Developmental Guidelines

Developmental Milestones for Children Birth to 5 Years of Age

Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move. These milestones are used to help understand a child’s development. Every child is unique, but below are the typical childhood development milestones by age. If your child has delays, you may want to consider having an evaluation.

At 3 months, most babies:
  • Turn head toward sounds
  • Make cooing sounds
  • Lift head when on stomach
  • Smile
At 3 months, most babies:
  • Reach for objects & pick them up
  • Switch toys from one hand to the other
  • Recognize familiar faces
  • Initiate speech sounds
  • Roll over
At 12 months, most babies:
  • Get into a sitting position
  • Stand briefly without support
  • Crawl
  • Imitate adults using a cup or telephone
  • Wave Bye Bye
  • Say at least 1 word
At 1 1/2 years, most children:
  • Follow simple directions
  • Can help undress
  • Point to a picture that you name in a book
  • Walk without help
  • Point, or show others something interesting.
  • Says several single months
At 2 years, most children:
  • Use 2-3 word sentences
  • Kick a ball
  • Begins to run
  • Feed themselves with a spoon
  • Identify hair, eyes, ears & nose by pointing
  • Build a tower of 4 blocks
At 3 years, most children:
  • Throw a ball overhand
  • Ride a tricycle
  • Put on their shoes
  • Open the door
  • Turn 1 page at a time/span>
  • Play with other children for a few minutes
  • Repeat common rhymes
  • Use 3-5 word sentences
  • Name at least 1 color correctly
At 3-4 years, most children:
  • Run around obstacles
  • Walk on a line
  • Balance on one foot
  • Ride a tricycle
  • Use a slide without help
  • Throw & catch a ball
  • Use construction blocks
  • Complete simple tasks with food without assistance (such as spreading butter with a dull knife & pouring from a small pitcher)
  • Wash hands unassisted & blow nose when reminded
  • Begin dramatic play, acting out whole scenes (such as traveling, pretending to be animals)
  • Identify parts of a whole, like a slice of pie
  • Actively seek information through why & how questions
  • Tell you their full name & age
  • Make themselves understood to strangers using sentences (despite some sound errors)
  • Use more complex grammar (such as plurals & past tense)
  • Understand sentences involving time concepts & narrate past experiences
  • Understand size comparisons such as big & bigger
  • Follow a series of 2-4 related directions
At 4-5 years, most children:
  • Jump forward many times without falling
  • Hops and may be able to skip
  • Turn somersaults
  • Use safety scissors
  • Print a few capital letters
  • Show some understanding of moral reasoning (exploring ideas about fairness and good or bad behavior)
  • Develop friendships and aware of gender
  • Enjoys singing, dancing and acting
  • Point to & name many colors
  • Draw a person with detail
  • Draw, name & describe pictures
  • Count to 5
  • Tell you their street & town
  • Retell a story using full sentences (may confuse facts)
  • Speaks very clearly
  • Use words like “can” “will” “shall” “should” & “might”
  • Refer to casuality by using “because” and “so”