Gross motor development

This refers to the growth of large muscles in the body, such as the muscles in the legs, arms and neck.

As children's muscles develop they will find more and more uses for them. For example, as the strength of a baby increases, they discover they can crawl, then walk, then run.

Fine motor development

This refers to the growth of small muscles in the body, such as the fingers, toes and eyes which are used in performing skills such as grasping objects, drawing and tying shoelaces.

With development comes greater control over these muscles. Smaller objects can be picked up, and tasks that require greater accuracy skills can be attempted.

This area also involves hand-eye coordination. Hand-eye coordination is the development of the fine motor skills required to look at an object and then manipulate it as required in order to use the object in a purposeful way.