| Age |
Development |
|
| Newborn |
Lies on tummy with limbs
curled up and cheek on one side. Head is floppy and when
standing makes reflex movements such as walking
and grasping. Baby will begin to develop copying others movements -
with feeding rhythms and responding to parents touch and handling. |
|
| 1 month |
Baby still cannot support
their body, but is starting to hold up and control their head. Baby
can turn their head at will and press down with their feet on a
surface or on their parents lap. Baby waves their arms and legs
rather jerkily, and may enjoy kicking in the bath, for example. |
|
| 3 months |
Baby moves their arms and
legs more smoothly now - and movements may be more purposeful, for
example, the beginnings of reaching and holds their head up and with
a straight back if sitting erect. Baby can raise head and chest and
support herself on her arms. She will try to roll over, so watch him
carefully if she is on a raised surface. |
|
| 6 months |
She has developed
much more control of the upper part of her body. She can lift her
head and shoulders when lying on her back, can roll over, will raise
his arms to be picked up, can bounce with her feet on your lap, and
he may even be sitting alone for a while. She will enjoy sitting
propped up. |
|
| 9 months |
She is almost certainly
on the move by now - either wriggling along on her tummy, or
crawling or even walking. She will try to pull himself up to a
standing position and may take a few steps with support. She can sit
up on her own and lean forward to pick things up. She may be a
'bottom-shuffler', in which case he may not crawl, but go on
shuffling until she can walk. |
|
| 1 year |
Baby can sit well, pull
herself up and sit from lying down, walk round the furniture, walk
holding your hand or by himself, and can stand alone. If allowed to,
she may crawl upstairs or on and off low items of furniture, so
check your house for safety well before this stage is reached.
However, she may have difficulty getting down and will still need
careful watching. She may bounce rhythmically in time to music. |
|
| 15 months |
She will probably be
walking now - staggering might be a more appropriate description.
She is likely to fall over and sit down suddenly a lot, but will
show amazing persistence in getting up and carrying on. She can
probably manage stairs and steps but will need a lot of supervision
to avoid accidents. |
|
| 18 months |
Baby is very confident
now, walking with arms swinging, able to stop, start, sit down,
stand up, kneel, climb and carry things around with her. |
|
| 2 years |
She can run, walk with
confidence, pull wheeled toys around and safely negotiate obstacles
around the house. She can probably walk up and down stairs properly,
can push herself along on a pedal trike and can throw, attempt to
kick, but will not be able to catch very well. |
|
| 3 years |
She is quite an athlete
now, can jump from a low step, climb on climbing frames, walk
backwards and sideways, stand on one foot, stand and walk on tiptoe,
throw, kick and maybe even pedal her trike. She can carry and move
large objects and toys such as prams or trains. |
|
| 4 years |
She will now be walking,
running and climbing confidently. She can manage stairs and
obstacles, and find her way round with ease. She can hop, bend,
clamber and swing on climbing frames and is getting better at
throwing and catching she may even be able to use a bat. |
|
| 5 years |
The child will be
climbing, balancing, attempting handstands, somersaulting, hanging
upside down from the bars of the climbing frame and probably causing
parents some considerable nervous strain! Less confident children
will still have good control of their limbs, begin to be able to
skip, hop, bend, grasp things strongly, throw, kick and dance or
show an awareness of rhythm when moving to music. Physical
differences between children will become more apparent, particularly
with the organised activities of school. Some children are never
going to be very good at games, or graceful dancers; some may be
clumsy or slow or need extra help and patience. Nevertheless, all
healthy five-year-olds have, in their bodies, a very efficient
instrument for movement, making, controlling and mastering the
environment that you provide for them. |
|
