Development of gross motor skills in 4-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: 4months old
At this age:
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Your baby lifts their head and chest up to 90 degrees when lying on their stomach and supports themself on their forearms.
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 stretches their arms forward to reach an object when lying on their back, side, or stomach, and when sitting on your lap.
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They turn their head in all directions to follow a toy with their eyes when lying on their stomach or on their back.
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If your baby is on their back, they are able to roll onto their side and maintain that position without falling back onto their back.
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When your baby is on their stomach, they start to lift their arms and legs at the same time and hold them briefly in the air (superman position).
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When your baby is lying on their back, they can touch objects at their chest level with both hands. They can also follow objects with their eyes if you move them towards your baby’s belly button. This means your baby can tuck their chin to their chest and look down.
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Your baby needs less support to remain upright when seated. You can now support them at their hips rather than their torso.
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If you often support your baby in a seated position, they may prefer to sit up rather than lie on their stomach or back. However, you should still place them on their stomach, as the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that you put your baby on their tummy every day for at least 3 periods of 10 to 15 minutes each.
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When lying on their stomach, your baby can intentionally roll onto their side, then accidentally roll onto their back.
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When your baby is lying on their side or stomach, they begin to bend each leg at the hip and lift it as if they are about to crawl.
Over the next few weeks, your baby will begin to do the following:
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Follow an object with their head and eyes and grab it with their hand
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Support their weight on their fists when lying on their stomach
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Put their feet in their mouth
What to watch out forAt 4 months, your baby’s movements should be mostly symmetrical (e.g., they move their arms and legs at the same time and in the same way). If your baby moves one side more than the other, or if they never move their arms and legs at the same time, speak with a doctor. Even if your baby is now 4 months old, continue to make sure they don’t always keep their head turned to the same side in order to prevent flat head syndrome. 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, age-appropriate ways to help your child develop their gross motor skills.
Comfort
When you change your baby’s position during the day, for example from lying on their back to lying on their stomach, | | they discover different positions, and they develop their muscles and ability to react to movement. This prepares your baby’s body so they can soon change positions on their own. |
When you observe your baby to learn which positions they like more and which they like less, | | they teach you which positions need to be encouraged so that your baby can develop all their muscles equally. |
Teach
When you lay your baby on their back and slowly move a toy to one side in front of their eyes, | | they are encouraged to roll onto their side, allowing them to experiment with changing positions and to feel their tummy muscles working. |
When you bring your baby’s knees to their chest and their toes to their chin in time with the rhythm of a song, | | they feel their legs moving and become aware of their body. |
Play
When you place a toy right in front of your baby and then move it away a little, | | they develop hand–eye coordination by practising extending their arm to grasp the toy. |
When you turn your baby gently from their tummy to their back and from their back to their tummy when changing their diaper, | | they discover the sensation of their body rotating from one position to another, which develops their sense of balance. |
| Scientific review: Josiane Caron Santha, occupational therapist
Research and copywriting:The Naître et grandir team
Updated: November 2025
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Photo: GettyImages/xavierarnau
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. “Movement Milestones: Babies 4 to 7 months.” Healthy Children. 2021. 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. “4 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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