Published: May 8, 2026, Last Updated: May 8, 2026
Watching a toddler learn to walk, run, climb, and jump
is one of the great joys of early parenting.
It is also one of the more nail-biting experiences, as
anyone who has watched their toddler launch themselves off a sofa with genuine
confidence and zero awareness of consequences can confirm.
Toddler gross motor skills - the
large-muscle movements that involve the whole body develop at a remarkable pace
between ages 1 and 3. Understanding the milestones, what supports development,
and what warrants attention helps you support your toddler effectively.
This guide covers the key gross motor milestones by
age, the activities that build strength and coordination, and the signs worth
discussing with your pediatrician.
Visit our complete
toddler guide for more on toddler milestones and development.
What are gross motor skills in Toddlers?
Gross motor skills are movements that use the large
muscles of the body, legs, arms, core, and back.
They include walking, running, jumping, climbing,
kicking, throwing, catching, balancing, and navigating stairs. These skills
build on each other in a predictable developmental sequence.
NCBI StatPearls confirms gross motor development
follows a cephalocaudal and proximodistal progression. This means control
develops from the head downward and from the center of the body outward. A
toddler gains head and trunk control before leg control. They gain control of
the upper arms before the hands and fingers.
Understanding this helps explain why toddlers run
before they can catch a ball, and why they climb before they can jump down
safely.
Gross Motor Milestones at Each Age
Gross Motor Skills at 12 Months
At 12 months, most toddlers are taking their first
independent steps or are very close to it.
The CDC milestone checklist confirms that most 12-month-olds
can pull themselves up to stand using furniture, walk holding onto furniture
(cruising), stand briefly without support, and may take a few independent
steps.
Normal walking onset ranges from 9 to 15 months. A
toddler who is not walking independently by 18 months warrants a developmental
evaluation.
Gross Motor Skills at 18 Months
By 18 months, walking is typically well established.
Most toddlers:
Walk independently without falling frequently. Begin to
run, though with poor balance and frequent falls. Climb stairs with one hand.
Climb onto low furniture. Walk backward a few steps. Begin to kick a stationary
ball.
The CDC confirms: 18-month milestones include walking
independently and beginning to run. Pathways.org confirms that by 18 months,
most toddlers walk upstairs holding a rail, walk sideways and backward, and try
to kick a ball.
Gross Motor Skills at 24 Months (2 Years)
By age 2, gross motor skills have become significantly
more controlled and confident.
Most 2-year-olds:
Run more reliably with better balance. Jump with both
feet, leaving the ground simultaneously. Kick a ball with more direction and
force. Climb play equipment with growing confidence. Walk up and down stairs,
holding the rail with both feet on each step. Throw a ball overhand, though
with limited accuracy.
The CDC 24-month milestone confirms: most 2-year-olds
kick a ball and run with growing steadiness.
Gross Motor Skills at 36 Months (3 Years)
By age 3, gross motor development has expanded
substantially.
Most 3-year-olds:
Run smoothly and change direction. Jump forward and
from low heights. Climb stairs alternating feet with confidence. Ride a
tricycle or balance bike. Catch a large ball with both arms. Hop briefly on one
foot. Stand on one foot briefly for balance.
Verywell Family confirms that by age 3, most toddlers can
jump in place, kick a ball forward with accuracy, and throw a ball overhand.
These skills represent a significant leap from the whole-body, imprecise
movements of the 12 to 18-month stage.
What Activities Build Gross Motor Skills in Toddlers?
Active, physical, outdoor play is the most effective
way to build gross motor development. No special equipment is required.
Running and Chasing
Free running in open spaces builds leg strength,
cardiovascular fitness, balance, and coordination simultaneously. Chase games
are highly motivating for toddlers and produce intense physical engagement.
At 18 months, a simple chase you run after them is
engaging and developmentally appropriate. By age 2 to 3, toddlers can begin to
understand and enjoy more complex chase and tag games.
Climbing
Climbing builds upper body strength, core stability,
spatial awareness, and risk assessment. It is one of the most important and
most avoided gross motor activities.
Low climbing frames, playground equipment, and natural
environments such as gentle hills and fallen logs all provide excellent
climbing opportunities. Always supervise closely, but resist helping unless
genuinely needed. Struggling with a physical challenge builds physical
confidence.
Ball Play
Kicking, throwing, rolling, and catching a ball builds
coordination, bilateral motor skills, timing, and hand-eye coordination at
different stages of development.
At 12 to 18 months: rolling a large ball back and
forth. At 18 to 24 months: kicking a stationary ball, throwing a small ball. At
2 to 3 years: kicking with direction, throwing overhand, attempting to catch a
large ball.
Balance Activities
Walking along a low wall, stepping stones, balance
beams, or simply a line of tape on the floor builds balance, core strength, and
proprioception.
Proprioception is the body's awareness of its own
position in space. It is a foundational motor skill that underpins almost all
later physical activity.
Jumping
Jumping requires strength, coordination, and the
ability to land safely. Most toddlers begin to jump with both feet off the
ground around age 2. By age 3, jumping from low heights and jumping forward becomes
increasingly controlled.
Soft surfaces such as cushions, trampolines, and grass
encourage jumping to practice safely.
