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A motor skill is an action that involves the movement of muscles in the body.
Gross motor skills are larger movements your baby makes with their arms, legs, feet, or their entire body. Crawling, running, and jumping are gross motor skills.
Fine motor skills are smaller actions. When your baby picks things up between their finger and thumb, or wriggles their toes in the sand, they're using their fine motor skills. But it’s not just about fingers and toes; when your baby uses their lips and tongue to taste and feel objects they're using fine motor skills, too.
When your baby is a newborn, their brain is not mature enough to control skilled movement. Development starts at their head, and then moves down their body. So your newborn baby can control their mouth, face, lips and tongue, with the rest following in time.
Your baby learns to control their neck before their shoulders, and their shoulders before their back. Your baby can control their arms before their hands, and control their hands before their fingers.
In any area of your baby’s body, their gross motor skills develop before their fine motor skills. So they’ll be able to bring their arms together before they learn how to pass a toy from hand to hand.
You can start doing activities with your baby from birth to encourage motor skill development. Take a look at the Tummy time page under Developing independence.
How can I help my child’s fine and gross motor skills?
For your baby to really do things for themself, they’ll need to use gross and fine skills together. They’ll gradually get better at this as they grow into toddlerhood.
For example, by the time your child reaches two years old they’ll be able to use a shape-sorting toy. They’ll use gross motor skills to hold their body steady enough to grasp the shapes firmly. They will then use fine motor skills to twist or turn each shape to fit the right slot.
You can encourage your baby’s development by playing games that challenge them a little. When they can sit well unsupported, put their favourite toy just out of reach. This will mean they must balance as they make a grab for their toy. Watch for any changes in how they use their legs, arms and fingers.
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