Early development
milestones.
Below you will find some developmental milestones from birth to five years broken down by age and domain. Domain refers to specific areas of growth and change. Use CDC's Milestone Tracker app to track your child's developmental milestones from age 2 months to 5 years. Your pediatrician will check for growth in these areas at each well-check visit. For a schedule of how often those visits occur, go to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ parenting website healthychildren.org. Also be sure to check out Parents as Teachers, a prenatal to Kindergarten program that helps parents know how to be their child’s first and most influential teacher. This evidence-based home visiting model is designed to ensure young children are healthy, safe and ready to learn.
If your baby was born early, they might be more on track for developmental milestones at their corrected age the first couple of years.
To calculate you can either use their due date in place of their birth date or you can simply take their actual age and subtract the preterm weeks.
did you know?
All developmental domains have some level of overlap. Good nutrition, physical activity, and adequate sleep all promote children’s ability to engage in social interactions that in turn stimulate cognitive growth. For example, beginning to crawl and walk helps them gain new opportunities to explore their world thus affecting their cognitive development by satisfying their curiosity.
Remember, every child develops at their own pace. Your baby may reach a milestone earlier or later than expected but be sure to check in with your pediatrician if you have concerns. Don’t forget to celebrate milestones as your child achieves them. Every little bit of growth is a mighty thing to celebrate!
Birth to 3 Months
- Begin to smile when you smile or talk to them
- Become excited to see you when you have been out of sight
- Stop crying or calm down when you pick them up or talk to them
- Become increasingly expressive with their face and body, especially in response to your interactions
- Listens attentively to sounds and voices
- Discovers hands and feet as being part of their body
- Anticipatory behaviors like rooting or sucking at the site of a nipple or bottle
- Follow you or objects with their eyes
- Wave arms towards a toy above them when on their back
- Visual range is 8-12 inches which is about the distance from your face to theirs while holding
- Have increasing muscle control which you can encourage through tummy time
- Enjoys a variety of movements
- Wiggle and squirm their arms and legs when on their back
- Grasp your finger when you touch their palm
- Rattles, high contrast black and white cards, activity gym, board books or soft cloth books that you read to them, toys that make sounds or light up, soft toys, toys that grab and keep their attention for tummy time, baby mirror to promote social development
- White noise machines are great because they mimic the comforting environment of the womb; which is what babies have been used to for the past several months. However, limit its use to naps and bedtime to help them begin to learn a routine and associate it with sleep. Keep the volume low and a few feet away from their sleep area to protect their tiny little ears as they are still developing. Prolonged, loud volume exposure to white noise can affect the development of their speech, language, and hearing.
- Have a variety of toys that stimulate their senses (sights, sounds, textures) but avoid overwhelming them with multiple things at once.
- Talk, read, and sing to them. Communication is their first form of play! It doesn’t matter what you read or sing, they just want to hear your voice as it is a familiar and comforting thing to them. Use a slow, higher-pitch voice than your normal voice to keep their attention.
- Narrate and describe your actions while you feed, bathe, or hold them. This helps kick start language development by being exposed to many different words.
- The number of books in the home correlates significantly with higher reading scores for children. Sign up here for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to receive free books in the mail for children from birth to age five.
- Feel free to get all the snuggles and cuddles you want—it will not spoil them. Holding your baby helps them feel safe and secure in this brand new world they are exploring. Giving them skin to skin interactions while holding also helps develop a secure bond especially for dads as it helps boost his oxytocin release (the “love hormone”).
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends very limited screen time (if at all!) for children under 2. However, as it is hard to escape technology these days, if introducing any digital device be sure to engage with prompting language: who is on the screen, repeat what the person on the screen says or describe what is happening by pointing out colors, shapes, animals, etc. Using a screen to facetime friends and family is a great option to make screen time a quality, social interaction as opposed to passive content to view.
3 to 6 Months
- Begin to make laughing sounds
- Smile or coo at self in mirror
- Are more attentive to the people, sights and sounds in their world
- Smiles to get your attention
- Are not upset by everyday sounds but may still startle at loud, unexpected noises
- Babbling
- Begin to recognize their name (5-7 months)
- Use their voice to express likes and dislikes
- Makes squealing noises (oh boy, right?)
