Gross Motor Milestones 0-5: A Parent Checklist

Parents are handed plenty of milestone charts, and they all carry the same problem: they list averages without explaining how wide the normal range actually is, or which delays matter and which don't. This is the version I wish more families had — the milestones, the genuine red flags, and the honest context in between.

At Square One Therapy Hub in Kogarah, our paediatric physiotherapy team assesses children from infancy through to school age across the St George area and Sutherland Shire.

How to read a milestone chart

Every age below is a typical range, not a deadline. Roughly half of children hit each skill after the average age, by definition. What matters clinically is the pattern: a child a few weeks "behind" on one skill and on track everywhere else is very different from a child trailing across several skills, or one who has stopped gaining skills — or lost one.

That last point is worth stating plainly: losing a previously acquired skill always warrants prompt review with your GP or paediatrician, whatever the age.

Birth to 6 months

• 0–3 months — lifts head briefly in tummy time, kicks both legs, moves both arms equally, follows a face with their eyes
• 4 months — steady head control when held upright, pushes up on forearms in tummy time, brings hands together
• 6 months — rolls (usually front-to-back first), sits with support, takes weight through legs when held standing, reaches for toys with either hand

Worth checking: a strong preference for turning the head one way, a flattening spot on one side of the skull, one hand used much more than the other before 12 months, or a baby who strongly protests all tummy time well past the newborn weeks.

6 to 12 months

• 9 months — sits independently and pivots, moves in and out of sitting, starting to crawl or commando-crawl, pulls to kneel
• 12 months — pulls to stand, cruises along furniture, may stand alone briefly, crawls well (some children skip crawling — on its own that's usually fine, though bottom-shufflers as a group tend to walk later)

Worth checking: not sitting independently by 9–10 months, not taking weight through the legs, or very stiff or very floppy limbs when handled.

12 to 24 months

• 12–18 months — first independent steps (the typical range for walking is genuinely wide: about 9 to 18 months), squats to pick things up, climbs onto low furniture
• 2 years — runs (stiffly at first), kicks a ball, walks up steps holding a rail with two feet per step, jumps with both feet leaving the ground

Worth checking: not walking independently by 18 months, persistent toe walking, a limp or clearly asymmetrical pattern, or frequent falls that aren't improving month to month.

2 to 3 years

• Runs with better control and stops without falling
• Walks up stairs alternating feet (down comes later)
• Jumps forward from standing
• Balances briefly on one foot
• Throws a ball overhead and kicks with reasonable aim

Worth checking: a child who avoids physical play, tires dramatically faster than peers, or can't jump with both feet off the ground by 3.

3 to 5 years

• 3–4 years — hops on one foot a few times, pedals a tricycle, catches a large ball against the chest, climbs playground equipment confidently
• 4–5 years — hops well on either foot, balances on one leg 5+ seconds, skips, catches a bounced ball with hands, walks downstairs alternating feet

Worth checking: by school entry — reluctance or inability to hop, jump or manage stairs; frequent tripping; avoiding the playground; needing far more effort than peers to do the same activity. This is also the age where coordination difficulties start affecting confidence and friendships, not just movement — see our page on gross motor difficulties.

The red flags, gathered in one place

Book an assessment promptly for any of the following:

• Loss of any previously acquired skill
• Not sitting by 10 months, not standing with support by 12 months, not walking by 18 months
• Consistent one-sided-ness before 12 months (one hand, one leg, always turning the same way)
• Marked stiffness or floppiness
• Persistent toe walking past age 2
• No jumping by age 3, or a school-age child who can't hop, catch or manage stairs

And a softer trigger that we take just as seriously: your own persistent feeling that something isn't right. Parents watch their child move for hours every day. That dataset is worth a lot.

What an assessment involves

An initial appointment runs 45–60 minutes and looks like play. We take a history, watch your child move — floor play, walking, running, climbing, stairs — check strength, muscle length, joint range and balance, and use standardised measures where useful so progress can be tracked objectively. You leave with a plain-language explanation and one of three outcomes: reassurance, a home programme with a review date, or a block of therapy with specific goals.

Funding and booking

We see self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants (details here), Medicare Chronic Disease Management referrals, private health extras via HICAPS on the spot, and private families — no referral needed.

We're at 4 Short Street, Kogarah, near Kogarah station, serving Hurstville, Rockdale, Carlton, Ramsgate and the Sutherland Shire. Get in touch to book or ask a question first.

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Pavan Kasthuri is a physiotherapist and co-director of Square One Therapy Hub. He has practised since 2019, in paediatrics since 2023, with postgraduate training including APA Paediatrics Level 1.