Coarse motor skills require the use of large muscles in the legs, arms, and middle body. These skills include walking, running, sports and other physical activities. They are clearly different from fine motor skills.

Under normal conditions, the large muscles of all children develop in play and movement. However, if this does not happen due to one or more difficulties, the child will need more practice with the help of an expert.

Normally, coarse motor skills develop as early childhood progresses. Their development begins when the child first raises his head, and it peaks when he crawls and walks.

Children gain general body control as they walk, ascend and descend stairs, crawl, jump, run, move their arms and stretch their bodies.

If a child has difficulty developing rough motor skills, he or she may have problems with coordination, for example.

In other words, a baby or child with problems with rough motor skills may have difficulty sitting, getting up, or being in a school environment. He may be seen as clumsy, and thus may suffer from other problems as well, such as isolation or low self-confidence.

Milestones in rough motor skills

The development of rough motor skills is an important assessment for a child’s growth, and it doesn’t just mean that the child learns to walk.

The importance of these skills extends much wider, as  coarse motor skills are like a gateway to other activities related to body management, explains Kate Kelly, an author specializing in education.

At about four months old, the baby begins to lean on his elbows and keeps his head upright. Over time, he learns to turn his stomach on his own. After six months, the baby begins to sit and exercise the muscles of his middle body. At about the age of 7-10 months, he begins to bite.

The babies then use the muscles in their arms and legs to support and lift themselves up until they are 12 months old and start walking.

Still, the development of rough motor skills does not end there. After learning to walk, children learn to run, jump, and even balance for short periods of time.

How to help a child develop coarse motor skills?

The answer is really simple: let the child play freely, because through play he develops these skills.

While your child is still a baby and learning to keep his head up or turn his body around, you just have to be attentive to his movements. Be careful that he does not hurt himself, and create stimuli for him with various exercises to strengthen his body.

When babies learn to crawl, they can be left on the floor for a while. Put your baby face down and let him start using his hands and feet to get up.

Little by little, your baby will learn to tickle, and when he starts walking, you need to motivate him to keep playing and have fun.

There are hundreds of games that help children (and adults) have fun and practice body coordination. Here are a few of them:

Play hide and seek

Covering your face with your hands and playing “falling” is one of the first activities your baby enjoys. As he begins to grow and learn to walk, hidden play becomes even more complicated and fun. It develops skills that also require the ability to run.

Dance for a moment

This is a great activity for both exercise and leisure. Children just need to be motivated a little. With music Dancing for a while is a pleasant and holistic exercise that all people can enjoy throughout their lives.

Dancing not only helps children coordinate hand and foot movements, but like any exercise, it also creates a sense of well-being.

Swing or jump the box

It feels amazing, but activities as simple as rocking or jumping on the screen help children develop balance and coordination, as both activities require body weight balance on the legs.

And yet another tip that spending time on a playground where a child can jump down a slide or climb on climbing frames will help him develop his rough motor skills.