Know Your Child's Developmental Timeline

Many parents and caregivers are aware of a child’s developmental timeline when they are infants: rolling by 6 months, sitting by 8 months or walking at 12-16 months, but what happens after that? As children grow, they continue developing important gross motor skills that affect balance, coordination, strength and overall movement. Knowing what comes next can help you better support your child’s development at home and know when to ask for professional guidance.

A pediatric physical therapist can assess whether your child’s motor development is on track or if some extra help or home practice might be needed. Below is a general overview of what many children achieve between the ages of one and six.

Gross Motor Milestones By Age

12-24 months

• In the second year of life, children gain confidence on their feet. They typically go from walking independently, then gain their footing over unlevel surfaces like grass, gravel and inclines. By their second birthday, they should be running, going up stairs on hands and knees (or on their feet with hands held), and kicking or throwing a ball.

2-3 years

• Around two years old, jumping and climbing skills begin to emerge. As the year progresses, children start using stairs more independently and begin jumping forward and down from low surfaces. They may start riding a tricycle, balance briefly on one foot and show early ball-catching skills.

3-4 years

• Balance and coordination continue to improve. Many children can hop on one foot, stand on one leg for longer periods and jump over small obstacles. They alternate feet going up and down stairs and improve in throwing, kicking and catching.

4-5 years

• More complex movements like galloping, skipping and somersaulting begin to develop. Strength improves enough to support sit-ups, push-ups and jumping rope. Children often start riding bikes with training wheels and navigating playground equipment more confidently.

5-6 years

• By this age, gross motor skills continue to mature. Children can hop in different directions, perform jumping jacks, walk across a balance beam and maintain good control and posture while running, even while changing directions.

When to Seek Help

With development, there is not an exact time at which a skill is reached; it is often a range of several months. For example, if your child is not jumping at 24 months, try to work on it first at home. If, at 30 months, your child is not jumping, running, or walking up and down the stairs- consider a referral to physical therapy.

It is also important to make sure that your child is performing movements and activities symmetrically and with good posture. Here are a few things to look for:

• When walking up or down stairs, children should be able to lead with either leg, and not always choose the same leg.
• Be aware that a preference for right or left hand use should not be occurring until 3 years or older and take note if your baby or child is only using one hand or one leg for tasks.
• Walking on tip toes can occur in early walkers, however the child should still be able to stand and walk on flat feet when asked. Make note of ongoing toe walking past the third birthday, especially when it happens most of the time or the child struggles to walk on flat feet.

If your child exhibits behaviors such as these, a referral to a physical therapist could be necessary.  If you would like to see a physical therapist, contact your child’s pediatrician for a referral.