Developmental Milestones 2 to 5 Years Old

What can I do?; Milestones Birth to 24 months

Years	Social and Emotional	Communication and Language	Cognitive, Thinking and Understanding	Self-Help	Gross Motor	Fine Motor
2	Proud when “good” and embarrassment when “bad” Recognize distress in others Emotionally attached to toys or objects for security Enjoys helping. "Helps" with simple household tasks. Imitation, parallel and symbolic play.	Uses 200 words. Uses  2 word phrases. Sings simple songs.	Uses more complex toys and understands sequence of putting toys, puzzles together.	Eat with a spoon and fork, with few spills and misses.	Stand on tiptoes if shown first. Jump from bottom step. Use ride-on toys	Turn knobs. Throw a small ball. Paint on paper using whole arm to move the paintbrush. Pull up a large zipper.
2.6	Creats ideas with meaningful use of words or phrases and interactive pretend play with others. Plays with other children-cars, dolls, building. Plays a role in "pretend" games like house or school - mom, dad, teacher.	Uses 300 words. Talks in sentences at least four words long. Speaks clearly - is understandable most of the time.	Understand simple stories. Respond to simple directions. Name some objects in a book. Play pretend with dolls or stuffed animals.	Opens door by turning knob.	Climbs on play equipment -ladders, slides. Stands on one foot without support.	Scribbles with circular motion. Draws or copies vertical (|) lines.
3	Plays games like tag, hide and seek. Gives directions to other children.	Uses about 450 words. Correctly identifies at least four colors by name. Answers questions like, "What do you do with a cookie? a sock? your eyes? your ears?" Asks questions beginning with Why When How.	Stack rings on a peg in order of size. Group objects by category (e.g. animals, clothing, food). Put together simple puzzles (3-4 piece inset puzzles). Identify self in a mirror, saying own name. Tell others what is doing. Learn to count “1-2-3”.	Dresses self with help. Washes and dries hands.	Walk up the stairs alone with alternating feet. Walk downstairs with 2 feet on same step. Walk on tiptoe. Start riding a tricycle using the pedals. Catch a ball with arms bent. Kick a ball forwards.	Cuts with small scissors.
3.6	Plays cooperatively with minimum conflict and supervision.	Talks in long, complex sentences (10 or more words). Gesture accompanys speech to give emphasis.	Uses logical thinking to build bridges between meaningful ideas ("Want to go outside because I want to play.")	Washes face without help. Toilet trained.	Rides around on tricycle, using pedals. Run around obstacles. Walk on a line. Balance on one foot for 5 – 10 seconds.	Draws or copies a complete circle.
4	Protective toward younger children.	Follows a series of three simple instructions in order. Learning to transform words according to grammatical rules.	Be able to sort and match things (e.g. colors). Organize things by size. Identify parts of a whole, such as the wheel of the car. Tell you full name and age. Play with an activity for a longer stretch of time (5-15 minutes). Have a basic understanding of time, know the difference between past and present. Enjoy singing, dancing, or acting.	Dresses and undresses without help, except for tying shoelaces.	Hops on one foot without support. Jump from 12 inches with feet together. Use a slide independently.	Cuts across paper with small scissors. Draw a very simple picture and be able to tell what it is (you might not recognize it).
4.5	Follows simple rules in board or card games.	Reads a few words of 5 or more letters. Prints a few letters or numbers. Counts ten or more objects.		Usually looks both ways before crossing street. Buttons one or more buttons.	Hops around on one foot, without support. Skips or makes running "broad jumps."	Draws recognizable pictures. Draws a person that has at least three parts - head, eyes, nose, mouth, etc.
5	Shows leadership among children.	Play with words, imitating and creating sounds, and make rhymes. Point to and name many colors and shapes. When asked, for example, "What is an orange?" answers,"A fruit."	Count objects up to 5. Tell you where he lives (street name and town/city). Follow the rules to games, but sometimes change them. Recognize own name when sees it printed.	Goes to the toilet without help.	Swings on swing, pumping by self. Walk a balance beam forwards & backwards. Perform somersaults. Balance on 1 foot for 8 – 10 seconds. Skip, alternating feet. Begin to jump rope. Throw a ball to hit a target. Jump back. Hop 5 times on 1 foot.	Draw a person with detail. Draw, name, and describe pictures. Prints first name (four letters).