what is gross motor

Gross motor skills are the abilities that involve whole-body movements and require the use of large muscles in the torso, legs, and arms. These skills are usually acquired during childhood as part of a childs motor learning. Gross motor skills are important for everyday physical activities such as walking, running, jumping, and climbing, as well as for playground and sporting skills. Gross motor skills can be further divided into two subgroups of locomotor skills and object control skills. Locomotor skills include running, jumping, sliding, and swimming, while object control skills include throwing, catching, and kicking. Gross motor skills are related to other abilities such as balance, coordination, body awareness, physical strength, and reaction time. Developing gross motor skills helps children to build strength and confidence in their bodies, and it also helps them to grow in the ability to do more complex skills. Children exposed to outdoor playtime activities will develop better gross motor skills.