At what stage do children typically begin to develop gross motor skills?

Children typically begin to develop gross motor skills during infancy. This stage usually spans from birth to around 12 months of age, and it is a critical period for the emergence of fundamental movements. During infancy, children progress through various milestones such as lifting their heads, sitting up, crawling, and eventually walking. These movements are essential for developing coordination, balance, and physical strength.

While some gross motor skills may start to form in the prenatal stage, with reflexive movements present, it is primarily in infancy that children actively engage in practices that refine these skills. As they grow, they continue to improve and refine their gross motor abilities, which are further developed during early childhood. However, the foundational development of these skills truly begins in infancy, making it the most appropriate stage for this question.