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Physical activity milestones

Pa milestones

Physical activity milestones provide a guide for monitoring the healthy development of children.

The following guide shows the types of physical activity that children may achieve between between 0 and 5 years old.

4-8 months of age

  • playing with feet and toes
  • laying on stomach and raising head and chest grasping for objects outside their reach
  • rolling from back to stomach
  • crawling movements

8-12 months of age

  • sitting
  • standing position (with support)
  • poking
  • picking up and throwing small objects
  • moving sideways (with support)

At 18 months of age

  • walking
  • running
  • climbing
  • squatting
  • pulling

3 years of age

  • running easily
  • climbing easily
  • kicking a ball
  • jumping over low objects
  • using steps (one at a time)
  • balancing on one foot for a few seconds
  • dancing to music
  • standing on tiptoes

3-5 years of age

  • galloping
  • skipping
  • throwing
  • hopping
  • catching
  • balancing on one foot
  • riding scooter, or two or three wheeled bike

5 years of age

  • forward rolls
  • swinging
  • climbing with ease
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Preventing Childhood Obesity: an Early Start to Healthy Living

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FutureLearn - Learning For Life