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Healthy Children > Ages & Stages > Toddler > Developmental Milestones: 2 Year Olds
Ages & Stages
Developmental Milestones: 2 Year Olds
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What are some of the developmental milestones my child should reach by two years of age?
Your baby enters her second year and becomes a toddler, crawling vigorously, starting to walk, even talking a little. Exploring the boundaries established by your rules and her own physical and developmental limits will occupy much of her time for the next few years.
Here are some other milestones to look for.
Movement milestones
Walks alone
Pulls toys behind her while walking
Carries large toy or several toys while walking
Begins to run
Stands on tiptoe
Kicks a ball
Climbs onto and down from furniture unassisted
Walks up and down stairs holding on to support
Milestones in hand and finger skills
- Scribbles spontaneously
- Turns over container to pour out contents
- Builds tower of four blocks or more
- Might use one hand more frequently than the other
Language milestones
Points to object or picture when it’s named for him
Recognizes names of familiar people, objects, and body parts
Says several single words (by fifteen to eighteen months)
Uses simple phrases (by eighteen to twenty-four months)
Uses two- to four-word sentences
Follows simple instructions
Repeats words overheard in conversation
Cognitive milestones
Finds objects even when hidden under two or three covers
Begins to sort by shapes and colors
Begins make-believe play
Social and emotional milestones
Imitates behavior of others, especially adults and older children
Increasingly aware of herself as separate from others
Increasingly enthusiastic about company of other children
Demonstrates increasing independence
Begins to show defiant behavior
Increasing episodes of separation anxiety toward midyear, then they fade
Developmental health watch
Because each child develops at his own particular pace, it’s impossible to tell exactly when yours will perfect a given skill. The developmental milestones will give you a general idea of the changes you can expect as your child gets older, but don’t be alarmed if he takes a slightly different course. Alert your pediatrician, however, if he displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay for this age range.
Cannot walk by eighteen months
Fails to develop a mature heel-toe walking pattern after several months of walking, or walks exclusively on his toes
Does not speak at least fifteen words by eighteen months
Does not use two-word sentences by age two
Does not seem to know the function of common household objects (brush, telephone, bell, fork, spoon) by fifteen months
Does not imitate actions or words by the end of this period
Does not follow simple instructions by age two
Cannot push a wheeled toy by age two
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
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< Back to Child Development Checklists
Instructions: Answer all questions up to your child’s current age bracket by answering ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
Interpretation: If you tick 2 or more boxes with a ‘Yes’ then contact Kid Sense Child Development on 1800 KIDSENSE (1800 543 736).
Does your child have difficulty with:
AgeSkill Yes No 0-6 monthsRolling over from front to back or back to front.Bringing feet to hands/mouth while on back.Holding head erect in a support position.Sitting (initially with support).Pushing body off ground with arms when lying on tummy.6-12 monthsRoller over from front to back, or back to front.Crawling on belly.Sitting independently.Getting up on all fours.Pushing body off ground with arms when lying on tummy.Bringing self into a seated position unaided.Creeping on hands and knees.Transitioning into different positions e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy.Pulling self into standing position.Stands momentarily without support.Walking while holding onto furniture.Taking 2-3 steps without support.Rolling a ball in imitation of adult.1-2 yearsSitting, crawling or walking independently.Getting up on all fours.Creeping on hands and knees.Transitioning into different positions (e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy).Pulling self into standing position.Standing without support.Trying to run (running stiff with eyes on floor).Walking while holding a toy.Changing direction while walking.Rolling a ball in imitation of an adult.2-3 yearsTransitioning into different positions (e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy).Walking smoothly and turning corners.Running with control (still has wide gait).Climbing onto/down from furniture without assistance.Pulling self into standing position.Walking up and down steps (with support).Walking while holding a toy.Changing direction while walking.Picking up toys from the floor without falling over.Rolling a ball.3-4 yearsTransitioning into different positions (e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy).Imitating an adult standing on one foot.Imitating simple bilateral movements of limbs (e.g. arms up together).Running with control.Climbing onto/down from furniture without assistance.Climbing on jungle gym and ladders.Pedalling a tricycle.Changing direction while walking.Walking up and down stairs with alternating feet.Jumping with two feet together 5 times in a row.Walking on tip toes.Picking up toys from the floor without falling over.Throwing objects with an overarm action at a target.Rolling a ball.Catching a ball (using the whole body, not just arms).4-5 yearsStanding on one foot for up to 5 seconds.Imitating simple bilateral movements of limbs (e.g. arms up together).Walking up and down stairs with alternating feet.Climbing onto/down from furniture without assistance.Climbing on jungle gym and ladders.Pedalling a tricycle.Kicking a ball forwards.Throwing a ball overarm.Catching a ball that has been bounced.Catching a ball with hands instead of using arms and body.Running around obstacles.Jumping 10 times in a row, maintaining the distance of jumps.Walking on tip toes.Walking along a line.Safely performing a forward roll.Hopping on one foot.Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together.5-6 yearsStanding on one foot for 10 seconds.Kicking a ball.Walking up stairs while holding an object.Walking backwards heel-toe.Jumping forwards 10 times without falling.Skipping forward after demonstration.Running around obstacles.Hanging from a bar for at least 5 seconds.Stepping forward with leg on same side as throwing arm when throwing a ball.Walking along a line.Hopping on one foot.Safely performing a forward roll.Catching a small ball using hands only.Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together.6-7 yearsRunning smoothly with arms opposing legs and a narrow base of support (feet not too far apart).Running around obstacles while maintaining balance.Standing on one foot for at least 10 seconds.Skipping forward without demonstration.Stepping forward with leg on opposite side as throwing arm when throwing a ball.Kicking a soccer ball with reasonable accuracy.Walking backwards heel-toe.Walking on a balance beam.Hanging from a bar for at least 10 seconds.Holding and moving across monkey bars without support.Using a skipping rope.Hopping on 1 foot.Jumping forwards with both feet together.Safely performing a forward roll.Catching a small ball using hands only.Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together.Riding a bike without training wheels.7-8 yearsHolding and moving across monkey bars without support.Safely performing a forward roll.Running smoothly with arms opposing legs and a narrow base of support (feet not too far apart).Running around obstacles while maintaining balance.Stepping forward with leg on opposite side as throwing arm when throwing a ball.Kicking a soccer ball with reasonable accuracy.Kicking a football with reasonable accuracy and consistency.Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together.Catching a small ball using hands only.Walking on a balance beam.Walking backwards heel-toe.Standing and maintaining balance on one foot.Using a skipping rope.Hopping on one foot.Riding a bike.This checklist was designed to serve as a functional screening of developmental skills per age group. It does not constitute an assessment nor reflect strictly standardised research.
The information in this checklist was compiled over many years from a variety of sources. This information was then further shaped by years of clinical practice as well as therapeutic consultation with child care, kindergarten and school teachers in South Australia about the developmental skills necessary for children to meet the demands of these educational environments. In more recent years, it has been further modified by the need for children and their teachers to meet the functional Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) requirements that are not always congruent with standardised research.