Physical development in children is typically gauged based on normative development guidelines. Physical developmental milestones are generally categorized into gross-motor skills, fine-motor skills and balance/coordination skills, according to the North Dakota State University Extension Service. Gross motor skills refer to the development and control of large muscles such as the arms, legs and torso. The development of smaller muscles such as fingers, toes and lips lead to the mastery of small motor skills. Balance and coordination skills involve "movement of the body in activities such as twisting, turning, pulling or maintaining stability," adds the Extension Service.
Motor Skills
The development of larger muscles enables children to master activities such as reaching, walking, running, climbing, swinging and jumping. As larger muscles get stronger, children are able to progress from smaller movements to larger movements of the legs, arms and torso. Children need opportunities to exercise and use larger muscles in order to promote gross motor skill development.
Children start developing fine motor skills such as reaching, grasping and picking up items with the thumb and forefinger during infancy. As your child grows, her fine motor skills will expand to include drawing, throwing, buttoning and zipping, cutting and writing.
Balance and Coordination Development
Even as children are mastering gross motor skills such as walking and climbing, they will continue to fall and lose their balance. The balance and coordination aspect of physical development enables children to "perform more complex physical activities," according to the North Dakota State University Extension Service. The development of balance and coordination skills involves the use of the eyes and the body simultaneously and allows children to master catching, clapping, eating, painting, sorting and block play.
