At which age are children’s activities primarily focussed on use of large muscles for gross motor rather than fine motor movements ?

Correct option is A

The correct answer is (a) Infancy.
During infancy, which ranges from birth to around 2 years, children's physical development is dominated by gross motor activities. These involve the use of large muscle groups and are foundational for movement and posture. At this stage, infants engage in activities such as lifting the head, rolling over, sitting, crawling, standing, and walking. These actions demand strength and coordination of large muscles, especially those in the neck, back, legs, and arms.

Fine motor skills—those involving smaller muscle groups such as those used for grasping, holding a pencil, or buttoning a shirt—develop later and are less emphasized in infancy. Instead, the infant’s primary developmental milestones are focused on gaining control over the body and learning to move independently, which are all gross motor achievements.

This phase sets the groundwork for more complex motor development in the toddler and preschool years. Thus, gross motor development is the dominant physical focus in infancy, making option (a) the correct answer.

Information Booster:

1. Gross motor skills refer to movements that use large muscles in the arms, legs, and torso.
2. Key milestones in infancy include sitting up (around 6 months), crawling (6–10 months), and walking (9–18 months).
3. Neuromuscular maturation supports gross motor development in infancy as the nervous system continues to grow rapidly.
4. Motor development follows a cephalocaudal trend, meaning control develops from head to toe—head control comes before walking.
5. Tummy time is a critical activity recommended in infancy to help strengthen neck and shoulder muscles for gross motor development.

Additional Knowledge :

• (b) Early childhood: This stage (2–6 years) still includes gross motor activities like running and jumping, but also sees a growing emphasis on fine motor skills, such as drawing, writing, and using utensils.
• (c) Adolescence: Focus shifts to refinement of both fine and gross motor skills. Activities often include sports and skill-based physical tasks that require coordination, speed, and strategy.
• (d) Middle childhood: (6–12 years) is marked by integration of motor skills, combining both fine and gross motor tasks—like handwriting, organized sports, and crafts requiring dexterity.