- Listens and responds when spoken to
- Purposeful sensory exploration of objects (mostly by putting things in their mouth!)
- Anticipate routine
- Begin learning “Cause and Effect” and “Object Permanence” concepts
- Purposefully look at a toy when you put it in their hand or in front of them
- Rolls from back to tummy (6 months)
- Support themselves more steadily when you hold them
- Transfers objects from hand to hand
- Reach for toys while on tummy
- Bring hands and objects to mouth
- Toys that have lights and sounds, cause and effect toys, baby mirror, toys with different textures
- Playing peek-a-boo will help them develop the concept of object permanence (and you might just get a mighty cute giggle or two!)
- Bubbles: Their vision is stronger now and they will be mesmerized at watching them float by. It will also encourage them to practice reaching and grabbing.
- Hold toys just out of their reach to encourage reaching and grasping objects
- Read to your baby every day
- When your baby makes noises, talk back to them by saying something like “Oh wow! Tell me more” or repeat the sounds they are making. This helps them begin to understand the back and forth of conversations.
6 to 9 Months
- Recognize familiar faces
- Seem shy or afraid around strangers
- May cling to you as you leave (separation anxiety)
- Enjoys exploring their environment through movement
- Take turns making sounds with you
- Blows “raspberries”
- Look at familiar objects and people when named
- Recognize their name (5-7 months)
- Reach for a toy they want and look for things they drop
- Close lips to show they don’t want more food
- Look for things that are hidden (object permeance)
- Follow directions like “come here” with gestures
- Get in sitting position and sit up by themselves (9 months)
- Switch objects from one hand to the other
- Reach with one hand
- Begin to crawl (remember, every baby is different so don’t panic if they aren’t crawling yet)
- Pick up small objects with thumbs and fingers
- Begin teething (this milestone has a wide range of onset)
- Shape sorter, manipulation toys (parts and pieces they can move), musical toys, stacking or nesting cups, toys with different textures, cause and effect toys, baby mirrors, board books, teethers (likely to start teething around 6 months)
- At this stage they are craving sensory input so toys that do multiple things: make noise and provide interesting visuals, toys that encourage shaking or stacking, things they can twist or turn, toys with clicking sounds
- They are more mobile and exploring with their mouth so watch out for small toys that can be choking hazards and toys with batteries. A good gauge is if it can fit in the tube of a toilet paper roll, then it is a choking hazard.
- Reading can continue to promote language development. They are also working on their pincer grasp closer to 9 months so they will love helping turn the pages of a book.
- Teething toys can not only relieve pain from swollen and sore gums but they can also build jaw strength helping them prepare to eat solid foods soon. Also, the different textures of teething toys can promote sensory stimulation enhancing their sense of touch and awareness of their mouth. Avoid things that go around their neck or have small pieces as these can cause choking or strangulation.
9 to 12 Months
- Are becoming more assertive with preferences
- Are imitating others and learning social cues
- Repeats sounds or actions to get attention
- Can self soothe when upset
- Try to copy speech sounds and rhythms
- Say a few words like “dada”, “mama”, “uh-oh” that have similar sounds
- Imitate gestures like “bye bye” and uses hands to communicate wants like being picked up
- Knows simple commands like “come here”
- Look at the correct picture when you name the object
- Finds hidden objects easily
- Voluntarily releases objects and throws objects (look out!)
- May start taking a few steps closer to 12 months
- Clap hands
- Pull to stand and cruises along furniture
- Lower their self with control without flopping down (12 months)
- Use fingers to feed self
- Water play with cups, toys they can put things in/out of, musical instruments (xylophone, drum) or use an empty coffee can or some pots and pans as drums.
- Outdoor exploration:
- Hide objects or toys under a blanket to encourage them to find. This helps them explore their environment even more and emphasizes object permanence (an important developmental milestone)
- Narrate what you are doing “Mommy is putting on her shoes” and describe things in simple terms “bunny hops”.
