OT helps kids move!

Posted by Talking Matters on 23 October 2015

As we begin OT week 2015 we will look at how kids develop motor skills and how OTs can help kids who find movement challenging. Motor skills are divided into two areas, gross motor skills, which includes large body movements and fine motor skills which involve small movements such as with hands or fingers. Both fine and gross motor skills are important for kids to succeed in daily activities and schooling.

Gross motor skills are important as they provide the balance, control and stability needed for the development of fine motor skills which are vital for success at school. They also provide the skills needed to develop ball skills, sporting skills and other skills such as bike riding which are important for social interaction and physical fitness.

Gross motor skills are the ability to move our body, arms and legs and they begin to develop before birth as the baby moves about in the womb. After birth these skills develop into the ability to roll, sit, crawl and walk, then run, jump and balance. These skills develop though out life and are dependent on the opportunities a child experiences to develop and practice these skills, with each skill building on the one before and preparing the child for the next challenge.

Fine motor skills are also important for success at home, preschool and school. Fine motor skills refer to the ability to do purposeful and coordinated actions using controlled movements of the small muscles in the fingers and hands. The movements also need to coordinate with the eyes, for eye hand coordination and the larger muscles of the arms and body for stability. Children develop fine motor skills over time as they practice using their hands to do tasks and activities.

Fine motor skills are important because they are required for many daily activities:

at home, such as dressing, eating and grooming,
at preschool and school such as writing, drawing, cutting
for using tools such as pencils, scissors, brushes, cutlery, laces
for using toys to develop play,learning and imagination

Some children may show delays in developing motor skills. Difficulties in developing these skills can be related to:

physical disabilities
developmental delay
cognitive or intellectual delays
sensory difficulties
lack of motivation, opportunity, practice or interest in fine motor activities
reduced hand strength
reduced attention and concentration abilities
reduced problem solving abilities
difficulty controlling, planning, sequencing and coordinating movements

So how do I know if my child is developing skills as expected for their age? Children develop skills progressively but they have spurts of development and periods where skills are consolidated and not much seems to be changing. This is a normal part of development. If you are concerned that you child is not developing as expected it is a good idea to get some advice from a trained professional such as an OT.

The following is a rough guide to the typical development of motor skills in young children:

At 8 months babies can:

sit without support
move from tummy to sitting
kneel on hands and knees and rock back and forth

At 9 to 11 months babies can:

begin to crawl
pull up on furniture to standing
move from standing to sitting
sit for extended periods of time

At 12 to 14 months babies can:

cruise around furniture holding on
begin to walk independently
climb into a small chair
pick up things off the floor
squat to play with toys
play with push & pull toy
clap hands
point with a finger
move objects from hand to hand
reach with a straight elbow
hold objects between a finger and thumb
pick up small items with the tip of a finger and thumb
put objects into a container

By 18 months toddlers can:

climb steps
creep backwards down stairs
kick and throw a ball
sit on a ride a push along toy
walk and rarely fall
walk up and down steps holding one hand
stack two or three blocks
scribble with a crayon
turn pages in a cardboard book a few at a time
hold an object in one hand and do something to it with the other
put large pegs in a pegboard
put one to two shapes in a shape sorter

At 20 months toddlers can:

bend over and look between their legs
climb into an adult chair
carry toys when walking

By 2 years toddlers can:

go up and down stairs with railings
jump on the spot
jump off a step
run well
begin to pedal a tricycle
snip with scissors
stack three or more blocks
string a few large beads
copy circles and vertical lines
turn pages one at a time

By two and a half years of age children can:

stand on one foot
climb stairs with alternating feet
walk on tip toes

By three years children can:

walk and run well
hop on one foot,
pedal a tricycle well
balance on one foot
unscrew lids
hold crayons with fingers, not fists
cut paper in half
use one hand consistently most of the time
copy simple patterns with blocks

By four years children can:

walk on a narrow board
skip on alternating feet
balance on one foot for 10 seconds
catch a large ball
copy circles and crosses
stack five or more blocks
make balls, roll snakes and pinch shapes with playdough

By five years to six years children can:

move easily between sitting, standing and squatting
sit upright in a chair
jump over things
know left and right
hit a ball with a bat
begin to ride a bicycle
kick a ball from a running start
copy a square and triangle
use a tripod grasp with thumb and finger for pencils
button and unbutton a single button
cut along a line
stack many small blocks
colour inside the lines
write their first name
be consistently left or right handed

So how can parents encourage the development of gross motor skills? Skills develop through practice and repetition. Kids are more likely to repeat activities that are fun and where they feel supported, encouraged and successful. Focus on having a go rather than reaching perfection. Offer a variety of fun activities and follow your child's interests. Break trickier tasks down into smaller steps and allow plenty of rest breaks when needed. Remember that children develop at different rates, gently encourage but and don't push children to do things if they do not feel ready.

Here are some ideas for developing gross motor skills:

visit playgrounds for developing climbing, swinging, sliding and jumping
outdoor play for running, jumping, hopping, skipping
ball play for throwing, kicking, bouncing, rolling
skittles or bowling
throwing at targets, through hoops, into boxes or baskets
put a ball into a stocking, hang it on the clothes line and hit it with a hand or bat
outdoor games such as chasey and follow the leader
pushing, pulling and carrying with wheelbarrows and buckets of water
bike riding and scooters
balancing on planks, bricks, tyres, rope or masking tape lines
go for a walk, run, skip, hop
explore a local park, walk up a hill and roll down
play hide and seek
go to the beach and walk, run, swim and dig
visit a play cafe
organised activities such as kinder gym, swimming, dancing and sports
playing with balloons, kicking, punching in the air, keeping the balloon form touching the ground

Children develop fine motor skills through practice with a range of activities, tools and materials. Providing your child with a range of age appropriate opportunities will allow them to develop their skills. Here are some ideas to try:

provide opportunities for craft activities such as painting, cutting and pasting, drawing, collage and stickers
provide toys which require fine movements such as building and construction sets, Lego, puzzles and threading beads
provide activities which require aiming at a target, such as throwing bean bags or rolled up socks into a container, balls at a target drawn on a wall or through a hoop
provide games such as connect four, barrel of monkeys and Jenga
play with tweezers, eye droppers and squeeze bottles
play with play dough, plasticine, putty and gloop
do some cooking together, cut, roll, mix, stir and pour
play with pipe cleaners, and pegs
play with sand and water, dig, pour and build

Remember to make sure your activities are safe and suitable for your child's age and always supervise your child.

If you are concerned about your child's motor skills an occupational therapist is the person to see for advice. An occupational therapist can assess your child's skills and advise you on what to do to help your child's development. For more information about occupational therapy check Our website. There are also lots of great activity ideas on the Talking Matters Pinterest page.

OT helps kids move!

Related Blog Posts