45 Signs of Healthy Physical Development (Ages 3-6)

Many parents think about whether their children are growing properly at the right age.

Here are 45 signs you can look for to feel assured that everything is fine with them in terms of physical development.

Hand Movement:

1. draw a person
2. copy shapes – like square
3. copy alphabets
4. trace and copy 
5. use safe scissors
6. make sand castles
7. build blocks
8. colour and paint
9. show preference for a hand
10. eat on their own
11. handle large zippers
12. string beads
13. pour liquids from and into small containers
14. screw and unscrew large jars
15. screw and unscrew cap of toothpaste tube
16. turn rotating handles
17. wash hands on their own
18. open doors
19. hold objects like mugs and books comfortably

Foot Movement:

20. hop
21. climb
22. do somersaults
23. stand on one foot
24. walk backward
25. turn and stop
26. alternate feet when walking downstairs

hand and foot coordination:

27. swing
28. dress and undress on their own
29. ride at least a tricycle
30. run
31. go up and down the stairs
32. catch a bounced ball
33. kick a ball forward
34. indicate flying with arms stretched
35. skip unevenly
36. jump forward 8-12 inches
37. put on and take off shoes and clothes
38. use toilet on their own
39. understand rhythmic movement of hands and feet
40. bend over without falling

Body Growth:

41. develop a well-defined forehead, nose and chin
42. shoulders begin to narrow
43. posture improves
44. toddler tummy flattens
45. toilet trained for the night time

These are everyday activities in routine situations. Not all of them develop at the same pace. Some of them become visible at the same time.

The list above is not a strict checklist. You may find that some kids do a lot more than these 45 actions. Or that some kids perform some actions better than the others.

The point behind compiling the list is to explain that things like physical development is not about huge theories or disorders. Not everyone understands the technicalities of developmental psychology. But every parent can understand how it translates in specific children.

These 45 points of physical development can help you give kids more opportunities to develop these skills further. You can design further activities so that children can express their growth better.

These activities could be combinations of:

• playing a clapping game  
• skipping together 
• cleaning up your bookshelf
• washing toys
• picking up toys

The possibilities are endless. The added advantage is that children know the art of finding fun in whatever they do.

Physical development in the age groups of 3 to 6 – the preschoolers – is a fun-filled phase. Because the children can now talk about any kind of pain they may be experiencing, it’s a phase relatively better than infancy.

Which activities can you think of in order to help kids have more fun while they grow?