Childhood Milestones

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CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Childhood Milestones (6 weeks → 5 years)

Normal brain & developmental milestones — use these as general guides. If concerned, consult a paediatrician.

Age - 6 weeks

Early sensorimotor and social responses

  • When prone, baby lifts head momentarily; supports weight on extended arms.
  • Fixes and follows face; cooing and grunting noises.
  • Startles to loud noises; spontaneous social smile begins.
More about 6 weeks
Encourage tummy time several times daily. Talk and smile to support visual tracking and social interaction.

Age - 3 months

Social smile, grasp, and early recognition

  • In prone, supports head and chest on forearms; little or no head lag when pulled to sit.
  • Grasps objects placed in hand; recognizes familiar faces and turns to sounds.
  • Laughs, chuckles, and smiles in response to speech; enjoys bath routines.
More about 3 months
Promote face-to-face play and gentle sound games. Provide safe objects to grasp and explore textures.

Age - 6 months

Sitting, rolling, holding and babbling

  • Supports with straight back when sitting with support; rolls over prone to supine.
  • Holds bottle; babbles (mama, dada), raises arms to be picked up, screams when annoyed.
  • Holds brick/toy without dropping; improved hand-to-mouth coordination.
More about 6 months
Introduce finger foods safely, encourage sitting practice, and mirror games to boost social sounds.

Age - 8–9 months

Crawling, pincer grasp and social play

  • Sits unsupported and begins crawling; plays getting into sitting positions.
  • Begins inferior pincer grasp; recognises own name and babbles; stranger anxiety may appear.
  • Enjoys peek-a-boo; understands simple gestures (bye-bye); starts feeding with spoon assistance.
More about 8–9 months
Provide safe exploration spaces, board books, and simple cause-effect toys (push/pull).

Age - 10–11 months

Pull to stand & early pincer/finger feed

  • Pulls to stand and walks around furniture; neat pincer grasp emerges.
  • Imitates adult sounds (blowing raspberries), claps hands, begins finger feeding.
More about 10–11 months
Encourage safe cruising around furniture and offer small safe finger foods to practice self-feeding.

Age - 12–13 months

Cruising, first words, simple commands

  • Crawls or bottom shuffles; may walk alone (11–18 months).
  • Stops mouthing, points with index finger, understands familiar names and simple instructions.
  • Waves bye-bye, plays near a familiar person, drinks from feeder cup; holds spoon but may not feed fully.
More about 12–13 months
Model words and simple commands; support toddling with safe shoes and supervised practice.

Age - 15–16 months

Walking, scribbling & early language

  • Usually crawling upstairs, runs unsteadily, builds 2-block tower, scribbles with palmar grasp.
  • Points to body parts, says 1 word clearly and may indicate needs by pointing.
  • Explores surroundings, enjoys simple pretend play (pat a cake).
More about 15–16 months
Offer finger-painting, blocks, and name objects frequently to support vocabulary growth.

Age - 18 months

Improved fine motor & pretend play

  • Jumps, throws ball under shoulder, picks up toys without falling, shows hand preference.
  • Builds small tower (4 blocks), imitates pencil stroke, points to body parts and begins using 1–6 words.
  • Temper tantrums may begin; listens to short stories and copies household activities.
More about 18 months
Keep routines consistent; read picture books daily and encourage naming familiar items.

Age - 2 years

Two-word combos & tower building

  • Walks upstairs both feet per step, walks tiptoe, throws ball over shoulder, builds tower of 8 blocks.
  • Copies vertical lines, follows 2-step commands, understands objects in pictures, knows 50+ words.
  • Joins 2 words, parallel play starts, eats with spoon skilfully.
More about 2 years
Encourage two-word sentences, play with peers, and name pictures to expand vocabulary.

Age - 2½ years

Fine motor & language expands

  • Kicks small ball, jumps off a low step, turns pages of book several at a time, copies horizontal line.
  • Tripod grasp emerging, understands prepositions and simple verbs, joins 3–4 words, speech understandable.
  • Pretend play, follows day routines and helps put away toys.
More about 2½ years
Offer simple puzzles, drawing materials, and narrated play to strengthen sentences and motor skills.

Age - 3 years

Balance, independence & imaginative play

  • Walks upstairs one foot per step (down both feet per step), stands on one foot momentarily, rides a tricycle.
  • Imitates bridge, turns pages one at a time, copies a circle, understands negatives and asks many questions.
  • Shares toys, washing hands but not drying, eats with fork and spoon.
More about 3 years
Encourage group play, simple chores, and reading short stories to foster language and social skills.

Age - 4 years

Complex play and fine motor control

  • Walks up/down stairs like adult, sits with knee crossed, hops on one foot, builds tower of 10 blocks.
  • Copies 3 steps with 6 blocks, uses scissors to cut pictures, understands complex negatives and conjunctions.
  • Shows concern and sympathy, may have imaginary friends, eats with fork, spoon and chopsticks.
More about 4 years
Provide craft activities, scissors practice, and story-based play to support attention and sequencing.

Age - 4½ to 5 years

Confidence, rules & advanced skills

  • Runs upstairs, skips, stands on one foot for ~8 seconds, copies square then triangle.
  • Follows 3-step commands, understands rules in play, dresses/undresses independently.
  • Developing complex explanations and sequencing; uses a knife skillfully to eat.
More about 4½–5 years
Encourage problem-solving games, multi-step tasks, and supervised cutting/meal independence.

NOTE: Ages are mean ages; there is a range for normal development. Warnings: consult a paediatrician if not walking/talking by 18 months or not joining words by 2 years, or if hand preference before 1 year.