Developmental Milestones Pediatric Specialists Look For
Developmental milestones are tasks or things that 75% of children can do by the time they reach a certain age. These include things like how they play, learn, speak, act, and move. By watching for these clues, you and your pediatric provider can gauge how your child is developing.
According to the CDC, these are some milestones that your child should be hitting by age:
2 months
- social/emotional
- calms down when spoken to or picked up
- looks at faces
- seems happy when you walk up to them
- smiles when talked to or smiled at
- language
- makes sounds other than crying
- reacts to loud sounds
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- watches you move
- looks at toys for several seconds
- movement/physical
- holds head up when on tummy
- moves both arms and legs
- opens hands briefly
4 months
- social/emotional
- smiles on their own to get your attention
- chuckles when you try and make them laugh
- looks at you, moves, or makes sounds to get your attention
- language
- makes sounds like "ooo", "aahh" (cooing)
- makes sounds back when you talk to them
- turns head towards the sound of your voice
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- if hungry, opens mouth when seeing a breast or bottle
- looks at hands with interest
- movement/physical
- holds head steady without support when you're holding them
- holds toy when put in their hand
- uses their arm to swing at toys
- brings hands to mouth
- pushes up onto elbows/forearms when on tummy
6 months
- social/emotional
- knows familiar people
- likes to look at self in a mirror
- laughs
- language
- takes turns making sounds with you
- blows "raspberries"
- makes squealing noises
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- puts things in their mouth to explore
- reaches to grab toys they want
- closes lips to show they don't want more food
- movement/physical
- rolls from tummy to back
- pushes up with straight arms when on tummy
- leans on hands to support themself when sitting
9 months
- social/emotional
- shy, clingy, or fearful around strangers
- shows several facial expressions
- looks when name is called
- reacts when you leave
- smiles or laughs when you play peek-a-boo
- language
- makes different sounds like "mamamamama" or "babababababa"
- lifts arms to be picked up
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- looks for objects when dropped out of sight
- bangs two things together
- movement/physical
- gets to a sitting position by themself
- moves things from one hand to the other
- sits without support
- uses finger to "rake" food towards themself
1 year
-
- social/emotional
- play games like pat-a-cake
- language
- waves bye-bye
- calls a parent "mama" or "dada"
- understands "no"
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- puts something in a container
- looks for things they see you hide
- movement/physical
- pulls up to stand
- walks, holding on to furniture
- drinks from a cup without a lid as you hold it
- picks up things between thumb and pointer finger
15 months
- social/emotional
- copies other children when playing
- shows you objects they like
- claps when excited
- hugs stuffed dolls/toys
- shows affection
- language
- tries to say one or two words besides "mama" or "dada" like "ba" for ball or "da" for dog
- looks at familiar objects when you name them
- follows directions when given with both a gesture and words
- points to ask for something or to get help
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- tries to use things the right way
- stacks at least two objects
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- takes a few steps on their own
- uses fingers to feed themselves food
18 months
- social/emotional
- moves away from you but makes sure you are close by
- points to show something interesting
- puts hands out for you to wash them
- looks at pages of a book with you
- helps dress themself by pushing their arm through sleeve
- language
- tries to say three or more words
- follows one-step directions without any gestures
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- copies you doing chores like sweeping
- plays with toys in a simple way
- movement/physical
- walks without holding on to anything
- scribbles
- drinks from a cup without a lid and may spill sometimes
- feeds themself with fingers
- tries to use a spoon
- climbs on and off chairs without help
2 years
- social/emotional
- notices when others are hurt or upset
- looks at your face to see how to react in a new situation
- language
- points to things in a book when you say something like "where is the bear"
- says at least two words together like "more milk"
- points to at least two body parts when you ask them to show you
- uses more gestures than just waving and pointing
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- holds something in one hand while using the other
- tries to use switches, knobs, or buttons on a toy
- plays with more than one toy at the same time
- movement/physical
- kicks a ball
- runs
- walks up a few stairs with or without help
- eats with a spoon
30 months
- social/emotional
- plays next to other children, sometimes with them
- shows what they can do by saying "look at me"
- follows simple routines when told
- language
- says about fifty words
- says two or more words together with one action word, like "doggie run"
- names things in a book when you point and ask, "What is this?"
- says words like "I," "me," or "we"
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- uses things to pretend, like feeding a block to a doll as if it were food
- shows simple critical thinking skills, like standing on a small stool to reach something
- follows two-step instructions
- shows they know at least one color
- movement/physical
- uses hands to twist things
- takes loose clothes off by themself
- jumps off the ground with both feet
- turns book pages, one at a time
3 years
- social/emotional
- calms down within 10 minutes after you leave them
- notices other children and joins them to play
- language
- talks with you in conversation using at least two back and forth exchanges
- asks "who," "what," or "why" questions
- says what action is happening in a picture or book when asked
- says first name when asked
- talks well enough for others to understand most of the time
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- draws a circle when shown how
- avoids touching hot objects when warned
- movement/physical
- strings items together
- puts on loose clothes by themself
- uses a fork
4 years
- social/emotional
- pretends to be something else during play
- asks to go play with other children if none are around
- comforts others who are hurt or sad
- avoids danger
- likes to be a "helper"
- changes behavior based on where they are
- language
- says sentences with four or more words
- says some words from a song, story, or nursery rhyme
- talks about at least one thing that happened during their day
- answers simple questions
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- names a few colors of items
- tells what comes next in a well-known story
- draws a person with three or more body parts
- movement/physical
- catches a large ball most of the time
- serves themself food or pours water with adult supervision
- unbuttons some buttons
- holds crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb (not in a fist)
5 years
- social/emotional
- follows rules or takes turns when playing games with other children
- sings, dances, or acts for you
- does simple chores at home
- language
- tells a story they heard or made up with at least two events
- answers simple questions about a book or story after you read or tell it to them
- keeps a conversation going with more than three back and forth exchanges
- uses or recognizes simple rhymes
- cognitive > learning, thinking, problem-solving
- counts to ten
- names some numbers between 1 and 5 when you point at them
- uses words about time like "yesterday," "tomorrow," "morning," or "night"
- pays attention for 5-10 min during activities
- writes some letters in their name
- names some letters when you point to them
- movement/physical
- buttons some buttons
- hops on one foot
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