It is critical for children to develop strong motor skills, which are the large and small movements that an individual makes using a mind/body connection and awareness of their surroundings. There are two types of motor skills. The first is gross motor skills, which is a child's ability to move around through movements such as rolling over, crawling, walking, running and jumping. Gross motor skills involve using multiple parts of the body at one time. The second type is fine motor skills, which refers to smaller and more intricate movements. Many times this refers to the way a child uses his or her hands properly. There are a variety of early childhood activities that can help to develop these motor skills.

Gross motor skills mark important developmental milestones in a child's life. These large movements use the arms, legs, torso and feet. Motions such as catching, kicking, jumping and galloping are also considered gross motor skills. There are many different early childhood activities that can be used to help develop these skills. Many of these can be achieved in a gym environment, including walking on balance beams, climbing and crawling over and under objects in a relay race or obstacle course. These activities help to develop coordination and control, as well as synchronize the right and left sides of the body. Hopping and jumping are other methods of developing gross motor skills, so it is helpful for children to perform activities such as hopping or jumping over low objects. The classic children's game of hopscotch is also great option for these skills.

Additional early childhood activities that help to develop gross motor skills include running, walking and skipping. Children can participate in an obstacle course that involves weaving in and out of hoops, tires or lines. Twisting, turning and bending are other movements that can be performed to music or songs.

Fine motor skills involve more intricate movements and can include use of the muscles in the eyes, wrists, lips, tongue, fingers and toes. These movements are commonly used for communication, such as writing and typing. They are also used for working with tools and creating art. Early childhood activities that help develop fine motor skills include many forms of art. Children can use paintbrushes, markers, crayons or even their own fingers to practice writing letters and numbers. Other art activities include creating pictures by gluing pasta, beans, rice or other common food items onto paper or cardboard. Working with dough or modeling clay will help to develop these skills, as will using a scissors to cut patterned paper into shapes. In addition, activities that involve lacing or stringing yarn or string will help to develop hand-eye coordination.

Finally, allowing a child to help with daily household chores and activities is a great way to help develop fine motor skills. Cooking is one option that commonly involves stirring, mixing and blending movements. Brushing teeth, combing hair and other self care skills such as buttoning or snapping clothes are additional early childhood activities that will help to develop fine motor skills.