{"h1":"Therapy techniques to develop running in children","faq":[{"a":"A stable independent walk, single-leg standing balance, the ability to jump or hop, and enough hip, knee and calf strength to push off and manage a brief airborne flight phase.","q":"What gross-motor skills must come before running?"},{"a":"In running there is a flight phase where both feet leave the ground simultaneously, whereas in walking one foot is always in contact. This demands greater strength, balance and reciprocal coordination.","q":"How is running different from fast walking?"},{"a":"Refer for paediatric or orthopaedic review if a child who walks well shows persistent toe-walking, frequent falls, marked asymmetry or no emerging run by the expected window, to exclude neuromotor or structural causes first.","q":"When should I refer a child rather than continue therapy?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-running","title":"Therapy techniques to develop running","entity":{"key":"running","kind":"skill","name":"running","slug":"running"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Therapist","value":"therapist"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Motor","value":"motor"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Act","value":"act"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Family Empowerment","value":"family_empowerment"}],"parent":{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-clinician-assess-and-track-a-child-s-progress-in-learning-to-running","title":"How can a clinician assess and track a child's progress in learning to run?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-running-skills","title":"Techniques to develop a child's running skills"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-evidence-based-therapy-approaches-build-running-in-early-childhood","title":"Evidence-Based Therapy to Build Running in Early Childhood"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-running","title":"What therapy helps a child learn to run?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-sprinting-ability","title":"Techniques to Develop a Child's Sprinting Ability"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-running-skills","title":"What therapy helps a child learn running skills?"}],"summary":"Running develops through grading prerequisite gross-motor skills — lower-limb strength, single-leg balance and reciprocal coordination — then progressively challenging speed and the flight phase through play-based activities. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*Running is more than fast walking — it is the moment both feet leave the ground together, demanding strength, balance and the confidence to commit to flight.*\n\n## In short\nRunning develops once a child has a stable walk and the lower-limb strength, dynamic balance and reciprocal coordination to manage a brief **flight phase** — the instant both feet are airborne. As a therapist, you build it by grading prerequisite gross-motor skills (single-leg stance, jumping, fast walking) and then progressively challenging speed, propulsion and arm-leg reciprocation through play-based, high-motivation activities.\n\n## Techniques that build running\n- **Strengthen the foundation** — target hip extensors, quadriceps, calf push-off and core stability through squats, step-ups, animal walks and sit-to-stand drills. Adequate ankle plantarflexion power drives the flight phase.\n- **Train single-leg control** — running is rapid alternating single-leg loading. Use single-leg stance games, hopping, and stepping over low obstacles to build the dynamic balance needed.\n- **Grade speed progressively** — fast walking → marching with high knees → bursts over short distances. Chase games and \"red-light/green-light\" elicit natural acceleration and deceleration.\n- **Cue reciprocal arm swing** — many emerging runners hold arms stiffly. Rhythmic arm-pumping drills and tempo cues improve coordination and propulsion.\n- **Use motivation and environment** — downhill gentle slopes facilitate early flight phase; flat open space, target retrieval and peer modelling sustain repetition. Embed practice in play, not drill.\n- **Address underlying tone or coordination** — where hypotonia, motor planning or coordination concerns limit progress, integrate these into the wider gross-motor plan.\n\n## When to refer\nRefer for paediatric review if a child who walks well shows persistent toe-walking, frequent falls, marked asymmetry, or no emerging run by the expected window — to rule out neuromotor or orthopaedic factors before therapy-led progression.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or form. Our [physiotherapy and gross-motor therapy](/physiotherapy) builds [running](/running) within a child's full motor profile, mapped by a clinician-administered [AbilityScore® assessment](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated).\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICF activity domains (d4, Mobility); CDC developmental milestones for gross motor skills; American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) guidance on physical activity and motor development.\n\n**Next step —** Want to structure a gross-motor plan for an emerging runner? [Partner with a Pinnacle physiotherapy team](/physiotherapy).\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-running","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-running","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"}],"meta_title":"Techniques to Develop Running in Children","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Turn running into a game — chase, retrieve a toy across an open space, or play red-light/green-light to build natural acceleration, deceleration and the confidence to commit to a flight phase.","published_at":"2026-06-10T12:14:00.117189+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-caregiver-what-should-i-do-if-a-child-in-my-care-is-not-yet-showing-running","title":"If a child in your care isn't running yet","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-running","title":"When Do Toddlers Start Running?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"by-what-age-is-a-child-usually-expected-to-running-and-what-should-a-teacher-expect-in-class","title":"By what age is a child usually expected to run, and what should a teacher expect in class?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"could-difficulty-with-running-be-a-sign-of-a-developmental-delay","title":"Could difficulty with running be a sign of a developmental delay?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"during-a-home-visit-what-should-a-frontline-worker-observe-about-a-child-learning-to-running","title":"Observing a child learning to run on a home 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topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-do-children-usually-running","title":"When Do Children Usually Start Running?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":11},{"key":"assess","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-clinician-assess-and-track-a-child-s-progress-in-learning-to-running","title":"How can a clinician assess and track a child's progress in learning to run?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-running-what-does-that-mean","title":"My child is in the red zone for running — what does that mean?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Understand assessment","total":2},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-running-skills","title":"Techniques to develop a child's running skills","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-running-skills","title":"What therapy helps a child learn 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running?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-child-working-on-running","title":"How can a teacher support a child working on running?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-student-who-is-still-learning-to-running","title":"How can a teacher support a student who is still learning to run?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-running-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Red zone for running — what to do next","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":10},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-caregiver-how-can-i-gently-help-a-child-practise-learning-to-running-during-everyday-routines","title":"Helping Your Child Practise Running at Home","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-help-my-child-with-learn-to-running-at-home","title":"How can I help my child learn to run at home?","reason":"Same 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reciprocal arm swing through play.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}