Physical Development
Physical development in Early Years is the foundation for almost everything else. Gross motor strength feeds fine motor control, which feeds writing, mark making, and posture. The sequence matters: you cannot shortcut it, and you cannot ignore it and hope children catch up by themselves.
This wiki covers the physical journey from large whole-body movement through to pencil grip and targeted interventions.
Pages
- gross-motor — Shoulder, core and upper body development; why outdoor movement is curriculum, not optional
- fine-motor — Hand skills broken into distinct components: pincer, palm arches, in-hand manipulation, bilateral coordination
- pencil-grip — The grip progression from palmar supinate to triangulation grip, when to intervene, and how
- dough-gym — Practical guide to running Dough Gym and Funky Fingers as daily motor interventions
Key ideas at a glance
- The pivot chain runs shoulder → elbow → wrist → finger. Assess which stage a child is at before deciding what they need.
- Gross motor and fine motor develop in parallel, not in sequence. Both need ongoing nurturing.
- The danger moment for grip is when a child starts writing recognisable letters with an inefficient grip — intervene then, not later.
- Standing beats sitting for motor development activities. Music beats silence for Dough Gym.
Sources
- getting-ready-to-write — Alistair Bryce-Clegg, detailed pivot and grip progression
- can-i-go-and-play-now — Broader physical development in play contexts
- eyfs-progression-physical-development — EYFS age-related expectations, 3–4 years and Reception
Last updated: 2026-05-30. Four pages added covering gross motor, fine motor, pencil grip and Dough Gym.