Gross Motor Skills
Infants Under 3 Months
Parenting Tips for Gross Motor Skills
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For an infant under three months, gently flex your baby's legs in a bicycle movement while it is on its back.
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Babies need variety. Put your infant in different positions when it's awake so it can move its arms and legs in
different directions. (Always stay with your baby and watch it when placed on its stomach.)
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Take a bath together. While you hold your infant safely, it can enjoy kicking and splashing the water. You can
gently massage its entire body.
Gentle neck exercises. Help your infant reach for a rattle held above its chest. Or, make some silly sounds to
encourage your infant to lift its head.
3-6 Months
Most 6-month-olds can (or have already mastered):
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Holding their heads up when being held in a sitting position
Rolls
Pushing themselves up onto their arms when on belly
Pivot body when on belly
Sit momentarily when leaning on hands
Parenting Tips for Gross Motor Skills:
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When your baby is between three and six months, place your infant on its belly and help it reach a rattle out in
front of it.
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Have fun with bubbles! Encourage your infant to move its arms by blowing bubbles and showing it how to swat at
them.
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Turn yourself into a chair for your infant. Sit behind your infant for support, and let it hold a toy or a soft book.
You can whisper in its ear, gently kiss its cheek - anything to let your baby know it's loved.
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Help your infant stand. Place it on your knees and gently hold it up to a standing position. This will strengthen your
infant's legs and help to gain balance to see the world in a new perspective.
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Babies love to bounce. Hold your infant's hands to help it stand up on the floor, your lap or the sofa. Watch your
baby smile as it bounces up and down.
6-9 Months
Parenting Tips for Gross Motor Skills
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From six to nine months, your infant is turning into a little explorer. Once its legs are strong, it might enjoy
standing, so put some toys on the sofa or a low table, to encourage reaching for them.
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Create an obstacle course. A few pillows and blankets on the floor make crawling much more exciting.
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Once your child can sit alone, give it toys. No need to run to the store, simply give it a shiny pot lid. Your child will
enjoy seeing its reflection and making music when banging on it.
Let your child create its own obstacle course. It will crawl under tables and behind chairs, so make sure those
areas are safe and clean.
9-12 Months
Most one-year-olds can:
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Sit without support
Crawl
Pull up to a standing position without using chairs or other people, then stand
Walk while holding something for support (a hand or toy)
Imitate you as you roll a ball
Crawl on hands and knees
Pull to stand and cruise around furniture
Walk with 2 hands held
Stand for a few seconds
Move into standing by lifting one leg
Parenting Tips for Gross Motor Skills:
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When your baby is between nine and twelve months old open a large box at both ends and encourage it to crawl
through the new tunnel.
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Another fun tunnel can be made by placing a sheet over a table. Turn this into a game by calling your baby's name
and rewarding it with kisses when it comes out of the tunnel.
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Turn changing diapers into a mini workout. When your baby is kicking its legs, start singing a song. When it stops
kicking, you stop singing. When it starts kicking, you start singing again. Your baby will be working those legs, plus
enjoying being in control of your actions.
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Containers are great toys. Now that your baby can sit, put a large see-through container in front of it with plastic
lids, blocks anything that will fit in the container. Your baby will love putting things into the bowl and dumping them
out.
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Turn bath time into fun time. Measuring cups and plastic funnels are great in the tub. Or, take a small plastic
watering can and making it 'rain' during bath time.
12-24 Months
Most 18 month olds can:
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Walk alone
Walk downstairs holding rail, one step at a time
Run in a hurried walk
Walk into a large ball to kick
Throw underhand in sitting
Pull toy behind while walking
Stand on one leg with help
Most two-year-olds can:
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Walk alone
Walk backwards
Lean over to pick up something without falling
Pull and push toys
Sit down in a small chair
Walk up and down stairs, holding your hand
Dance to music
Run fairly well
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Throw a ball into a box
Kick a ball forward
Walk downstairs with one hand held
Squat in play and begin to jump in place
Parenting Tips for Gross Motor Skills:
Suggested play to help a baby between 12 and 24 months develop gross motor skills
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When your baby is steady on its feet, pushing a stroller can be more fun than riding in one. Let it push the stroller
in a safe spot. Your child will feel so strong and powerful pushing it all by itself.
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Rocking chairs delight this age group. If you don't have a rocking horse or chair, let your baby use your body to
rock back and forth. Sit across from each other and sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" while you're both gently
pushing and pulling each other back and forth.
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Bring out the balls. Rolling a beach ball back and forth is a great inside activity. Between 16 and 20 months is a
good time to show your child how to kick a ball.
