Put on the sunscreen and take your child outdoors. Encourage him to run at different speeds or toss and catch balls of different sizes. By doing so you support gross motor skill development.
This is also the time when you can put your child in gymnastics, more advanced swimming classes, ballet, soccer, T-ball, or karate. These activities support his gross motor skill development, but there are things a parent can do at home as well. When you go to the park, let your child try to walk along a very low wall. He can walk a two-inch line for at least 10 feet without stepping of f if you provide the experience for him to practice.
Play a game of tiptoe around the house or stomp to music. Turn on soft music first and tiptoe as softly as you can. Then play a marching band song and stomp around the house together. Four year olds can tiptoe, which encourages them to learn to balance without their hands held out for support. Gross motor skills are important for your child to perform everyday functions, such as walking and running. These are critical for everyday self-care skills like dressing because you need to be able to stand on one leg to put on your pants without falling over.
Gross motor skills impact the endurance your child needs to cope with a full day of school or home activities. In other words, gross motor skills improve your four year old’s muscular strength, endurance, posture, body awareness, balance, coordination, and muscle tone. Play with your child and enjoy all the things his body can do.
