From the moment children are born, they begin to achieve remarkable progress through rapid growth and development that shapes both their physical and emotional worlds.
By the age of three, much of the essential foundation for later stages is set, as little ones learn and master early milestones such as sitting, walking, or even scribbling with a crayon, practicing with a spoon, and starting potty training.
I’ve often seen how parents and teachers play an essential role in tracking these changes, noticing signs of progress or delays, and stepping in to intervene when needed.
The framework of development is not only measured by charts but also by the small, everyday moments—when a child’s fingers and toes begin to wiggle, or when they first sit, then stand, and finally run with excitement.
These visible steps highlight how a child’s appearance becomes more balanced and proportional as they grow taller and even quadruple their weight between ages three and five.
What fascinates me most is how discovering the world becomes an imperative adventure where enriching experiences bolster not only motor abilities but also cognitive strength.
From the outset, it’s about nurturing coordination and offering opportunities to explore their limbs, building confidence through playful yet structured activities.
Every article or case study may elaborate on the statistics, but in practice, it is the professional insight combined with authentic help and encouragement that shapes real outcomes.
When a delay surfaces, the presence of guiding adults ensures the child continues to thrive.
Having witnessed early childhood unfold in so many ways, I’ve learned that creating an environment of curiosity and support is key to ensuring children don’t just grow, but flourish.
What is Physical Development in Early Childhood?
When we talk about physical development in early childhood, it’s about more than simply noticeable changes in size or strength—it’s the remarkable process of growth and maturation that allows a child’s body to gain the ability to move, interact with the environment, and exercise finer control.
From my perspective, these stages are crucial because they create the foundation for a future where health, independence, and abilities are deeply connected to everyday experiences.
Each milestone—whether linked to motor skills or refined coordination—reflects not just biological progress but the shaping of resilience and adaptability within the body, guiding how children explore and connect with their world.
Fine Motor Skills
I’ve often noticed how fine motor skills emerge through the precise use of tiny muscles in the hands and fingers, shaping a child’s capacity for essential everyday tasks.
These abilities rely heavily on detailed hand-eye coordination, and the best way to encourage them is through playful practice.
For instance, examples like stacking small blocks, drawing, or cutting with scissors all prepare children for more intricate actions such as manipulating buttons or fastening zippers.
Each of these steps is not only critical for self-care but also for developing independence in routines like feeding and dressing, which I’ve seen give children a real sense of accomplishment and confidence.
Gross Motor Skills
When reflecting on how children grow, it’s impossible to overlook the role of gross motor skills, which rely on larger muscle groups and serve as a key foundation for activities involving whole-body movement.
In my own experience, the excitement of early milestones like sitting, standing, walking, running, and jumping often marks turning points for families, signaling that a child’s physical journey is truly underway.
These steps are necessary not only for playing sports, navigating playgrounds, or participating in everyday activities, but also for developing fitness, balance, and coordination that are essential to overall well-being.
What helps most is repetition and varied practices, keeping in mind the general idea of a developmental timeline—knowing roughly what happens when.
This allows us to manage expectations, explore what’s possible, and provide age-appropriate scenarios with toys and opportunities that meet each child where they are.
Here are three stages of physical development in early childhood:
- At the infant stage of 0-1 years, infants experience rapid growth as they develop fundamental motor skills like grasping, rolling, sitting, crawling, and early walking, while hand-eye coordination steadily improves as they learn to pick and manipulate small objects, laying the groundwork for exploration and independence.
- During the toddler stage from 1-3 years, toddlers begin to refine their mobility, becoming more proficient at walking, running, and climbing, while their fine motor skills also advance, enabling them to manipulate objects more precisely, whether through stacking blocks, turning pages of a book, or exploring everyday tasks with growing independence.
- In the preschool stage between 3-5 years, children begin to refine their motor skills as they engage in more complex activities like jumping, skipping, and throwing objects accurately. Their fine abilities continue to develop, allowing them to use writing tools, dress themselves, and complete more intricate hand-eye coordination tasks that build independence and confidence in everyday life.
What helps most is repetition and varied practices, keeping in mind the general idea of a developmental timeline—knowing roughly what happens when.
The importance of physical development
Watching children gradually develop their physical skills—from sitting upright to throwing a ball—has shown me how these early milestones shape their adult lives.
Physical development is about more than visible growth; it reflects the ability to use muscles, body parts, and both gross large muscle movements and fine small motor actions that together contribute to independence.
