The Journey of Physical Growth in Early Childhood: Milestones and Markers
Understanding the different stages of physical growth in early childhood allows you to monitor your child’s progress. It also empowers you to help them on their journey, creating opportunities to increase strength, refine movements, and acquire skills.
Here we explore some of the major milestones you should see your child achieve and other important signs you should watch out for in their physical development.
How do I know if my child’s growth is on track?
While we may talk about the age a child usually reaches each milestone, every child’s development will be different.
This will be influenced by a range of factors, including family growth patterns, cultural values, and the child’s temperament. As such, development milestones should only be seen as a guide, and delays are not necessarily a cause for concern.
Key milestones of physical growth in early childhood
Most babies are born fully developed, with a set of innate skills that are crucial to their early survival.
Then, through exploration and practice, they acquire new abilities that allow them to interact with the world in increasingly advanced ways. This happens rapidly across the first few years of their lives, as they transform from newborn to toddler.
There are two main areas of physical growth in early childhood: gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills engage the larger muscles and relate to balance, posture, endurance, and coordination.
Fine motor skills enable smaller movements, like grabbing and holding, and are crucial for activities like writing and using buttons and zippers.
While each child will develop at their own pace, the standard timeline for acquiring these skills is as follows.
0 – 6 months: rolling, sitting, gripping, and holding
In the first 6 months of their life, a child will usually begin developing basic self-supporting and grasping skills. This includes learning how to:
- Hold their head steady without support
- Lift their head and chest when lying on their tummy
- Roll over when lying down
- Steady themselves in a seated position using their hands
- Move each finger and toe independently
- Hold objects – like toys and bottles – in their hands, progressing to shaking and pulling on objects
During this time, common indications of impaired physical development include not responding to loud noises and voices, stiff or weak limbs, and not reaching for and grasping objects.
7 – 12 months: crawling, weight-bearing, picking up, and dropping
In the next 6 months, children generally begin becoming more mobile and precise in their movements. This includes learning how to:
- Crawl, then walk with assistance
- Stand, first with support, then independently
- Pick up smaller objects by using their index finger and thumb to make a pinching movement
- Drink from a cup with a lid, with support
- Drop one object – like a toy – and pick up another, and transfer objects between hands
During this time, common indications of impaired physical development include not sitting and standing without support, and not imitating simple sounds and gestures.
1 year – 2 years: walking, feeding, playing, and scribbling
Over the next year, most children will start becoming more independent and stable in their movements. This includes learning how to:
- Walk without support, then run and walk backwards
- Walk up and down stairs with support
- Feed themselves with a spoon and drink from a cup without assistance
- Make marks on paper using larger implements, like crayons
- Throw and kick balls, and play more “sport-like” games
- Turn doorknobs and the pages of a book
During this time, common indications of impaired physical development include limited physical activity, walking unsteadily, and limited interest in playing with toys.
2 years – 3 years: jumping, dancing, dressing, and painting
As a child approaches 3 years of age, they usually become more confident and intentional in their movements. This includes learning how to:
- Jump up and down, and climb onto things
- Twist and unscrew objects
- Dance, including shaking their head and swinging their limbs
- Put on and take off loose clothing by themselves
- Feed themselves using a fork
- Use a more advanced grasping technique to draw and paint with more control
During this time, common indications of impaired physical development include not feeding or helping dress themselves, clumsy or limited movements, and unclear or limited speech.
Looking for a childcare centre that supports your child’s physical development?
At Little Miracles, we understand that each child is on their own journey of physical growth in early childhood. That’s why we take an individual approach to activity planning, providing your child with a program tailored to suit their unique needs and abilities.
Become part of the Little Miracles family, or learn more about our locations today!
