Child’s age
Pre-schooler stage
2 years to 5 years
Two years
At around two years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:
Physical
- Tries to kick a ball
- Runs well
- Jumps with both feet leaving the floor at the same time
- Holds pencil by using thumb and first two fingers
- Can string small items such as beads, pasta onto a string
- Drinks from a cup with no lid
Communication
- Likes to pretend and role play
- Can name well known objects
- Correctly uses words like ‘I’, ‘Mine’ and ‘You’
- Will correctly put two – three words together
Three years
At around three years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:
Physical
- Will walk on tip toes when shown
- Walks upstairs with alternate feet, still puts both feet on each step when coming down
- Catches a large ball
- Pedals a tricycle
- Climbs walls
Communication
- Can say own name, age and sex
- Can say numbers up to 10
- Pretend play is more vivid
- Plays with other children and takes turns
- Understands and uses ‘You’, ‘Me’, ‘I’
Four years
At around four years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:
Physical
- Walks up and down stairs using alternate feet
- Good on a tricycle
- Hops and stands on one foot
- Can throw, catch and kick well
- Draws a person with recognisable body parts eg head, arms and legs
- Uses a fork and spoon well
Communication
- Knows own first and last name
- Can sing several nursery rhymes
- Likes to listen to longer stories and will tell own stories
- Continues to ask lots of questions
- Takes turns and shares
- Shows sympathy to friends when hurt or upset
If you’re noticing something or have concerns
This timeline provides general guidance on what to expect. Do not worry if your child is not meeting all milestones for their age range. It is normal for one area to develop quicker than another.
If your child was born early or was unwell as a baby, then you might want to look at a younger age range.
If you worried about your child’s progress against the milestones, use our guide to see how you can help your child.
This guide has been based on the guide developed by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust.
Learn more at www.cambscommunityservices.nhs.uk