As children learn and build a set of competencies by each age, their experiences and activities become crucial in the early years.
This is why it is cited as one of the prime areas of learning and development in the Early Years Statutory Framework (EYFS), which states that early education programmes must emphasize not only academic but also physical growth to provide balance and opportunity.
“When we provide opportunities for young children to be active and interactive, they not only develop better co-ordination, control, and movement, but are also helped to understand the importance of physical activity and how to make healthy choices in relation to food.”
I’ve often spoken with parents who feel worried when their child isn’t meeting certain developmental milestones by the recommended age, but what I’ve learned is that creating chances to engage in everyday physical activities can make all the difference, giving children the support they need to reach those important goals at their own pace.
Determine which developmental milestones you would like to address and are appropriate for your child’s age
In practice, I’ve found that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention not only provide a detailed list of developmental milestones for each age up to 5 years, but they also help parents understand what to look for in their child’s progress; alongside this, a trusted physician can interpret these guidelines in the context of an individual child, offering reassurance or intervention when needed.
Write down a list of activities that will aid your child’s physical development for each milestone
When parents choose the right activities to address each skill, progress becomes both fun and natural.
For instance, playing baseball can increase muscle strength by holding a bat, practicing swinging, and hitting the ball, all of which improve gross motor skills while also helping to develop hand-eye coordination.
It’s essential that every activity remains developmentally appropriate for the child—for example, expecting a 12-month-old to hop on one foot clearly requires more advanced action than their stage allows.
Encourage independence with your child
Instead of keeping a child in a stroller, I encourage parents to let them walk whenever possible, as this builds stamina and independence.
As they grow, supporting opportunities to feed themselves, whether through finger foods or learning to eat with a spoon, is just as valuable, giving them confidence while strengthening coordination and self-reliance.
Engage your child in music and movement activities
One of the most enjoyable ways to build coordination is to march to a song with a strong beat, which can encourage a steadier gait and rhythm.
I’ve often seen how children light up when they practice jumping, spinning, hopping, crawling, or even tiptoeing to a lively tune, turning exercise into joy.
Parents can also purchase a keyboard or drum, giving a child the chance to explore an instrument, play along, and enjoy their favourite songs, blending movement with creativity.
Foster fine motor skills through art and tactile experience
I’ve found that giving an age-appropriate child the chance to cut with scissors, grab small pieces of construction paper, and glue them onto a larger sheet sparks creativity while strengthening fine motor skills.
Simple tasks like drawing circles or squares, or letting them practice early writing, provide just as much benefit.
For variety, threading string with beads or yarn into a necklace or bracelet can enhance coordination, while sensory play—such as placing pebbles, pearls, or plastic objects in a box of sand and having children dig with their fingers to pick them up—turns learning into a joyful challenge.
Play sports and enjoy outdoor activities
Joining a game of football can aid coordination through gross motor movements that strengthen the legs, while taking time to teach a child how to ride a bike or tricycle—always keeping it age-appropriate—adds layers of balance and confidence.
At places like CREC, their postgraduate Physical Activity in the Early Years Module highlights how young developing learners benefit from looking through the lens of movement and sport, where support from practitioners who combine creativity, critical reflection, knowledge, and experience can truly improve outcomes.
I’ve seen how children develop through consistent practice, how they grow into confident movers, and how professionals create suitable opportunities for those working with kids from birth to 7 years to build lifelong habits of health and resilience.
How to Support Children’s Physical Development
From my experience, supporting physical development means going beyond play and creating intentional, structured activities that promote not only motor skills but also sensory awareness, self-care, and healthy habits.
Thoughtfully suggested routines can enhance a child’s overall growth, ensuring they build confidence and independence step by step.
Develop Gross Motor Skills
I’ve seen how encouraging the development of gross motor skills helps children build not only strength, coordination, and confidence, but also joy in their movements.
Whether it’s creating indoor or outdoor spaces that encourage movement through climbing, jumping, or stretching, or finding ways to incorporate playful learning experiences like action songs, balance exercises, and group games, the key is to make growth engaging.
When we celebrate their physical efforts, we foster long-term motivation and enthusiasm for staying active.
Enhance Fine Motor Skills
In my work with young learners, I’ve noticed that refining fine motor skills allows children to gain better control over everyday tasks like writing or dressing.
Providing opportunities for small movement activities—such as grasping, pinching, or threading—helps strengthen coordination.
When we incorporate hands-on learning experiences like puzzles, building with blocks, or engaging in arts and crafts, children stay motivated.
