Development of gross motor skills in 3-month-old babies. Follow your baby’s milestones step by step.
Gross motor skill development allows your baby to improve their balance and coordination and use their larger muscles. These abilities will help your little one master certain movements, such as turning over, sitting up, creeping, crawling, walking, running, climbing, and jumping. Developing gross motor skills is also an important step towards developing fine motor skills.
Gross motor skill development: 3 months old
At this age:
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Your baby keeps their head centred while lying on their back. They can stare at an object and follow it from left to right and right to left.
Remember that not all children develop the same skills at the same speed. The material on this website is for general information purposes only. In addition, the milestone ages given may vary from source to source. If you’re concerned about your child’s development, speak with a doctor.
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Your baby is exploring their body. They touch their stomach and knees when lying on their back. They can touch their feet together and clasp their hands, bringing them to their mouth.
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They actively move their arms and legs in an increasingly symmetrical way when lying on their back.
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They lift their legs upwards (from the hips) and kick in the air.
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Your baby lifts their head and chest from 45 to 90 degrees when lying on their tummy, resting on their forearms.
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They are better able to support their head. They can keep it straight if you hold them in a seated position and lean them slightly forwards or to the side.
Over the next few weeks, your baby will begin to do the following:
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Turn on one side when lying on their back.
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Spend more time on their tummy.
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Grasp their feet with their hands.
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Turn from their stomach to their back.
What to watch out forTo prevent your baby from developing a flat head, make sure they don’t always keep their head turned to the same side. If you have any concerns, talk to a doctor. |
How can you help your child progress?
Every child is different and develops at their own pace. That said, you can help foster your baby’s development by using the Comfort, Play, and Teach parenting approach, which is designed to easily integrate in your daily routine. The table below shows simple, ageappropriate ways to help your child develop their gross motor skills.
Comfort
When you place your baby in different positions (on their stomach, on their back) and put them on your lap, | | they use different muscles to observe their surroundings. |
When you lay your baby on their back and sing, moving their arms and legs to the rhythm of the music, | | they learn to activate their muscles in a rhythmic way. |
Teach
When your baby sits on your lap and you tilt them from side to side to the sounds of a song, | | they practise keeping their head upright and strengthen the muscles they will need to sit up on their own. |
When your baby sits on your lap and you bounce them gently to the sounds of rhymes or short songs, | | they learn to control their head when their body is in motion and develop balance. |
Play
When you lay baby on their tummy on the floor and shake a rattle in front of them to grab their attention, | | they become curious and practise leaning on their forearms and raising their head and chest to see what’s making the noise. |
When you lay your baby on their back and hang an object within reach, | | they use their arms and legs to reach the object and improve their muscle control. |
| Scientific review: Josiane Caron Santha, occupational therapist
Research and copywriting:The Naître et grandir team
Updated: November 2025
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Photo: GettyImages/Mikolette
Resources and references
Note: The links to other websites are not updated regularly, and some URLs may have changed since publication. If a link is no longer valid, please use search engines to find the relevant information.
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American Academy of Pediatrics. “Developmental milestones: 3 Months.” Healthy Children. 2009. healthychildren.org
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“Bébé a la tête plate! Avec Marie-Félixe Rivard-Dionne.” Bouger pour Grandir avec Josiane Caron Santha (podcast). 2023. josianecaronsantha.com
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Caron Santha, Josiane, and Solène Bourque. Bouger pour grandir : comprendre et favoriser le développement moteur des enfants (0–8 ans). Éditions Midi trente, 2023, 160 pp.
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Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development. Physical Activity in Early Childhood: Setting the Stage for Lifelong Healthy Habits. 2011. child-encyclopedia.com
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Ferland, Francine. Le développement de l’enfant au quotidien : de 0 à 6 ans. 2nd ed., Éditions du CHU Sainte-Justine, 2018, 264 pp.
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Pathways.org. “3 Month Baby Motor Assessment for Typical Development.” 2023. pathways.org
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Pathways. “Motor.” pathways.org
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Canadian Paediatric Society. “Your child’s development: What to expect.” Caring for Kids. 2019. caringforkids.cps.ca
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