What to Expect AFTER Walking
“What are the milestones to expect once kids are walking?”
The short answer: so many!
The longer answer: Even though the milestones leading up to independent walking tend to get the most attention, there are SO many milestones that come after that, that are really exciting as well!
I’ll highlight 5 of my personal favorites here, but please know that there are lots and lots more beyond these as well!
Running - once your little one is walking proficiently, you’ll start to notice them becoming faster and sometimes even sillier with walking. Things like experimenting with tip toe walking, backward walking, sideways walking, and picking up the pace of their walk to an eventual run usually begin emerging around 3 months after independent walking is mastered (*mastered meaning they are using walking as their primary means of mobility!)
Jumping- the average age for jumping with clearance of both feet is age 2. Some littles will do it earlier, and some a touch later. You’ll notice first that they’re bouncing in standing while copying someone else jumping, leaping off of something, galloping, and eventually a jump with both feet! This evolves into jumping forward, sideways, onto and off of an object (like a step)!
Stair Climbing/Single Leg Stance Activities - single leg stance is really the catalyst to so many other higher-level gross motor milestones - aka the ability to stand on one leg and lift the other to perform a task, like stair-climbing, getting dressed in standing, kicking, and getting on/off a bicycle. Many littles will start climbing stairs in standing around 18 months, though they’ll require quite a bit of help, which is ok! As I always say, don’t stress stair skills. Focus on single-leg play activities and stair safety above anything else!
Ball Skills- aka throw/Catch/kickball skills start to emerge before independent walking, like rolling a ball back and forth in sitting. They quickly evolve once in standing to throw with more purpose and in a more targeted way and evolve into overhand and underhand throwing. Catching changes from trapping against the chest to hands out with successful catching, and kicking evolves from an accidental walk into a ball to a targeted, purposeful kick. These changes all happen as a little one approaches the age of 3+ years, so feel free to practice, but don’t stress it!
Rides a Tricycle/Bicycle, Skips, Hops - these are much higher level milestones, think AT LEAST 3 years old and older, and they’re the result of all of the 1-4 listed milestones happening and creating the environment for success!
Hope this helps- all in all, know that big things are still coming, and try to enjoy watching those mini stones turn into the often less anticipated, but just as fun, milestones!
WANT MORE?
For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.
KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of two (soon to be three)! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.
