From zero to five years old, children’s motor skills are simply incredible! From their first smiles to their first steps and their first words… our little ones never cease to surprise us. And it’s often with great emotion that we, as parents, watch their first achievements. There are also several ways to support the development of both fine and gross motor skills—and play is one of the best. In this article, we explain in detail what motor skills are and how to stimulate them. You’ll also find our 6 activity ideas so your little adventurer can learn while having fun!

What is motor skills?

The term motricité refers to all nerve functions that enable contraction and coordination of muscles, as well as movement. Even though your child begins developing motor skills in utero, the fundamental abilities of coordination and balance are acquired during the first years of life. They are generally fully developed by the age of seven. That’s why the early years are crucial for your little one’s acquisition of motor skills , because it is during this period that their brain and nervous system reach maturity. With practice, motor skills progress by leaps and bounds.

We distinguish between gross and fine motor skills . Babies and young children begin by developing gross motor skills, which include the motor actions that support overall ease of movement. The prerequisites for various gross motor milestones are strong muscles (especially in the core and trunk), body awareness, and a sense of balance. At each age, your little one develops and refines their gross motor skills—by crawling, walking, running, climbing, and balancing. The more your child practices these activities, the more fluid their movements become over time.

Fine motor skills include all the more precise movements of the hands and feet, fingers, and toes, as well as hand-eye coordination. In addition to sufficiently developed gross motor skills, good visual perception is also a prerequisite for the development of fine motor abilities. Your little one can build these skills by, for example, playing with modeling clay, brushing their doll’s hair, playing with building blocks, or sticking stickers.

How to stimulate your child's motor skills?

From a very young age, your child's motor development progresses a little more each day. It is primarily stimulated by their basic senses—that is, sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. You can encourage them through physical contact, but also through grasping, acoustic, or visual stimuli.

Little ones naturally develop their motor skills at their own pace . However, you can encourage your child to practice so they can better understand their new abilities. For example, the sports activity is ideal for developing gross motor skills while awakening the joy of movement and helping your child become more independent. Learning through play is also a great way for your child to develop psychomotor skills while satisfying their curiosity in a fun way. We have gathered our best ideas for games and activities that help develop motor skills.

5 activity ideas to strengthen the motor skills of a child aged 18 months and older

1. Transferring game workshop

If there’s one activity that combines fun and learning, it’s pouring games. Very budget-friendly and fully adaptable, this activity can be enjoyed from around ten months old up to about four years old. As your little adventurer gains independence and motor skills, you can increase the difficulty by changing the objects to pour (playing with size) or the containers.

For older children, get two containers, such as bowls or plastic boxes. Place bottle caps in one bowl, then show your child how to transfer the objects into the other bowl. By copying you, they’ll reproduce the movement using their hands—or an object like a ladle if you want to make it more challenging.

If your child is more comfortable with their dexterity, here is another idea for a pouring game:

1. Prepare an empty egg carton with the top part cut off.

2. Prepare 12 large nuts (or any other object that can fit into the carton: balls, wooden cubes, chestnuts, etc.) and place them in a bowl.

3. Show your child how to put the nuts into each of the 12 compartments of the egg carton, then put them back in the bowl.

The goal is to place each nut into the correct compartment and then return them to the original bowl. This requires concentration, as well as good control of the movement.

2. Activity Panel to Make

Do you have a bit of a DIY spirit? Then you’ll love creating your own wall activity panel! Once finished, this motor-skills support becomes a wonderful exploration tool for your child, who can touch, manipulate, and safely stimulate their senses.

The principle is simple: on a wooden board, attach several small everyday objects that will serve as discovery tools. You can add padlocks, shoelaces, Velcro, a keyboard, a doorbell, a calculator, a belt loop, a chain, a small mirror, etc. Customize your board however you like!

To make your activity board, or “busy board,” you will need:

• a wooden sign

• a screwdriver

• a drill

• sandpaper or a sander

• a selection of everyday accessories that you can find at the back of your drawers or buy at a hardware store

3. Dressing session

What if you taught your child to dress themselves? The skills needed to put on and take off clothing develop gradually, but around eighteen months, children are generally able to do basic actions such as putting on a hat, unbuttoning a front closure, pulling down pants, etc. All these actions support both fine and gross motor skills because they require agility, strength, and precision.

Get creative and use this activity as an opportunity to bring out your little artist’s best costumes, or funny and/or colorful clothes. As a parent, don’t hesitate to dress up too. Your child will be delighted to see you in your best princess or dinosaur outfit.

Finally, this exercise will help them become more independent. Show them how to do things like put on a hat, a pair of glasses, or a T-shirt (and help if needed). In the end, they’ll be very proud to have dressed themselves like a big kid, even if the result is still a bit wobbly (but we don’t mind ;)).

4. Racing circuit with a carrier

If there is one game that perfectly supports a child's motor development, it is the ride-on toy or balance bike for older children. Actions like sitting astride and moving forward with their feet on the ground encourage movement and exploration. On their airplane, truck, car, horse, bee, etc., they can go forward, backward, slow down, speed up, and also push or pull. This walking aid invites children to explore multiple possibilities that, in turn, promote overall motor skills.

Some ride-on toys are equipped with small trunks. Invite your little one to place their favorite companion inside, along with a few toys. To make playtime even more fun, you can even create a motor skills course tailored to your child, where they’ll need to navigate obstacles, brake, pick up a plush toy, etc.

In short, have as much fun as they do!

5. Necklace activity

This playful activity is perfect for boosting your little adventurer’s fine motor skills, especially since it requires very little. With a long piece of string and various objects suitable for threading, your little one can create a real piece of jewelry while practicing hand-eye coordination. Along with the string, you can offer large wooden beads, pasta in different sizes, empty thread spools—your imagination has no limits. After you tie one end of the string, your little artist can get started. Of course, always keep a close eye on them and make sure they don’t put the objects in their mouth, as they could swallow them.

6. Modeling clay workshop

Around a year and a half old, children love touching, handling, and exploring different textures. To help them develop their motor skills, open your cabinets and take out the timeless modeling clay . This activity is a perfect way for your little one to knead, mold, and shape while having fun. We tell you more in our article « 5 activities and games for children when it rains ».

You see, motor skills in children are a natural process: they are acquired and continue to develop over time. To support that development, nothing beats encouraging your little one through play. Focus on easy, inexpensive activities. Sometimes there’s no need to invest in commercial toys; what’s tucked away at the back of your closet is more than enough. And remember: beyond being educational, these shared playtimes are quality moments you’ll enjoy with your child—so make the most of them!