Stairs
Stair climbing is one of the most practical gross motor
challenges toddlers face daily. Early stair climbing involves one step at a
time, with both feet meeting on each step. At age 3, most toddlers alternate
feet on stairs with confidence.
Allow and encourage stair practice with close
supervision. Avoid carrying toddlers up and down stairs more than necessary —
the practice builds the skill.
Obstacle Courses
Simple indoor or outdoor obstacle courses combine
multiple gross motor skills in sequence. Crawl under the table, jump over the
cushion, run around the chair, climb onto the box. These build planning,
sequencing, and multiple motor skills simultaneously.
Toddlers aged 2 and over find obstacle courses
extremely engaging and will repeat them many times.
How Does Outdoor Play Support Gross Motor Development?
Outdoor environments provide motor challenges that
indoor environments cannot replicate.
Uneven ground, slopes, natural obstacles, and variable
surfaces all demand constantly adapting motor responses. A toddler who plays
outdoors regularly develops motor skills faster than one who plays mostly
indoors.
The AAP recommends at least 60 minutes of active
physical play daily for toddlers. Much of this is most effectively delivered in
outdoor environments.
Read more in our guide on toddler outdoor play.
What are the red flags for gross motor development?
Wide variation in gross motor timing is normal. Some
signs are worth discussing with a pediatrician.
Speak to your pediatrician if your toddler:
Is not walking independently by 18 months. Cannot run
by age 2. Shows significant asymmetry, using one side of the body much more
than the other in most activities. Falls far more frequently than other
children the same age after 18 months. Shows muscle stiffness or floppiness
that seems unusual. Loses motor skills they previously had at any age.
Cleveland Clinic confirms loss of previously acquired
gross motor skills at any age is an important red flag that warrants prompt
evaluation.
NCBI StatPearls notes: delays in gross motor
development can be associated with conditions including developmental
coordination disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and chromosomal
conditions. Early identification allows for the most effective intervention.
How does gross motor development connect to other areas?
Gross motor development does not happen in isolation. It is
deeply connected to cognitive, language, and social development.
A physically confident toddler explores more. More
exploration means more language input, more problem-solving, and more social
interaction.
Pathways.org confirms that movement and physical
development are directly linked to brain development. Every time a toddler
climbs, runs, or jumps, they are building neural pathways that support
learning, attention, and self-regulation.
This is one of the most important reasons to protect
and prioritize active physical play. It is not just building a body. It is
building a brain.
A Note from Adel
My third child was a climber. She climbed everything.
Tables, bookshelves, the back of the sofa, and fences. The number of times I
lifted her down from something she should not have been on is genuinely
uncountable.
Looking back, she was doing exactly what she needed to
do. She was building strength, confidence, spatial awareness, and risk
assessment. By age 4, she was the most physically competent child in her
playgroup.
Resist the urge to stop all climbing. Supervise it.
Guide it toward safe surfaces. But let it happen. The physical confidence it
builds is worth every grey hair.
Keep
Reading → Complete Toddler Guide → Toddler Physical Activity → Toddler Milestones → Toddler Outdoor Play → 18 Month Old Development → Sensory Play for Toddlers
FAQs about Toddler Gross Motor Skills
What are the gross motor milestones for toddlers?
At 12 months: pulling to stand and beginning to walk.
At 18 months: walking confidently, beginning to run, and climbing. At 24 months:
running with balance, jumping with both feet, kicking a ball. At 36 months:
running smoothly, jumping from heights, alternating feet on stairs, riding a
balance bike.
When should a toddler start walking?
Most toddlers begin walking between 9 and 15 months independently. Walking onset up to 18 months is within the normal range. A toddler
who is not walking by 18 months warrants a developmental evaluation.
What activities build gross motor skills in toddlers?
Running, climbing, ball play, jumping, obstacle
courses, balance activities, and stair practice all build gross motor skills
effectively. Outdoor play on uneven ground provides particularly rich motor
challenges.
What are the red flags for gross motor delay in toddlers?
Speak to a pediatrician if your toddler is not
walking by 18 months, cannot run by age 2, shows significant one-sided motor
asymmetry, or loses any motor skills they previously had at any age.
How much physical activity does a toddler need each
day?
The AAP recommends at least 60 minutes of moderate to
vigorous physical activity daily for toddlers. This should include both
structured activities and free active play, ideally with significant outdoor
time.
Sources and References
1.
CDC -
"Milestones: 12 Months, 18 Months, 24 Months, 36 Months" (Updated
2026) cdc.gov/act-early
2.
NCBI
StatPearls - "Gross Motor Development in Children" ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557753
3.
Cleveland
Clinic “Gross Motor Skills: What Are They and When Do Children Develop
Them?" my.clevelandclinic.org
About the Author
Adel Galal Founder, ParntHub.com | Father of Four | Grandfather of Four | 33 Years
of Parenting Experience
Adel Galal created ParntHub.com to give parents honest, research-backed
guidance in plain language. As a father of four and grandfather of four, Adel
has lived through every stage of early childhood. He combines personal
experience with content reviewed by pediatric and developmental specialists to
ensure every article is accurate and genuinely useful.
Reviewed By: ParntHub Editorial Team Content informed by the CDC
developmental milestone checklist (updated 2026), the American Academy of
Pediatrics, Cleveland Clinic, Pathways.org, Verywell Family and NCBI
StatPearls developmental research.
