Development of gross and fine motor skills

The newborn can already turn its head. However, this movement happens rather uncontrolled. This uncontrolled head rotation gradually becomes a controlled head movement with the 3rd month of life.

In an upright position, the baby can even hold the head for a short time by itself and lift it a little in the prone position. During this phase of life, these movements are still accompanied by a great deal of physical exertion, as the muscles are not yet strong enough. At the end of the second month of life, the baby can increasingly open its hands, as the innate grasping reflex disappears.

This also enables the baby to consciously grasp objects and hold on to them. With the third month of life, the baby learns to slowly support itself on the forearms in a prone position and to look around. In the supine position, he tries to reach for all kinds of things that come into his field of vision.

These targeted grasping movements are further developed and improved in the 4th month of life until they are finally perfected in the 6th month of life. From the 4th month of life onwards, the baby also shows more and more the effort to stand with assistance. Since the leg muscles are not yet strong enough, the baby repeatedly collapses.

In the 5th month of life the baby becomes more and more agile and likes to grab its own feet and can even put them in its mouth. Some babies swing back and forth in this position. Sometimes a turn from the belly to the back or vice versa is also possible during this time.

The head can now be held independently and for a long time. At 6 months, the baby tries to pull itself up by its parents or by furniture. Turning from the tummy to the back and from the back to the tummy is no longer a problem.

Especially from the seventh month onwards the muscles are strong enough so that the baby can sit and even stand without support for a short time. Especially jumping with holding on to the arms of the parents gives the baby pleasure. Sealing is also possible at seven months.

By the 9th month of life at the latest, most babies can sit, as well as crawl, pull themselves up to stand independently and stand with support.During this time, the fine motor skills are developed in such a way that tweezers can be used to grasp small objects with such precision. Throwing objects is also practiced. In the further course, free standing without assistance follows.

In the 12th month, walking a few steps and climbing stairs follow. At 15 months, free walking is no longer a problem. At the age of two years, walking is increasingly safe.

In the third year, skills such as riding a tricycle and building blocks are added. By the age of four, stairs are mastered without danger and by the age of 5 the child can already hop on one leg. Here, problems with walking, such as tiptoeing in the child’s toes, which is observed in about 5% of all preschool age children, would be clearly noticeable.