It’s equally important to offer different tools such as playdough, scissors, or writing instruments, which steadily enhance dexterity and precision in their daily routines.
Cultivate Sensory Awareness
I’ve found that engaging in sensory activities truly supports children’s cognitive, social, and motor skill development, as these moments introduce diverse experiences that awaken curiosity.
Exploring textures, colours, sounds, tastes, and smells while using descriptive language can help kids articulate what they feel and notice.
Families can offer simple setups—like sand and water play, cooking projects, or musical exploration—all of which stimulate the senses and invite learning through discovery.
Boost Physical Health and Self-Care
Helping children build lifelong skills and habits to maintain their physical well-being is one of the greatest investments in their success at learning and navigating daily life.
In my experience, creating balanced opportunities for both rest and activity, making mealtimes more engaging to encourage healthy eating, and finding ways to involve kids in hygiene routines or safety awareness through hands-on experiences lays a strong foundation for independence.
These moments of self-care are not small details—they are cornerstones of confidence and resilience in early childhood development.
At schools like UNIS Hanoi, I’ve seen how a supportive environment that cultivates growth by integrating movement, sensory exploration, and self-care into the curriculum creates something transformative.
Guided by the principles of Te Whāriki, educators there recognise every child’s potential and build a holistic educational experience that emphasises communication and celebrates expertise.
With the IB PYP Foundation Programs, their inquiry-based approach covers multiple units yearly, cultivating well-rounded growth across academic, social, emotional, and cultural aspects.
Purposefully designed purpose-built spaces and a clear commitment to education offer an enriching setting where children thrive—not only physically but also socially and academically.
Examples of Physical Development in Early Childhood: Infants & Babies
When we track the motor actions that mark physical development, it becomes clear how these early milestones shape later behaviors and skills.
In my experience, moments like a baby holding their head, rolling from tummy to back, or pushing up on elbows are small victories worth celebrating.
Soon after, you’ll notice them shaking a toy, moving into a sitting position that’s unsupported, then crawling, and eventually pulling themselves to stand while gripping a surface—each step reflecting both growth and determination.
Physical Development Activities for Infants & Babies
Daily interactions such as when you cuddle, talk, sing, and play during caretaking routines like feeding, dressing, or giving a bath are powerful ways to strengthen bonds and support growth.
I’ve often seen how a smile and choosing to react positively to a baby’s sounds, repeating simple, clear words, or showing them a bottle can spark learning.
When you copy their facial expressions, you’re engaging in reciprocal play that teaches them about connection.
Even pointing out a car, toys, or flowers, and naming their emotions—whether they’re smiling and happy or crying and sad—creates experiences that nurture both communication and development.
Examples of Physical Development in Toddlers
As a child moves into toddlerhood, their physical journey becomes more adventurous, with motor movements and skills expanding rapidly.
I’ve observed the pride in mastering a sitting position without help, taking first steps with support, and then standing unsupported.
Soon after, crawling turns into walking up and down stairs, or exploring independence by undressing and eating with utensils.
Play also evolves—pulling and pushing toys, climbing furniture, kicking a ball, or throwing it overhand. Creative growth shines too, with toddlers enjoying drawing, coloring, and tracing lines, each action refining coordination and confidence.
Physical Development Activities for Toddlers
For a child in this stage, hands-on play with paper and crayons to draw circles and lines, and moments to celebrate their ability to copy, set the stage for creativity and coordination.
I love using music—whether we dance, sing songs, or incorporate actions like the Itsy Bitsy Spider with hand motions—to make learning fun.
Movement builds naturally through push toys like a wagon or car, letting kids safely practice how to pull, while balls to roll, kick, or throw in a game of catch back and forth sharpen balance and coordination.
Everyday skills grow when toddlers practice drinking from an open mouth cup, using a spoon to eat, or trying to blow bubbles and pop them.
When they play with blocks, build towers, and knock them down, or explore arts and crafts with paints, child-safe scissors, and dough, they make progress through simple everyday movements like opening doors, cabinets, turning pages of a book, or learning to carry small items.
Trips to the park or down a trail to walk, run, and climb highlight how early development weaves together cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical skills.
Though it can feel overwhelming to balance individual practices, these often overlap, as when toddlers solve a problem while chasing a bubble they hope to reach.
Each moment deepens their relationship with those they are playing with, and daily talk, reading, and singing naturally incorporates all areas of growth without extra supplies.