- Point to objects as you are reading and encourage them to do the same. Name the object you are pointing to or when they point to it.
- Give your baby excited praise when they follow simple commands.
- They might begin walking in this stage so this is a great time to baby proof (if you haven’t already) by covering sharp edges on furniture, securing medicine up high out of reach, covering electric outlets, securing furniture to the wall, basically anything they can get their tiny little hands on or in! For an extensive baby proofing list, check out this guide from BabyCenter.
1 to 3 Years
- Are building independence and confidence
- Copy other children while playing
- Show affection to you or their toys (hugs, cuddles, kisses)
- Aware of their self as separate from others
- Starts to pretend play like feed a doll or talk on a phone (18 months)
- Copy adults and older kids (24 months)
- Plays alongside other kids
- Follows directions given with both a word and gesture
- Points to ask for help or for something they want
- Says several single words (15-18 months)
- Uses simple 2-3 word phrases and says 10-20 words (18-24 months)
- Ask what and where questions (2-3 years)
- Name an object when you point to it
- Repeats words overheard in conversations
- Stacks at least two small objects like blocks
- Tries to use things how they are intended to be used (like holding a phone to their ear)
- Beginning to form mental images for things which helps them problem solve
- Able to match and sort
- Understands the purpose of numbers when counting objects
- Start walking alone (don’t forget, every baby develops differently)
- Climb on and off chair or couch unassisted (2 years+)
- Scribble spontaneously
- Pour out contents from containers and put them back in (they LOVE doing this!)
- Might use one hand more frequently than the other
- Kick a ball
- Begin to run
- Enjoy movement activities like being swung or bounced on your knee
- Activities to promote their curiosity, help them explore their environment, and introduce them to new experiences
- Finger painting, water play, musical instruments, books, bubbles, nature walk pointing out different colors/textures
- Sensory bins: a bin with a variety of objects with different textures like rice, beans or sand and cups or something for scooping and dumping
- Water play: This doesn’t have to be fancy or involve any kind of special equipment. You can simply fill up the tub with a little bit of water and include simple things like sponges or different containers. Remember, to always supervise children in water, even just a tiny bit of it.
- They are beginning to recognize they have control over their body and actions and want to exercise this in EVERYTHING! Allowing small choices will help them feel in control thus increasing their cooperation. However, only offer choices when they exist. For example, taking a bath is not an option but let them choose which towel to use.
3 to 5 Years
- Cooperate with other children and share
- Pretend to play
- Interested in new experiences
- Often cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality
- Shows more independence like dressing themselves
- Comforts others who are sad or hurt
- Follow rules and take turns in games
- Sing, dance, and act
- Talks well enough to understand, most of the time Understands concepts of “same”, “different”, “on” and “under”
- Uses 3-4 word sentences and even longer as they approach 5 years
- Engages in back-and-forth conversation
- Tells stories and talks about their day
- Correctly name some colors, count a few numbers and around age 5 count to 10
- Imagines that unfamiliar images may be “monsters”
- Have an increasing understanding of time
- Complete 3-4 piece puzzles
- Increasing attention span
- Aware of risky and unsafe environments
- Uses body to express thoughts and emotions they can’t describe through language (which means CONSTANT movement)
- Hop and stand on one foot
- Kick, throw, and catch a ball
- Climb stairs alternating feet
- Use a fork
- String items together like large beads or macaroni
- Hold crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb (not in a fist)
- Runs easily
- Increasing difficulty level puzzles, memory and matching games, arts and crafts, counting and sorting games, dress up (doesn’t have to be fancy costumes!), pretend play, iSpy, play catch
- Nature walk with a visual checklist of items or colors to find
- Tap into their huge imaginations by having them describe things, role play (doctor’s kit) or make up stories. They can go on quite an adventure with just their minds!
- Group games to encourage sharing and cooperation: Duck, duck goose or musical chairs
- They are feeling mighty important by now and want to feel a sense of accomplishment in their environment. Giving them an achievable “job” throughout your daily routine can help promote this important developmental milestone. For example, when leaving the house their “job” can be to carry their backpack to the car.