Ten Little - Physical Development & Movement

When should I speak to our pediatrician about my baby’s development?

2022-05-05T11:56:33-04:00

You can speak to your child’s pediatrician any time you have a question or concern about your child’s development. You know your own child best, so if you notice anything that seems unusual about the way your child learns, speaks, acts, or plays, don’t hesitate to bring it up to your doctor at your next appointment. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for development at 9, 18, or 30 months, or whenever a parent has a concern. Finding and diagnosing any conditions early can help you make a plan for how to support your child’s development as they grow.

Additionally, if you’re concerned about your child’s development, there are both state and federally funded early intervention programs that can help. and In most states, parents can reach out directly to developmental specialists (PT, OT, SLP) to help supplement your child’s learning. A parent's intuition is strong and if you feel there is a concern that isn't being addressed through receiving a referral, you can often self-refer to these programs and request an evaluation to assess if your child has any developmental delays or disabilities. The evaluations are always free of charge and will determine their eligibility for early intervention services. To learn more and find contact information for your state, visit the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center webpage.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about any health or medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment you should consult with your pediatrician or a licensed healthcare provider.

When should my baby start walking?

2022-05-02T12:42:55-04:00

Babies often start walking around one year, but some may take their first steps as early as 9 months or up to 17 or 18 months. Every baby’s development stages are different! Some signs that your little one may be ready to start walking include:

Pulling to stand
Standing without support
“Cruising” (stepping sideways along furniture)

There are a few ways that you can encourage your baby to walk once they start to show some of these signs of physical readiness:

Lend a hand: Once your baby is able to pull up to a stand on their own, hold their hands as they begin to take their first steps. Be sure to avoid holding their hands extended overhead, as this places extra stress on their elbows. Gently guide them with their hands at shoulder level or below.
Use props: Employ a push toy or even common household items like an upside down laundry basket that your little one can push along as they learn to walk.

Doctors recommend avoiding baby walkers (the kind with a seat in the middle), as these can promote an unstable independent walking pattern and often allow babies to get themselves into unsafe situations (such as going down the stairs or knocking over a hot cup of coffee). It’s totally normal if it takes some time for your little one to master the skill of walking, so try to stay patient while they get their balance! If you don’t see signs of walking by 17-18 months, discuss with your pediatrician to see if they suggest a physical therapy evaluation.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

When should my baby start wearing shoes?

2022-05-02T12:42:47-04:00

It is recommended that babies learn to walk in bare feet or socks in order to experience proper ground feedback. Infants learn to walk by gripping the ground with bare feet. Your baby only needs shoes once they start walking outside, to protect their feet from any uneven or sharp ground, or to protect feet if the weather is very hot or cold. Before they start walking, you can use socks or baby booties to keep their feet warm. If their daycare requires shoes, consider a soft-soled bootie or first walker shoe.

When your baby begins to get steady on their feet and is ready to adventure outside, you can try a shoe with these features for healthy development:

Foot-shaped toe box: The shoe should follow the naturally asymmetric shape of feet, allowing for increased width at the toe box in comparison to the heel. Baby feet are soft and pliable, and take shape as they grow, so it’s important that their first shoes are shaped like feet and the toe boxes follow the naturally asymmetric shape of feet.
Flat heel with no raise: Even a quarter inch heel can feel two to three times higher on a toddler, as their feet are proportionally smaller than an adult’s. A heel lift causes the foot to bear more weight at the front, and can make the foot slide forward forcing the toe against the front of the shoe.
Flexible soles: Shoes should be flexible, especially at the ball of the foot, for kids to move naturally. If you can’t bend the shoes easily, they are not flexible enough. While being sturdy enough to protect against environmental hazards, the soles should also be thin to ensure the feet can feel the ground beneath them as they walk and send signals to the brain to enable natural and balanced movement.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

How do I keep my child physically active?

2022-05-02T12:42:37-04:00

Physical activity is an important part of your child’s developmental stages. It is recommended that preschool-age children are physically active throughout the day to encourage growth and development, as well as to foster healthy attitudes toward movement. Encouraging active play and modeling this behavior as a parent can help your little one associate physical activity with fun!

A few ways to encourage outdoor play , as outlined by the CDC:

Start early: Encourage unstructured play from an early age to get your child used to it and make it part of their life.
Set a positive example by living an active lifestyle yourself: Model the behaviors you want your child to exhibit by living an active lifestyle which will encourage your littles to do the same.
Make physical activity part of your family’s daily routine: Work in an after dinner walk, time to play outdoors, or active games to get your family moving together on a daily basis.
Make physical activity fun: Physical activity doesn’t have to be a chore! Make time for physical activities that your little one enjoys such as their favorite game, outdoor activities with friends, or organized sports!

Of course, always consult your doctor before starting any kind of physical activity routine.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

How can I help improve my child’s gross motor skills and fine motor skills?

2022-05-02T12:42:25-04:00

Motor skills are specific movements of the body's muscles to perform a certain task. In order to perform this skill, the body's nervous system, muscles, and brain have to all work together. Fine motor skills are the small movements of the hands, wrists, fingers, toes, lips, and tongue. Gross motor skills refer to larger movements like rolling over, sitting up, holding up their head, and eventually walking.

