What California’s DRDP says about physical development
California’s Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) addresses physical development as a core early learning domain, recognizing that healthy physical development is inseparable from cognitive, social-emotional, and language growth. Administered by the California Department of Education, the DRDP tracks physical development from birth through kindergarten entry across gross motor, fine motor, and health and self-care dimensions.
Under the DRDP, physical development is organized within the Health domain, which covers Gross Motor Development (large-muscle movement, balance, coordination, and locomotor skills), Fine Motor Development (small-muscle control, hand-eye coordination, and tool use), and Personal Care Routines (self-care skills including feeding, dressing, and hygiene).
California requires all licensed childcare programs to document children’s physical development through DRDP observation records. This documentation informs curriculum planning and is evaluated as part of the Quality Counts California QRIS ratings for health, safety, and physical development practices.
Physical development in early childhood is not just about fitness — it is foundational to brain development, self-regulation, and school readiness. Research consistently shows that children who develop strong gross motor skills in early childhood demonstrate better self-regulation, attention, and executive function. Fine motor skills, particularly hand strength and pencil grip, are direct predictors of early writing success.
Developmental milestones
Physical development milestones by age group
Understanding where children are developmentally helps educators plan meaningful activities and document DRDP progress accurately. These milestones align with California’s DRDP levels and nationally recognized frameworks including NAEYC’s Developmentally Appropriate Practice and the CDC’s Milestone Moments.
| Age group | Key DRDP milestones | What educators can do |
|---|---|---|
| Infants Birth–18 months | Rolling, sitting, pulling to stand, beginning to walk; reaching, grasping, and transferring objects; beginning self-feeding; sensory-motor exploration of the environment | Tummy time daily; varied textures and objects for manipulation; support self-feeding attempts; describe movements and body parts during care routines |
| Toddlers 18–36 months | Running, climbing, jumping; increasing balance and coordination; stacking blocks; beginning utensil use; scribbling; beginning dressing and undressing skills | Active movement breaks; climbing structures; art materials for fine motor development; opportunities for assisted self-care; simple obstacle courses |
| Preschool 3–5 years | Hopping, skipping, galloping; catching and throwing; scissor use; drawing recognizable shapes and figures; dressing independently; controlled pencil and brush grip | Daily outdoor active play; fine motor stations (cutting, beading, playdough); yoga and movement activities; opportunities for complete self-care routines; writing tools at learning centers |
Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum supports California’s DRDP physical development standards
Experience Curriculum embeds physical development into every monthly theme through movement activities, fine motor invitations, and outdoor exploration experiences. Rather than isolating physical education as a separate period, the curriculum weaves gross motor and fine motor skill-building into the fabric of daily learning — so children are physically active and developing motor skills throughout the day.
Every Experience Curriculum kit ships with a verified alignment to California’s DRDP. The downloadable California Alignment PDF maps each curriculum activity and skill to the specific DRDP measure and developmental level it targets — saving teachers significant documentation time.
Physical development skills covered
- Gross motor coordination and locomotion
- Balance and body control
- Fine motor precision and hand strength
- Hand-eye coordination and tool use
- Scissors, brushes, and writing implement control
- Self-care and personal care routines
How it’s delivered
- Monthly kits with movement games and action songs
- Fine motor manipulatives and art invitations in every kit
- Outdoor learning activities and nature explorations
- Yoga cards and body awareness activities
- Brightwheel digital documentation tied to CA DRDP physical development measures
- Family movement take-homes for active play at home
Experience Curriculum’s physical development approach draws on SHAPE America’s National Standards for Physical Education, CDC physical activity guidelines for early childhood, and NAEYC’s guidelines for developmentally appropriate movement practice. An independent psychometric evaluation found the linked Experience Assessment exceeds standards for validity and reliability across all eight developmental domains, including physical development.
Skills spotlight
Key physical development skills in the 35-skill framework
Experience Curriculum’s 35-skill framework maps directly to the DRDP domains. Here are four skills that feature prominently in every age-band kit.
Gross Motor
Large-muscle strength, coordination, balance, and locomotor skills. Developed through daily active play, movement games, obstacle courses, and theme-based physical activities.
Fine Motor
Small-muscle precision and hand-eye coordination. Built through art invitations, playdough, sensory bins, cutting activities, and manipulative play embedded in every kit.
Body Awareness
Understanding the body’s position in space, body part identification, and movement capabilities. Developed through yoga, movement songs, dance, and structured physical play.
Self-Care
Independence in feeding, dressing, hygiene, and personal care routines. Supported through consistent routines, child-sized tools, and graduated scaffolding from adults.
Implementation guidance
Practical tips for embedding physical development into your California program
1. Prioritize outdoor active play daily
California’s DRDP measures gross motor development in naturalistic settings, and outdoor play is the richest context for authentic documentation. Aim for at least 60 minutes of outdoor active play daily for preschoolers. Experience Curriculum kits include outdoor activity extensions for every monthly theme.
2. Set up intentional fine motor stations
Fine motor skills require daily practice with varied materials — not just art. Playdough, beading, cutting activities, sand writing trays, and button frames all build the hand strength and coordination DRDP fine motor measures assess. Rotate materials monthly to maintain challenge and novelty.
3. Document physical milestones in the moment
DRDP physical development documentation is most authentic when captured in the moment — a photo of a child pumping on the swings, a note about a child who successfully used scissors for the first time. Brightwheel’s mobile app makes these in-the-moment observations quick to capture and tag to the correct DRDP measure.
4. Support self-care independence intentionally
California’s DRDP includes personal care routines as a core physical development measure. Build time for children to practice dressing, hand washing, and self-feeding into routines rather than rushing to complete these tasks for them. Even toddlers can begin developing self-care skills with appropriate scaffolding.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about California’s DRDP and physical development curriculum
Related resources
California DRDP alignment PDF
Full mapping of Experience Curriculum to California’s DRDP framework across all domains
California early learning standards
Overview of California’s DRDP framework and all 8 domain alignments
CA Social-Emotional standards
California’s DRDP Social-Emotional domain and Experience Curriculum alignment
CA Approaches to Learning standards
California’s DRDP Approaches to Learning domain and Experience Curriculum alignment
California DRDP resource guide
Official DRDP implementation resources from the California Department of Education