Check Out My Skills! – Preschool Age
Preschool aged kids range from 3-5 years old. During this time, children go through a period of learning and refining gross motor skills, starting with basic skills such as running and jumping to advanced skills like skipping and jumping while turning. The checkpoints listed below are loosely taken from a standardized test, in which each skill is assessed, scored, and averaged by a physical therapist to provide an idea of where that child’s gross motor skills are compared to same-aged peers. This is not a comprehensive or finite list of skills each child should have, nor are these strict guidelines for development; this list is to provide a general guideline for gross motor development through the preschool years to help guide parents toward recognizing physical development delays in preschool aged kids.
Motor Checkpoints by Age 3
- Walking on tiptoes without losing balance
- Running the length of a room without losing balance
- Jumping with 2-footed take off and landing
- Down from a chair height
- Forward 24 inches
- Over a low obstacle (2 inches)
- Standing on one foot for 3 seconds
- Stairs
- Walking up and down using one handrail
- One foot placed on each step
- Ball Play
- Throwing a ball overhand AND underhand into the air
- Kicking a ball 6 feet forward
Motor Checkpoints by Age 4
- Walking forwards and backwards on a 4 inch thick line on the floor
- Running with opposite arm and leg movements
- Able to stop on command without losing balance
- Jumping with 2-footed take off and landing forward 30 inches
- Jump up to touch a line 3 inches above reach height
- Hop forward 6 inches on one foot
- Hop 5 times in a row on each foot
- Stairs
- Walking up and down without needing handrail
- One foot placed on each step
- Ball Play
- Throwing a ball overhand AND underhand hitting a target 5 feet away with opposite arm and leg movements
Motor Checkpoints by Age 5
- Runs 10 feet, turns and runs back to the start in 5 sec or less
- Jumping forward 36 inches
- Jumping over a 10 inch obstacle
- Jump and turn 180º
- Hopping on one foot forward 36 inches
- Gallops forward 10 feet (same foot leading) arms moving opposite to legs
- Skips forward 8 steps (alternating leading foot) with opposite arm and leg movements
- Ball Play
- Throwing a ball overhand hitting a target 10-12 feet away