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Have a dance party. Clapping hands, stomping feet to the beat and twisting and turning are fun ways to strengthen
muscles. Vary the music, wave around scarves and giggle!
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Discover playgrounds. This is the time to introduce swings. Make sure to use the seat belt, then gently push your
child. Remember to show it how to push its feet out when going forward.
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Try laundry basketball. Get soft balls, small pillows or bean bags and toss them into a laundry basket.
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Chase me! Go to your back yard or the park. Make a game out of letting your child run, and then you chase it. Hugs
and kisses are a nice reward when you catch it, then switch. Run slowly and let your child try to catch you.
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Give a wagon ride. Encourage your toddler to fill a wagon with its teddy bears and give them a ride. Don't have a
wagon? Tie a string around a box and have your toddler pull it.
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Make music. Pots and pans can easily become a drum set. Or, get a toy piano or tambourine and let your child shake
and bang its way to happiness.
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Take baby steps. Learning to walk down steps is more difficult than walking up. Hold your child's hand and let it
slowly practice going up and down. The stairs of a small slide at the playground are a great place to practice
climbing steps.
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Make a pretend balance beam. Put a 2-inch wide strip of masking tape on the floor or sidewalk. Have your child walk
along the tape, placing one foot in front of the other.
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Get ready to bowl. Empty plastic soda bottles or milk cartons can be used as pins. Show your baby once how to roll
a large ball to knock them over and your baby will be getting strikes in no time.
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Be a frog. First, hold your baby's hands and encourage it to jump off a low step. Once it has the hang of that, put
something small on the ground and tell your baby to pretend it's a frog and jump over the object.
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Teach your baby how to drive. While too young for even a tricycle, a car with pedals can strengthen its legs and
help it learn how to control large car/truck.
24-36 Months
In the stages of child development,
most two-and-a-half-year olds can:
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Jump from the bottom step
Jump a distance of about 8 inches
Jump on a trampoline with 2 hands held
Begin to stand on one foot
Begin to ride a tricycle
Catch a large ball
Most three-year-olds can:
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Run forward well
Jump in place with two feet together
Stand on one foot (with some support)
Walk on tiptoe
Kick a ball forward
Walk on tiptoes and stand on one foot for up to 5 seconds
Avoid obstacles in path
Catch an 8 inch ball
Climb and walk up stairs alternating feet
Parenting Tips for Gross Motor Skills:
You can help with early child development. Suggested play to help a toddler between two and three develop gross motor
skills:
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Visit playgrounds often. When children see the slides and climbing structures, they naturally want to run, swing,
and climb everything in sight. If you can't make it to the playground, chasing each other in the backyard or taking a
walk can help your child's little muscles grow strong.
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Imitate each other. Stick your arms out wide and pretend to fly around the room. Tell your child it's his/her turn
to be the bird. Then, let your child be the leader and you copy whatever he/she does.
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Become a horse. If you cross your legs and place your child on your knee, it's easy to take it for a horse ride. A
variation would be to hold your child's hands while it straddles your foot. Then bounce, bounce, and bounce some
more.
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Play catch. Show your child how to hold out its hands and throw a ball directly, and gently, into them. Start out
standing close together. As your child gets better, move farther away.
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It's soccer time! Turn a large box on it's side to become your goal. Then take turns trying to kick the ball into the
goal, cheering when your little athlete makes a goal.
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Let's be kangaroos. Make a chalk line on the sidewalk or place a washcloth on the floor. Show your child how to
jump with both feet together and see how far each kangaroo can jump.
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Have fun with balloons. Here's a fun game for a rainy day. Kick a balloon from one side of the room to another. Put
a laundry basket on its side and your child can kick it into the basket.
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Act like animals. Can your child stand like a flamingo, squat like a duck, run on all fours like a lion? It's fun to try.
Don't forget to make the appropriate animal sounds!
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Make a river. Put a folded towel on the grass. Tell your child the towel is really a river and ask if he/she can jump
over the river without getting his/her feet wet. As your child gets better, unfold the towel for more of a
challenge.
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Go nuts with bubbles. Blow bubbles up high and watch your child jump and try to pop the bubbles by clapping its
hands. Switch and blow the bubbles towards the ground so it can stomp on them.
36-48 Months
Most four-year-olds can:
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Run around obstacles
Walk on a line
Balance on one foot for five to ten seconds
Hop on one foot
Push, pull and steer wheeled toys
Ride a tricycle
Use a slide independently
Jump over six inch high object and land on both feet together
Throw a ball overhead
Catch a bouncing ball
Parenting Tips for Gross Motor Skills:
You can help with early child development. Suggested play to help a child between three and four years develop gross motor
skills:
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Make a parade. Show your child how to march like a member of the band with its knees up high. If you have a drum
or flag, that's great. Then get a friend, or even the dog, to join you as you march around the house.