As a parent, you may ask yourself “is my little one’s development happening at the ‘right’ rate?” As with most aspects of physical development, every child's developmental stages are different. That said, there are general age ranges in which your child’s pediatrician will look for certain skills. You can help your child practice these skills at home, starting with ordinary daily activities, and eventually working up to more complex skills.

The easiest way to start helping your baby develop gross motor skills is to give them room to move around on the floor, or in a crib or playpen. They should start to try new movements on their own as they strengthen the muscles that allow them to lift their head and eventually pull themselves up to crawl or stand. Tummy time is another expert-recommended activity that will allow your baby to strengthen the muscles in their back, neck, and shoulders.

To practice fine motor skills, babies and toddlers can play with age-appropriate toys or blocks with different textures, shapes, and colors. You can also have your baby help you turn the pages of a book during story time, or encourage them to pick up their food on their own with their hands and eventually a fork or spoon.

Just giving your baby room to move and being patient through their trial and error is the best way for them to learn. Open-ended toys like blocks and even household items can be great tools as your child graduates through different stages of development.

If you’re looking for some easy DIY activities to try with your little one, here are a few places to get started:

For 3-7 months: DIY Tummy Time Hoop
For 1-3 years: Tin Foil Animal Rescue
For 2-3 years: DIY Sensory Smash Bin
For 3-5 years: Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course
For 5+ years: DIY Ring Toss

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

What physical developmental milestones should I see at each age?

2022-05-02T12:42:14-04:00

While each child is different and will learn new skills at their own pace, these are the CDC developmental milestones most pediatricians will be using to evaluate your little one at checkups. It’s important to note that development is not linear and some children will skip steps or learn and grow differently! These developmental milestones are just to help give you a sense of where your child may be in their developmental journey. If you observe that your child doesn’t seem to be meeting a majority of these milestones, absolutely raise your concerns with your child’s pediatrician so you can talk through it together! Visit the CDC’s website for more information on early screening:

2 months:

Calms down when spoken to or picked up
Looks at your face
Smiles when you talk to or smile at them
Makes sounds other than crying
Reacts to loud sounds
Watches you as you move
Moves both arms and legs

4 months:

Smiles on their own to get your attention
Looks at you, moves, or makes sounds to get your attention
Makes cooing sounds
Turns head towards the sound of your voice
If hungry, opens mouth towards breast or bottle
Brings hands to mouth

6 months:

Knows familiar people
Likes to look at self in mirror
Laughs, makes squealing noises
Puts things in mouth to explore them
Reaches to grab a toy
Rolls from tummy to back
Pushes up with arms straight when on tummy

9 months:

Shows several facial expressions like angry, sad, surprised
Looks when you call their name
Smiles or laughs when you play peekaboo
Makes a lot of different sounds
Lifts up arms to be picked up
Looks for objects when dropped out of sight
Sits without support

1 year:

Plays games with you
Waves “bye-bye”
Calls parent “mama”, “dada”, or another special name
Understands “no”
Looks for things they see you hide
Pulls up to stand
Walks, holding onto furniture
Picks things up between thumb and pointer finger

2 years:

Notices when others are hurt or upset
Looks at your face to see how you react in a new situation
Points to things in a book when you ask
Uses gestures more than waving or pointing, such as blowing a kiss
Holds something in one hand while using the other hand
Walks up a few stairs with or without help
Uses a spoon

3 years:

Notices other children and joins them to play
Asks “who” “what” “where” “why” questions
Says first name, when asked
Talks well enough for others to understand, most of the time
Uses a fork
Puts on some clothes by themselves

5 years:

Follows rules or takes turns when playing with other children
Does simple chores at home like clearing the table after eating
Answers simple questions about a book or story
Counts to 10
Writes/names some letters

It’s normal to have concerns about your baby’s development, but every baby develops at a different pace and “developmental milestones” are not universal. However, if you feel like your baby is not exhibiting more than a few of these skills at the given age range, you can bring up any concerns with your pediatrician.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

When should my baby start crawling?

2022-04-22T15:14:25-04:00

Babies often start to crawl between 8-10 months, but some start as early as 6-7 months, and others skip crawling altogether. Often it starts with army crawling (on average around 7-9 months) and progresses to hands and knees (on average between 9-11 months). There are some questions you can ask yourself that will help you assess your baby's physical developmental milestones:

Is my baby sitting up independently?
Can my baby roll from their stomach to their back and vice versa?
Can my baby sit up without support for a few minutes?
Can my baby get in and out of sitting by themselves?
Does my baby tolerate tummy time well and play in a variety of positions?

These developmental milestones will let you know that your baby is processing signals from their surroundings and building up their muscles.

If and when your baby begins to crawl, there are two types of crawling:

Army Crawl: where baby’s stomach remains on the floor and they use their arms to pull themselves forward (or push themselves back)
Creeping: baby pushes up to hands and knees with belly off the floor. Before any forward movement is made, you will often see the baby in that position rocking back and forth. This allows them to build stability before moving to the mobility phase.

Some babies may choose atypical patterns of crawling including:

Bottom scooting
Asymmetrical crawling with one leg up
Bunny hopping moving both hands and both legs together instead of one at a time
Bear crawl on hands and feet

If you notice asymmetrical or atypical crawling, you should talk with your pediatrician and discuss a physical therapy referral. Identifying the root cause of these patterns can help them from carrying forward to higher level motor skills.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.