What is psychomotor skills? Differences between gross and fine psychomotor skills 2026

Psychomotor skills have multiple conceptions. However, all of them have in common that they integrate psychological and motor elements. (Hence, psychomotor). Starting from this relationship between the body and the psyche, psychomotor skills will have as its main objectives educating sensitive, perceptive, representative and symbolic capacities. It will give children the ability to master and express themselves through different abilities of their body. From the perspective of psychomotor skills, there are two types of motor skills in children: gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross motor skills and their development

It is one that involves movements of large muscle groups. These are very important because they allow the skill acquired in other areas to be expressed and constitute the fundamental basis for the development of the cognitive and language areas. In this way, gross motor skills include muscular movements of the legs, arms, head, abdomen and back. It is also responsible for the integration of the child into his or her environment through the exploration of his or her own body through free play and movement. Control of head movements is first established, which will then be extended to the arms, hands, abdomen, legs and feet. As a guide, we will use “the 3-month rule” to explain its development:• 0 months: the baby will have a fetal position and will remain lying on his back or stomach.•3 months: the baby begins to be able to hold his head up.• 6 months: the baby begins to remain in a sitting position.• 9 months: the baby begins to move voluntarily and begins to crawl on his hands and knees.•12 months: the baby begins to stand up. First by holding on to some object and then managing to stand alone. And at the end of the first year he is able to walk hand in hand and then alone.

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To promote this gross motor skills we can do it in two ways:

Fine motor skills and their development

We can define this motor skill as: actions that involve small muscle groups of the face, hands and feet, specifically, the palms of the hands, the eyes, fingers and muscles that surround the mouth. This group of muscles is what makes it possible to move the tongue, smile, blow, hand-eye coordination, pick up objects, move the eyes, etc. It is involved in controlled movements that require muscle development and maturity of the central nervous system. That is, when newborn babies move their hands or arms, these are reflex movements and are not consciously controlled, typical of fine motor skills. Their development begins in the first months when the baby discovers his hands and little by little, through experimenting and working with them, he will be able to begin to handle himself better. When we leave toys within reach, the baby will try to go to them and grab them. Thus, you will be able to coordinate your eyesight with your hand, then you will begin to work on the grip, which you will initially do with the entire palm of your hand. Then, we will offer objects that force him to use both hands and finally look for individual movement of the fingers. This development is decisive for experimenting and learning about his environment. It plays a central role in increasing intelligence. Among the exercises that will promote your mastery of fine motor skills, we recommend:

Borja Quicios has a degree in Psychology with a specialty in Education from the Autonomous University of Madrid. He has a Master's Degree in Experienced Psychomotor Skills and an Educational Coach.

Borja Quicios is focused on the world of advising parents on their children's education. In addition, he is the author and founder of the blog "Of children and parents" where topics on childhood education are discussed, such as punishments in childhood, child development or the importance of education in values, among others.