Development of gross motor skills in 25- to 30-month-olds. Follow your child’s milestones step by step.
Gross motor skill development allows children to improve their balance and coordination and use their large muscles. These abilities helped your little one master certain movements, such as sitting, creeping, crawling, and walking, and will help them learn to run, climb, jump, and more. Developing gross motor skills is also an important step towards developing fine motor skills.
Gross motor skill development: 2 to 2 ½ years old
At this age:
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Your child goes up and down stairs on their own without support, placing both feet on each step before moving to the next.
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They can run faster on level surfaces without falling.
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 child can stand on tiptoe for a few seconds without losing their balance, for example, to get to a toy from a high shelf.
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They can duck and crouch to move under an obstacle.
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Your child’s feet leave the ground slightly when they jump up and down with both feet together without support.
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They can use both hands to throw a ball a short distance to another person or into laundry basket.
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They can kick a ball without holding on to anything.
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They imitate animal movements. For example, they can stomp like an elephant.
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They can ride a balance bike.
Over the next few months, your child will begin to do the following:
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Intentionally walk on tiptoe while playing
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Walk more than three steps on narrow surfaces (20 cm or so)
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Go up and down stairs while holding the banister and placing only one foot on each step
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Avoid obstacles while running
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Jump down from a step or a stable stool
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Leap forward
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Sit on a tricycle and try to pedal
Learn how you can support your child’s gross motor skill development through books (in French).
How can you help your child progress?
Every child is different and develops at their own pace. That said, you can help foster your little one’s development by adopting the Comfort, Play, and Teach parenting approach, which can easily be integrated into your daily routine. The table below shows simple, ageappropriate ways to help your child develop their gross motor skills.
Comfort
When you pretend to swim in a pool, ride a bike, or play in the snow, | | your child understands that you like to play with them and that playing pretend is fun. They also practise different movements and use their imagination. |
When you praise your child for running or going down the slide, | | they learn to test the limits of their physical abilities with confidence. |
When you bounce your child on your knee like they’re riding a horse, | | they enjoy cuddling and laughing with you. They also feel the rhythm and the sensation of moving up and down, which will help them jump on their own later on. |
Teach
When you play different kinds of music and encourage your child to move in different ways (jumping, rolling, stretching, walking in time to the music), | | your toddler can compare the movements, and they learn to associate them with different musical genres and rhythms. |
When you set up plastic bottles like bowling pins so your child can knock them down with a ball, | | your child practises aiming and coordinating their arm movements. |
When you and your child pretend to be different animals, like birds, frogs, or elephants, | | they can try out different movements, like hopping or stomping their feet. |
Play
When you take your child to play in different parks, | | they learn how to adapt their play to different play structures and take on new motor skill challenges. |
When you sing songs like If You’re Happy and You Know It and do the actions named in the song, | | your toddler learns to recognize the different parts of their body and becomes aware of what they can do, like shrugging their shoulders, stomping their feet, clapping their hands, and bending their knees. |
When you demonstrate different ways of moving for your child, such as marching in time, bending over, and stretching, and encourage them to imitate you, | | they will want to follow your example and try new movements. |
| Scientific review: Josiane Caron Santha, occupational therapist
Research and copywriting:The Naître et grandir team
Updated: November 2025
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Photo: GettyImages/coffeekai
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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Beery, Keith E., et al. Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration. 6th ed., London, Pearson. 2010.
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Caron Santha, Josiane, and Solène Bourque. Bouger pour grandir : comprendre et favoriser le développement moteur des enfants (0–8 ans). Quebec City, 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., Montreal, Éditions du CHU Sainte-Justine, 2018, 264 pp.
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Ferland, Francine. Viens jouer dehors! Pour le plaisir et la santé. Montreal, Éditions du CHU Sainte-Justine, 2012, 122 pp.
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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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