Known as motor coordination, it is the ability to move muscles precisely, giving total control over the body. It is possible to notice children’s motor coordination skills through everyday activities such as playing, drawing, and even walking. When a baby is born, they spend more time sleeping than interacting. This changes as the months go by, as the baby starts spending more waking hours paying attention to every detail around them1. Over the months, they will acquire abilities such as holding objects, pulling, and even bringing them to their mouth.
The development of motor coordination will happen naturally, and of course, it will require stimulation so that results are even better and as expected. But such stimulation should be offered with care and caution, within limits so the child is not pushed to do too much for their stage. There is no better way to develop than through play. Through children’s songs, painting and whatever activity the child most enjoys, they will develop with pleasure. Children’s motor coordination allows them to dance, jump, and carry out tasks that will improve every day, such as writing and using scissors to cut paper.
Motor coordination is divided into two categories: gross motor coordination and fine motor coordination. Gross motor coordination2 is determined by the muscle movements of larger limbs, enabling skilled movements such as running, jumping, climbing stairs, and kicking. These exercises are widely used in sports activities, and some children have more difficulty with these movements.
Fine motor coordination3 involves smaller muscles—such as those in the hands, fingers, and feet. These skills are seen through painting and handling materials like pencils, markers, and scissors. They require more precise and delicate movements, which will be needed throughout life.
Motor Coordination from 0 to 6 Years Old
It is in early childhood education that children’s motor coordination will be most worked on and stimulated. With the help of well-designed and dynamic activities, it is possible to get immediate responses and monitor progress. The development of motor coordination begins at birth. Maturation is essential for the child to be interested in objects around them and be motivated to reach out to grab, squeeze, and pull. Over time, these movements will become more refined, offering new learning opportunities.
When children start to crawl—usually between six to ten months—the previously limited space becomes much larger, providing more opportunities for exploration and the development of motor coordination. They climb on furniture, scramble over sofas, touch everything, and this strengthens their muscles every day for better control and coordination of arms, legs, and hands; they also learn to sit, turn, and stand up with increasing ease.
When they finally manage to stand and walk on their own around their first birthday, their gross motor coordination starts to improve. From this moment on, it should be worked on more and more. By giving them a fork to try to eat alone or a crayon for drawing, you can stimulate fine motor coordination, refining their hand control with every new attempt.
Play, whatever form it takes, is always a constant exercise for improving children’s motor coordination. For example, when pushing a toy, besides using arms and legs, the child also trains their eyes, which must pay attention to where they are going while trying to put the toy where they want. For this reason, it is advisable to let children play freely, without restricting space or setting unnecessary limits. Allow them to explore, naturally always taking precautions to avoid household accidents, but let them push, take apart, spread out, and put back together any toys they want.
At around two years old, the child can already move about confidently and independently. They know what they like and explore their surroundings. Through drawing and colorful scribbles, you can still see the immaturity of their fine motor skills and the lack of control of their hands and reasoning. At this stage, painting with their fingers helps them learn to control their movements more firmly. They respond well to body language and can move more confidently to music.
As they get a little older, between three and four years, in addition to playing, discoveries and exercises become more intense. The doll that was previously just hugged and rocked to “sleep” can now be fed with a spoon. The car that was only rolled back and forth can now maneuver, and they might even try a remote control and its buttons. Movements and children’s motor coordination adjust according to their own stage of growth. At school, they can make drawings that are more expressive and easily recognizable, different from their earlier scribbles. The drawings take shape and now they are able to cut with scissors, with dotted line drawings becoming favorites among the kids.
By five years old, most children already have a great deal of control over their motor coordination. They can securely hold pens or pencils, use scissors accurately, and move their bodies with balance; many can even ride a bike, sometimes without training wheels to help with balance. Their dancing, jumping, and running become more precise. Now, it is time to perfect their fine motor coordination, requiring more delicate hand control. When the child reaches six years old, literacy education begins. The intensive practice with crayons and colored pencils from an early age is now intensified with the use of regular pencils. Letters should start appearing in their notebook accurately—first uppercase letters and numbers, and with time, cursive writing, completing this stage of learning and the development of children’s motor coordination.
Children develop and learn new skills at different rates, so there should be no pressure or comparison to others. If any noticeable delays are seen, including by teachers, a pediatrician should be consulted for follow-up.
See also: Montessori Method – Learning Without Limits
Photo: Riana Ambarsari, nmoira