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Start a kangaroo family. Mommy and Daddy kangaroo can start by jumping with both feet together. Invite your
little kangaroo to follow you as you jump and jump.
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Play Simon Says. Simon says touch your toes. Simon says pat your head. Simon says shake your body. Pat your
knees. Oh, did Simon say to pat your knees?
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Get ready for the Super Bowl. Show your toddler how to kick a football. Place a cardboard box on its side and
encourage your child to kick the ball into the box. Remember to yell, "touchdown" when he/she gets the ball in the
box.
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Play some basketball. Take that same box and put it on a chair. Show your child how to throw overhand and cheer
as he/she tries to get the ball into the basket.
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It's time to take off! Turn your back yard into an airport. Have your child and a friend pretend to be airplanes with
their arms outstretched. When it's time to land, they must slow down and bend over.
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Create an obstacle course. Have your child follow you as you walk up the stairs, stop to sit on the bed, then walk on
all fours around a table. To do this outside, place a cooler in the center of the yard and a lawn chairs or two. Have
your child follow you as you weave through the objects.
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Play catch. Toss a soft ball to your child while standing relatively close. Slowly take a step back as he/she gets
better, until you're about 5 to 6 feet away.
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Play freeze. Turn on some music and have your child and some friends dance. When you stop the music, they must
stop moving and 'freeze' in their last position. When the music starts, they can start moving again.
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Aim for red. Place three different colored towels on the ground. Have your child toss plastic lids from coffee cans
to the different towels. It the red one is farthest away, see if it can toss its lid to that one.
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Practice the high jump. Place a block on the ground. Can your child jump over it and land with two feet at the same
time? Now add a block, and another. How many blocks can your child jump over?
48-60 Months
Most five-year-olds can:
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Walk backwards toe-heal
Jump forward 10 times without falling
Walk up and down stairs independently, alternating feet
Turn a somersault
Parenting Tips for Gross Motor Skills
You can help with early child development. Suggested play to help a child between four and five develop gross motor skills:
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X marks the spot. Paint an X, or tape a piece of paper with an X on it, to a fence. Take turns throwing tennis balls
at the X. Keep trying until you hit the X.
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Make the balloon fly. Tap a balloon so it goes up into the air. When it comes down, your child must tap it to make it
fly again. See how long you can keep the balloon flying in the air.
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It's time for basketball. At this age, you can teach your child how to dribble a ball. A small basket on a picnic table
can be your hoop.
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Dance your heart out. Turn on some music and get out some dish towels or scarves. Let your child swing the scarves
as it moves to the beat.
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Visit a playground. What to do first? With so many choices, your child will swing, slide, climb, and run!
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Have fun in all seasons. In the fall, jumping in leaves is great fun. In the winter, bundle up and make snow angels.
When summer comes, mom or dad can get out the sprinkler.
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Play animal charades. Cut out pictures of animals from a magazine and put them in a hat. Pick one out and act out
the animal. Pick a turtle? Get on the floor and slowly crawl. Pick a bunny rabbit? Start hopping.
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Be the conductor. Play some music and have your child direct the music. This is more fun if your child has ribbons in
its hands so it can watch the designs it makes in the sky
Fine Motor Skills
Under 3 Months
At this level, your infant is learning to lift his or her head and neck.
He or she is moving arms together and apart. Your infant will stare at bright objects and follow them with his or her eyes.
High-contrast patterns capture your baby's interest.
He or she will turn their head toward sounds and voices. By 3 months, your baby smiles at faces and at objects that
resemble faces.
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with infant developmental milestones.
Suggested play to help a child under three months of age develop fine motor skills:
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To attract attention, use toys with bright colors with bold strips and/or patterns, shiny objects (shiny party beads and
bangles), or a bright scarf around your neck. All should be presented within 8-12 inches from your baby's chest.
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For holding eye contact, show your face (make expressions), hold your baby to a mirror, and squeak toys with faces. You
can also draw or paste large faces onto paper plates to show your baby.
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To promote active arms, before a offering a toy, hold or suspend it about 8 inches from your baby's chest to create
excitement at seeing you and the toy.
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To encourage visual tracking, use toys, a bottle, or a mobile with sounds and bright colors moving in all directions slowly.
Visual tracking is hard work. Play for only 1-2 minutes.
