Gross Motor Skills Development Goals

• Gross motor skills are defined by the mastery of large muscle movement (i.e legs and arms). Toddlers between 12 to 18 months should be able to walk, walk backwards, crawl up stairs with support, throw a ball overhand, kick a ball with support, roll a ball with hands, imitate more complex motor skills (lifting objects), and change clothes (without use of buttons, zips, clasps, etc.). Toddlers between the ages of 18 to 24 months should be able to run, walk up stairs with support, and jump over small obstacles.
  
  

Fine-Motor Skills Development Goals

• Fine-motor skills are defined by the use of small muscle groups and precise movements, such as picking up a pencil with the fingers. A toddler between the age of 12 to 18 months should be working on scribbling with crayons on papers, picking up objects, grasping and throwing a ball, stacking blocks, mastering puzzles with over-sized pieces, holding and banging objects together. A toddler between the age of 18 to 24 months will begin to use a spoon or fork in feeding himself with parental guidance, grasping a cup or bottle for drinking, and turning the sturdy pages of a children's book with assistance.
  
  

Balance and Coordination Skills Development Goals

• Balance and coordination skills involve a child's ability to control her own stability and hone the precision of her movements. A toddler between the ages of 12 to 18 months will be working on mastering the control of her body as she stands and learns to walk, resulting in tipsy movements and several small spills, giving the definition "toddler" accuracy. Climbing onto a chair or sofa, pushing around toys, scribbling and grasping a spoon are all reasonable goals for this stage. Toddlers between the ages of 18 to 24 months will reach for more precise goals: jumping up and down in one spot, catching and throwing objects, and assisting with simple household tasks.
  
  

Individual Growth

• Physical development goals provide a loose framework for parents in marking their child's progress, and it's important to keep in mind that development varies greatly among individuals. However, all children experience directional growth: large muscles develop before small ones, growth progresses in a head to toe direction (muscles in the head and neck develop before the legs and toes) and follow an inside to outside direction (torso develops before the extremities).