Early Childhood Milestones (Ages 2-5)

Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age range. Your pediatrician uses milestones to help check how your child is developing. If your child has difficulty in any of the milestones specific for his or her age, ask your pediatrician if therapy might be indicated. Our physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists are dedicated to helping your little one catch up developmentally.

2 Year Developmental Milestones

Fine Motor Skills:

Can place 2-3 shapes into puzzle
Can place 4 rings on a post (such as a ring stacker)
Turns pages of a book one at a time
Builds a tower of 6 blocks
Imitates a vertical and a circular stroke
Can unscrew a jar lid
Pinches small food/toy items using pad of index finger and thumb (finger and thumb forming a circle while pinching)
Holds a crayon using thumb and all fingers with thumb turned down towards paper
Cuts snips in paper using dull scissors
Uses a fork

Communication Skills:

Understands simple questions and commands
Identifies body parts
Refers to self by name
Asks for drink, toilet, food
Uses 2-3 word sentences

Self Help Skills:

Puts on simple clothing items such as hats, t-shirts, or pants with an elastic waist
Spoon feeds without excessive spillage
Drinks from open mouth cup with little spillage
Feeds self with utensils
Undresses self with help on buttons

Gross Motor Skills By 2.5 Years:

Walks backward 10 steps
Walks on all types of surfaces
Tiptoes
Runs 5-10 steps without falling
Walks up and down stairs holding one rail

3 Year Developmental Milestones

Fine Motor Skills:

Can stack at least 10 blocks
Can cut across a piece of paper using scissors
Copies age appropriate shapes such as a circle and a square
Holds pencil with fingertips
Can string 4 large beads
Can draw intersecting lines (+)
Laces 3 holes in a lacing card following directions

Communication Skills:

Can match primary colors, names one color
Whispers and sings
Understands “yesterday,” “summer,” “lunchtime,” “little/big”
Frequently practices by talking to him/herself
Begins to obey prepositional phrases like “put the block under the chair”
Can tell a story or relay an idea to someone
Knows last name, sex, name of home street, nursery rhymes
Uses 3-4 word sentences
May repeat sounds, words, and phrases
Expresses fatigue verbally

Self Help Skills:

Uses feeding utensils well
Washes and dries own hands
Opens doors
Pours well from a pitcher
Dresses and undresses self but may need help with buttons or zippers
Can use potty chair or toilet

Gross Motor Skills:

Walks 5 steps on tiptoes with hands on hips or carrying an object with both hands
Walks up and down stairs without holding rail
Jumps off floor with both feet

Gross Motor Skills by 3.5 Years:

Runs with some periods of flight (both feet off ground)
Hops once in place on one foot
Walks up 10 steps, right, left, right, left, without holding rail
Jumps over an 8” hurdle

4 Year Developmental Milestones

Fine Motor Skills:

Can use scissors to cut on a line
Can hold paper with one hand while writing with the opposite hand
Can fold a sheet of paper
Can copy age appropriate shapes of intersecting lines (+) and triangles
Can identify common objects by touch only

Communication Skills:

Points to colors red, blue, yellow, and green
Can speak of imaginary conditions such as “what if…”
Uses 4-8 word sentences
Uses past tense correctly
Stays with one activity for more than 10 minutes

Self Help Skills:

Can unbutton clothing without any assistance
Can button 1 or 2 buttons
Performs toileting needs independently
Washes and dries hands independently
Serves self food without assistance

Gross Motor Skills:

Skips 5 steps
Hops up to 3 times on preferred foot
Jumps rope for 2 cycles
Jumps over several 8” obstacles in succession
Jumps from 24”-30” height with feet together on take-off and landing
Stands on either leg for 6 seconds
Kicks a ball 12’-15’
Throws 3” ball to an adult, overhand
Catches 3” ball with elbows bent

Gross Motor Skills by 4.5 Years:

Skips 5-10 steps, with coordinated step-hop
Runs fast
Hops 5 times on preferred foot
Walks down stairs, right, left, right, left, holding rail
Does 1 somersault
Walks full length of balance beam/curb
Pumps swing independently
Runs with some periods of flight (both feet off ground)
Hops once in place on one foot

5 Year Developmental Milestones

Fine Motor Skills:

Can touch each finger to thumb within 8 seconds following demonstration, starting with index finger to thumb
Connects 2 dots with a straight line
Draws a 6 part person
Cuts and pastes shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles
Can build a 6 cube pyramid with example in front of him/her
Can fold paper into equal halves
Colors between two vertical lines
Writes name with no model
Can copy age appropriate shapes of diagonal lines and diamonds
Completes ABC puzzle
Displays hand dominance

Communication Skills:

Has correct articulation of speech sounds
Uses past tense and future tense appropriately
Understands the meanings of most sentences
Follows 3-part commands (“pick up your shoes, put them in your room, and come sit down”)
Knows the meaning of “today,” “yesterday,” and “tomorrow”Asks “What?,” “Why?,” and “How?”
Names days of the week in order and can count to 30
Tells month and day of birthday, name and address, left and right

Gross Motor Skills:

Skips 10 or more steps
Stands on one leg for 10 seconds each
Walks full length of balance beam while carrying something in both hands or with hands on hips
Does 2 somersaults in a row
Rides bicycle with training wheels