The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends watching for the following developmental milestones in your child:

  • Rolls both ways (front to back, back to front)
  • Sits without support
  • Responds to own name
  • Explores toys with hands and mouth
  • Looks for partially hidden objects
  • Imitates sounds that you make
  • Transfers objects from one hand to the other
  • Makes “happy” and “sad” noises
  • Scoots or crawls
  • Walks with or without support
  • Babbles and says “Mama” and “Dada”
  • Responds to simple requests
  • Pokes and points with index finger
  • Uses thumb and index finger to pick up small items
  • Has strong preference for primary caregiver
  • Imitates gestures like a wave or a kiss
  • Climbs onto and down from furniture with assistance
  • Points to pictures in a book with index finger
  • Stacks items such as books
  • Knows three body parts
  • Uses several words including “no” and “mine”
  • Plays with toys by their function (phone, comb, cups)
  • Tries to activate a toy (winding, flipping switch, pushing)
  • Does things for attention and looks for a reaction
  • Kicks a ball and can walk on tiptoes
  • Begins to run
  • Uses simple sentences of 2 or more words
  • Follows simple directions (e.g., “hand me your book”)
  • Sorts items by color, shape and size
  • Learning to share and take turns
  • Scribbles and may begin to copy vertical lines and circles
  • Recites repeated phrases from well-known books
  • Catches a ball against chest
  • Undresses and unties shoes
  • Names actions in pictures (e.g., running, crying)
  • Answers “what” and “where” questions
  • Categorizes by group (trucks, animals, foods)
  • Completes 4 to 5 piece puzzles
  • When looking at books, can tell the difference between words and pictures
  • Starts to make friends
  • Steers a tricycle or pedal car around objects
  • Colors within lines and can draw a face
  • Knows opposites (hot/cold, big/little)
  • Asks “when” “why” and “how” questions
  • Uses regular past tense (“ed”)
  • Correctly counts out 10 items (1-1 correspondence)
  • Recognizes name in print
  • Pretends by role playing
  • Balances on one foot, skips and jumps forward
  • Cuts out shapes with scissors
  • Understands 13,000 words
  • Answers questions about a story
  • Compares amounts using words like “more”, “less”, “same”
  • Plays simple board games
  • Acts out plays and stories
  • Understands rules
  • Hops and gallops in a straight line
  • Uses mature (tripod) pencil grasp
  • Can wait their turn
  • Produces all sounds correctly (by 7)
  • Correctly uses past and future tenses
  • Listens to stories without pictures
  • Identifies start and end sounds in words
  • Adds and subtracts simple numbers