How to develop motor skills in babies and children

Motor skills are essential among the skills that a baby or young child must develop. What are the different types of motor skills, and how to promote their development through the layout and equipment of the nursery? What activities should be planned to develop motor skills according to the different stages of the child's learning? Specialist in the development of nurseries, HABA Pro brings you concrete answers through this guide dedicated to baby and child motor skills.

The different motor skills in the baby and their importance

What are motor skills in babies?

Motor skills refer to the set of functions allowing the control of movements. Contrary to one might think, it is not limited to purely motor activities. It is considered that there are different types of motor skills, just as essential to the development of the toddler:

Gross motor skills are general activities, including the dissociation and coordination of upper and lower body movements and between the limbs. It refers to posture, movement, balance, or gestural programming.
Fine motor skills concern precise movements that solicit small muscles (hands, fingers, etc.) Among these fine movements: grasping an object, throwing it, and putting it in the mouth but also performing manual activities requiring cutting, drawing, etc.
Relational motor skills have a psycho-cognitive-affective dimension linked to intraverbal dialogue. Gestural imitation plays an essential role in the development of cognitive functions.

Why develop motor skills in toddlers?

For children to develop appropriately, global, fine, and relational motor skills must be worked on. The development of motor skills must begin early, allowing companions to see progress and detect possible disorders.

There are benchmarks given by professionals concerning the different stages of motor development and the actions that a baby or child must be able to perform:

Before three months, the gestures are anarchic, and the baby grabs an object placed in his hand by reflex.
From 3 to 6 months, the baby tries to grab an object and gradually gets there by "raking.”
From 6 to 9 months, he acquires the thumb-index grip, which allows him to catch smaller objects. The movement becomes voluntary, and the baby masters the take-release.
Around one year, the toddler can hold his spoon alone and handle objects more elaborately.
From 18 months to 2 years, young children master wrist rotation and experiment with new abilities.
From 2 to 4 years old, he became familiar with graphic design and the activities of drawing, painting, etc.

However, each child develops their skills differently, and we can be alarmed when we notice a delay of several months. Many facilities, games, and activities are designed to meet the motor needs of babies and children according to their abilities and pace.

Developing motor skills in children: layout and equipment

How to set up a motor skills room in a nursery?

Properly designing your nursery means promoting the learning of toddlers: the motor space meets specific special rules to allow the child to develop gross motor skills independently and safely. Motor skills courses enable children to have bodily experiences that contribute to their motor, sensory, emotional, and cognitive development. Through his actions in a rich environment, the child will develop his faculties: jumping, crawling, climbing, and rolling ...

A motor skills course must be built to present different types of situations:

Attractive situations by playing on volumes, colors, shapes
Rich and varied situations to meet the specificities of the child while taking into account his needs, aptitudes, and desires.
So-called "complex" situations that promote commitment and surpassing oneself.

Specialist in the development of nurseries, HABA Pro, offers you several ideas to arrange your motor space:

Motor structures: courses, playhouses, wooden or foam podiums...
Sensory panels,
foam blocks and cubes
ball pools

For more inspiration, please check out our catalog.

Bird's nest, hedgehog's castle: our Grow upp playhouses exalt the imagination and promote role-playing. Stairs, climbing walls, slides, and ramps provide many motor stimulations.

What equipment develops the motor skills of a child or a baby?

Here are some ideas for educational materials and equipment to help babies develop motor skills, as well as some tips for meeting the needs of toddlers.

In your nursery, create a stimulating space so the baby can experience his gross motor skills for himself and then put it at the service of his fine motor skills.

Think of motor games, which promote the awakening of children through movement and physical activities:

First steps: porters, trolleys, scooters, skate, tricycles, balance bikes...
Stimulation of balance and coordination: balance games, balance stairs, rocking board...
Training: wooden podiums, climbing wall, hanging boards, climbing horses, pommel horses, gymnastics slide, sports slabs...
Collective activities: parachutes, manipulation balls, sports balls...
Address and precision: hoops, bowling games, ring throwing games...
Artistic activities: body expression, musical instruments

Do not neglect protective equipment. This is essential for shock absorption and to ensure the safety of toddlers. Also, consider the storage equipment necessary to maintain order within your nursery. Items to add to your list include:

Gym and reception mats, safety mats, multifunctional play mats...
bins, chests, and storage cabinets...

What activities develop a child's motor skills?

Activities to develop gross motor skills.

How do motor skills develop in babies or children? The work on gross motor skills is reflected, among other things, in the following areas of development:

Coordination: perform different movements simultaneously (pedal and hold a handlebar...)
Dissociation: moving only one body part at a time (lifting only one shoulder...)
Posture and balance: adopting different postures and finding stability
Body diagram: awareness of one's body
Muscle tone: the ability to contract and relax a muscle
Locomotor movement (dancing, climbing) and non-locomotor movement (throwing a ball...)

Many activities exist to help children refine their gross motor skills. They refer to the awareness of one's body, movement, and coordination... Here are some ideas:

gymnastics, climbing
obstacle course: wooden or foam podiums

HABA Pro Motor Room

Activities to work on fine motor skills

Fine motor skills will be developed by stimulating the muscles of the hands and fingers. Focus on activities that achieve more excellent manual dexterity and improve visual-motor coordination. Be careful to adapt the activities according to the age of the children, especially if they involve the use of small unmanageable elements: