1. Infants: Mobility and Coordination
In the first year of life, infants make big strides in physical development. They progress from immobility to rolling over, pushing up, sitting up, sitting unassisted, crawling, pulling up, standing and walking with assistance. Hand-eye coordination progresses from holding to reaching, grasping, picking things up and throwing things. As your child becomes more mobile, childproofing becomes a greater priority.
2. Toddlers: Mobile Independence
By age 2, your toddler should be able to walk on his own both forwards and backwards, run, go up and down stairs (two feet per step), dance, jump and push and pull objects. He should have enough balance to pick up an object while standing. This advance in large motor skills usually inspires toddlers to explore more of their environment on their own. You should expect your child to wander away from you while exploring, and he should be closely monitored for his safety. Fine motor skills at this age are limited to holding larger objects, such as large crayons and cups and stacking four to six objects.
By 3 years old, your child should be able to go up the stairs with one foot on each step, balance on one foot and kick a ball. Fine motor skills should have advanced significantly to include self-feeding with utensils (albeit imperfectly), improved drawing, turning pages, building towers with blocks and beginning to sculpt with clay. These advances should allow you to determine whether your toddler is left- or right-handed. Toilet training usually has been achieved by this time.
3. Preschoolers: Confidence and Precision
Between ages of 3 and 5, your preschooler will make large advances in physical development and agility. She will become more confident on her feet and learn to hop on one foot, climb, touch her toes while bending at the knee, ride a tricycle, skip and turn somersaults. She will also strengthen her throwing arm and learn to catch. More precise fine motor skills will allow her to hold a writing instrument correctly, draw shapes, letters and objects, color within the lines and learn how to use child-safe scissors. Different children develop at different rates, but you can expect your child to meet these physical developmental milestones before starting kindergarten.
4. Kindergarteners: Physical Control
After the age of 5, your child should show some athleticism in large motor skills. While he may still exhibit clumsiness, he should have mastered running, jumping, climbing, pedaling, skipping and other skills. He should function in sports and other physical activities. Likewise, he should display a command of fine motor skills. Arts and crafts projects are usually enjoyed at this age, because these activities put these skills to the test.
