Which gross motor milestone is expected by age 2 years?

• A. Walks independently, runs, climbs, kicks a ball, climbs stairs with assistance, throws a ball with some accuracy.
• B. Holds a pencil with a mature tripod grasp.
• C. Rides a bicycle.
• D. Crawls well and climbs stairs.

Answer: (A)

At age two, children gain more confident, coordinated gross motor skills that expand independent mobility and simple ball play. The milestone that best fits this age is walking independently while also being able to run, climb, kick a ball, climb stairs with help, and throw a ball with some accuracy. This reflects the typical two-year pattern of combining steady ambulation with emerging running, climbing, and ball-handling abilities.

Holding a pencil with a mature tripod grasp is a fine motor skill developing later, around the preschool years, not a gross motor milestone. Riding a bicycle requires more balance and leg strength than a two-year-old typically has. Crawling well and climbing stairs is more characteristic of younger toddlers; by two, walking well has generally supplanted crawling as the primary mode of locomotion, with stairs usually navigated with support.