Play Activities to Encourage Motor Development in Child Care

Toddler boy on slide

Play is crucial to the development of children’s gross and fine motor skills. Through play, children practice and perfect control and coordination of large body movements, as well as small movements of hands and fingers. Child care providers can support young children’s motor development by planning play activities that provide children with regular opportunities to move their bodies.

Activities to Support Gross Motor Development

Gross motor skills involve control of the arms, legs, head, and trunk. Child care providers can …

Supporting Both Large Motor and Small Motor Development in Child Care

The child care program is a wonderful place to help children develop motor skills. “Motor skills” is a broad category that includes a wide variety of abilities — from sitting up to running and climbing and from picking up small objects to writing with a crayon or pencil. Motor skills are typically divided into two types: large motor and small motor. Child care providers can help young children develop both types of motor skills.

Large Motor Skills

Large motor skills …