Building Motor Skills in Young Children with a CHD

Gross motor skills are the ways a person uses the big muscles in their arms, legs, and torso. Strong gross motor skills let a child do activities such as running, walking, jumping, and climing.

These activities help most young children build their gross motor skills: 

• Crawl through a tunnel 

• Throw balls back and forth 

• Walk on many different surfaces (grass, mulch, pavement, gravel, sand) 

• Sit or lie on a yoga ball 

• Walk up and down ramps or hills 

• Kick balls back and forth 

• Play jumping games like hopscotch 

• Do wheelbarrow walking  

• Climb ladders and ramps 

• Go down slides 

• Go on swings 

• Learn to swim 

• Have a dance party 

• Do an obstacle course 

• Walk on a balance beam 

Fine motor skills are the ways a person uses the small muscles in their hands and wrists. When a child has good fine motor skills, they can learn how to do things like write, draw, and fasten their clothes.

These activities help most young children build their fine motor skills: 

• Put objects in and out of containers 

• Rip and crumple paper 

• Draw or color 

• Put beads or cheerios on a string 

• Do puzzles 

• Cut with child-safe scissors 

• Glue small objects on paper 

• Sort small objects by size, type, or color 

• Use tweezers to pick up objects 

• Peel and place stickers 

• Put coins in a piggy bank 

• Stick clothespins on paper or cloth 

• Put pegs in a pegboard 

• Learn to write letters 

Fine motor skills often involve handling small objects. Adults should watch young children closely, since they could choke if they put the objects in their mouth.  

Delays in motor skills are very common among young children with CHDs. However, all children can make progress with practice, and many children eventually catch up with their peers. Caregivers should feel confident that by playing with their child, they are building skills, and also creating joyful experiences and memories.

If families are concerned about their child's development, they should reach out to their physical therapist, occupational therapist, doctor, and/or neurodevelopmental team. Many experts are able and willing to help.

This content was reviewed by a pediatric neurologist and a physical therapist at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Developmental care is best when it is local. Families local to Boston can receive care from the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program (CNP), Physical Therapy, and/or Occupational Therapy. Families from other regions can use the link below to find their local care team.