It’s always exciting when a baby starts crawling or walking for the first time, but it’s also worth celebrating all the ways in which their gross and fine motor skills develop as they grow. While not all children develop the same skills at the same time, it’s important for parents to keep an eye on how they’re coming along.
The Maryland State Department of Education estimates that most children will develop the following fine motor skills over the course of five years.
Newborn to 3 months
- Can turn head and kick both legs and arms while laying on back
- Can follow a moving object with eyes
- Can open and close their hands and grab toys
4-8 months
- Can sit up without support
- Can reach for objects
- Can catch self when losing balance
- Will start crawling on their belly; may not be able to crawl on their hands and knees yet
9 months to 1 year
- Can walk with one or two hands held
- Can sit up from a laying-down position without help
- Can use objects (i.e. drinking from a cup, brushing hair with a hairbrush)
- Can let go of an object purposefully
1-2 years
- Can walk and stand in place without help
- Can walk up and down stairs
- Can kick a ball
- Can jump in place
2-3 years
- Can balance on one foot
- Can jump forward
- Can ride a tricycle
- Can catch a ball
3-4 years
- Can run, jump and climb
- Can brush their teeth, eat and get dressed by themselves
- Can walk heel-to-toe in a straight line
- Can put together objects that require hand-eye coordination to build
4-5 years
- Can skip or jump rope
- Has developed right- or lefthandedness
- Can draw shapes and write letters
- Can ride a two-wheel bicycle (with or without training wheels)
