Gross Motor Skills- Everything You Need To Know (part one)!

You probably heard the term “gross motor skills” from your child’s paediatricians, teachers and even some extra mural coaches. But what are these skills and what are they used for?

Basically, gross motor skills involve using the large muscle groups for large body movement. The bigger the movement, the better! These skills are used when your child is playing sports (soccer, cricket, judo and swimming), using the jungle gym equipment at school or at the park, and riding a bicycle. These skills are also used when your child is simply walking, running, jumping or dancing around! As you can see, children use their gross motor skills when playing.

To partake in gross motor activities, these are the sub-skills needed:

1. Balance- to keep themselves upright and not fall.

2. Proprioception- to have an internal awareness of their bodies.

3. Strength- to move against gravity and to lift objects.

4. Endurance- in order for them to keep going and not get tired too quickly.

5. Eye-hand coordination- needed if using bats or balls.

It is also important to have well-developed gross motor skills in order to be successful in school. Partaking in physical education, roaming the hallways and climbing stairs to get to class all require gross motor skills. Additionally, it helps to improve posture and concentration so your child can have a full day of learning!

In order to develop these skills and to minimize future difficulties, children need active, fun experiences that do not feel like work.

Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will talk about the specific muscle groups needed to develop gross motor skills.

Written by

Zareen Abrahams

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