Moving Forward: Strategies for Improving Gross Motor Skills

A father was concerned that his eighteen-month-old daughter wasn’t walking yet. In fact, she hadn’t even pulled herself up to standing. It can be alarming when a child doesn’t develop as expected. Fortunately, the pediatric therapists at Skills on the Hill Pediatric Therapy can help pinpoint strategies for improving gross motor skills to ensure your child thrives.

Gross motor skills are the skills that control big movements, like standing up, walking, and running. Children gradually develop their gross motor skills just as they do any skills. They start by learning to move their arms and legs, then progress to rolling over onto their tummy. Eventually, they learn to stand and walk.

Experts have identified key gross motor skill milestones to help track your child’s development. If your child has missed one of these milestones, it may be time to bring them in for an assessment at our Washington, DC, and Arlington, VA clinics. We can help identify the cause of their delay, but more importantly, we can provide personalized strategies for improving their gross motor skills.

Curious about what those strategies might look like? Keep reading, and don’t forget to reach out to us to schedule an initial consultation!

How Pediatric Therapists Help Improve Gross Motor Skills

Did you know that the primary way children learn is through play? It’s true! Many adults have forgotten the importance of play, but for children, it’s crucial. Playtime teaches kids all the skills they’ll need in day-to-day life–emotional, cognitive, and physical.

That’s why we take a play-based approach to pediatric therapy. We aim to create an environment where your child can play and explore in a way that feels fun to them. Our pediatric therapists then guide this play to help improve the specific gross motor skills your child may be struggling with.

As an example, here are some common childhood activities and the specific skills they help improve:

• Playing Catch: Who doesn’t love playing catch, whether it’s a baseball or a giant oversized beach ball? As a bonus, it improves hand-eye coordination!
• Swinging: Swinging improves core strength (really!), helping improve your child’s balance and posture.
• Simon Says: This classic game helps improve your child’s bodily awareness and motor planning (allowing them to move their body how they want to).
• Hopscotch: It’s probably not surprising that hopscotch is a powerhouse of gross motor skills, helping to improve balance, coordination, and high-powered movements like jumping.
• Twister: Another classic game that helps improve motor planning and understanding left from right.

What About Improving Gross Motor Skills in Babies?

This play-based approach works just as well for infants and toddlers! All that changes are the specific activities. Here are some strategies for improving gross motor skills in babies:

• Tummy time, which involves putting your baby on their tummy (while supervised), helps to improve core, back, and neck strength.
• Rolling a ball to your baby (and encouraging them to roll it back) is a precursor to playing catch–and bestows similar benefits.
• Playing with building blocks helps improve both fine and gross motor skills as your child reaches up to build a tower (and uses their strength to knock it down).
• Exploring an empty cardboard box helps your child learn different movements, like lifting and pushing.

No matter your child’s age or interest, the Skills on the Hill Pediatric Therapy pediatric therapists will develop a personalized program to improve their gross motor skills. To get started with an initial consultation, schedule an appointment at our clinic today!