Child Development Checklist : Physical Development

Change the position of toys and/or mobiles in the baby’s crib so the child will turn their head to see them. Changing the child’s position in the crib also assists with this and gives him/her a different perspective every day. Babies should be given opportunities to lie on their stomach to help develop their trunk muscles and assist them in learning to lift their head.

One way to encourage baby to raise their head is to lay them on your chest and talk/sing to them or, while baby is laying on his/her stomach, shake a rattle above their head to get them to look up. Alternating holding the baby on one shoulder and then the other shoulder will help them learn to turn their necks in different directions to accept visual and auditory stimulation.

As baby develops, it is important for them to begin to place weight on their forearms while lying on their stomach. To help with this, place a rolled towel under his/her arms when he/she is lying on the floor (on his/her stomach). Also, a soft wedge can be used in the same manner with a toy in front of the baby.

You can assist baby with learning to roll from their back to their side or stomach by holding a toy to one side and taking one leg and placing it across the body with the foot flat and the hip and knee bent. Gently rock baby back and forth to help develop the feeling of rolling.

To encourage baby to begin to move, place a toy slightly beyond their reach so they have to reach and pivot to retrieve it. They may begin intentional movement by dragging themselves across the floor or by pushing themselves with their legs.

To help baby develop the trunk muscles necessary for sitting, offer them many opportunities to sit up. This can be done in a highchair with toys on the tray. If baby is not able to support herself enough, rolled towels can be placed on either side to make her feel more secure. If holding baby in your lap in a sit-up position, encourage him to look up and around by shaking a toy above his head or to the side.

You can help baby keep her back straight by tapping or rubbing her spine, bouncing her up and down in the sitting position or stroking the center of her back gently and rapidly. As baby becomes stronger and is able to sit-up independently, help him learn how to go from sitting to laying by positioning their body correctly.

As baby starts to creep and experiment with crawling, encourage him to assume the hand-knee position by placing a rolled blanket below his abdomen when lying on his stomach. Once he is comfortable with this position and is able to maintain it himself, help him to rock back and forth. This encourages him to shift his weight from one arm to the other. You can also accomplish this by placing a toy in front of him so he will pick up one hand to get the toy.

When baby starts to pull to stand on furniture or with assistance from parents, make sure her feet are flat on the floor and that her knees are apart and slightly bent. Also, always stay close to baby as they experiment with standing on their own, even if they are holding on to something. The child cannot sit down from this position without assistance. Spend some time with baby standing in your lap, holding on to her hands and bouncing her up and down.

Around a year of age, baby may start to experiment with standing on his own, without holding on to something or someone. This is the first step towards walking and it can be encouraged in several ways. One way is to hold on to baby on his back and briefly let go while he is standing. Another is to have baby stand and lean in a corner and hold on to a large toy or give him a ball to throw.

Once baby is standing and holding on to furniture, encourage them to start cruising along the furniture. This helps them develop the rhythm of walking and the muscles necessary for success. Also, by placing two chairs next to each other and asking baby to walk between them, she begins to gain confidence in her abilities. Soon you can move the chairs further apart and she will let go of one, take a step and grab hold of the next one.

At this age, baby can be encouraged to throw balls overhand, which assists her with developing balance while standing. As baby becomes more comfortable with standing on her own and possibly taking steps, let her stand/walk on different textures such as grass, gravel, sand, etc. Baby will walk between two adults when they begin to take steps and can be encouraged to walk longer and longer distances in this way. As she progresses, help her to walk up and down small inclines or hills.

Practice in the areas of walking, climbing, running, jumping and balancing should be closely supervised by adults at this age. Balancing skills are very important to the success of walking, running and climbing. These skills can be honed by gently rocking her from side to side while she is standing, using a vestibular board or exercise ball during play and/or allowing her to balance/walk on a wide board or curb. Also, placing things on the floor for her to step over helps her to bear weight on one leg at a time. Assist her in learning to run by holding her hand while running, have her chase a ball and/or playing chase with her.

To develop muscles, the child can be given the opportunity to push or pull large toys or boxes around the house. They can also be given ride-on toys to pedal and things to climb on, including stairs. Dancing is a good activity for children to learn balance, coordination and develop muscles. It is also a good medium to introduce skills such as standing on tiptoe, standing on one foot, skipping and jumping.

At this age, the child is able to participate in many activities, including climbing stairs to slides, peddling on a tricycle, catching large balls, running and standing on tiptoes.