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To bring hands to chest or midline, carry your baby cradled with arms forward, encourage exploring and touching your
face (kiss or nibble fingers for more feedback). After a bath, massage your baby's hand with lotion and rub hands
together, place a textured toy on your baby's chest to feel.
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To promote grasping, use rattles with slender handles, teethers, or your finger. Help your baby hold object in one hand at
a time because it is difficult to hold an object in both hands at this age. Offer rattles during diaper change or small cut
sponge during bath.
3-6 Months
At this time, discovery of hands and feet is occurring.
Your infant grasps objects within reach. From belly position, he or she will be rolling onto his or her back.
With support, your infant can be positioned in sitting. He or she will recognize consistent caregivers. Babbling begins, as does
responding to high-pitched sounds.
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with infant developmental milestones. Suggested play to help an infant 3 to 6 months of age develop fine motor
skills:
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Encourage looking from one toy to another using floating toys during a bath. Tape two simple bright pictures a few inches
apart on wall next to where your baby sleeps or plays.
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To promote early reaching, tap your baby's hand with a toy to encourage reaching. Swipe a dangling toy to show your
baby how the toy will dance when using mobiles and crib gyms.
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To promote reaching with both arms, nuzzle your baby's tummy with your face to encourage touching your head with both
arms, use plastic sunglasses to promote your baby to reach and pull off, or place a toy between your lips for reaching and
removing.
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Encourage looking at small items. Items of interest may be buttons on your shirt, colored finger nails, a Band-Aid, or a
refrigerator magnet.
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To encourage looking at distant objects, turn ceiling fans on and off, turn lights on and off, roll a ball past and away from
your baby, or look out the window to see cars, dogs, children playing outside.
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Encourage purposeful release of objects. During a bath, drop toys in water to make a splash. While seated in a high chair,
use cereal (Cheerios or Rice Crispies) to encourage grasping and releasing a handful. Or do the same with and ice cube or
bits of ice (coldness may promote release).
4-8 Months
Many skills are coming together at this level.
Your baby is rolling over to explore and get to objects, and he or she can sit independently for brief periods of time.
Objects are passed between hands. Your baby reaches for objects with both hands and enjoys banging two objects together.
He or she is recognizing familiar people and likes attention.
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with infant developmental milestones. Suggested play to help an infant 4 to 8 months of age develop fine motor
skills:
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To encourage reaching with one arm, use small toys, as large toys encourage two-handed reach. Present a cookie and wait
for reach, place a toy key ring over your infant's toes, and use bubbles to encourage reach.
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To promote banging objects for play, offer items such as a spoon, rattle, tray, pot, or pans. Bang a squeak toy against a
table.
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To promote wrist movements, use colorful wristbands with bells attached to the wrists. Banging, mouthing, and shaking
objects helps encourage wrist movements.
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To encourage transferring toys, offer a ball of masking tape. Place it in your infant's hand to see if your child will
attempt to pull it off with the other hand. During a meal, offering your baby a spoon is great for promoting transfer. Or
stick a Cheerio to one of your infant's hands to see if they will remove it with other hand.
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To promote picking up small objects, use cooked pasta or cubed Jello Jigglers placed on a highchair tray. For a fun
challenge, provide finger foods (offered toward the thumb side of your infant's hand).
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Let your baby paint with food. Yogurt, soft mashed carrots, or any other type of soft, smooth food is the perfect
consistency for doing some finger painting. Of course, licking your baby's fingers is part of the fun!
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Have your baby work for his or her meal. Pulling cooled noodles apart is a tremendous way to practice using his or her
fingers.
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Have fun in the tub. Plastic cups, pitchers, measuring cups and sponges let your baby practice holding, pouring, and
squeezing (not to mention making it fun to take a bath!).
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When supported, a sitting child will follow you with his or her eyes, reach and grasp for objects, drop objects, hold onto
small objects, bring hands to mouth, and place both hands on bottle when being bottle fed.
8-12 Months
Many skills come together between 8 and 12 months of age.
Your baby is rolling over to explore its surroundings and get to objects. He or she sits independently for brief periods of
time. Objects are passed between hands. Your baby will reach for objects with both hands and bang two objects together.
He or she is recognizing familiar people and likes attention.
Most one-year-olds can:
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Reach, grasp and put objects into mouth
Pick things up with pincer grasp (thumb and one finger)
Transfer objects from one hand to the other
Drop and pick up toys
Bang two objects together
Release objects (purposefully)
Put objects into and take objects out of containers with large openings
Pinch small objects, such as a Cheerio, with thumb and pointer finger
Bite and chew toys
Hold a spoon
Hold out an arm or leg to help with dressing
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with baby developmental milestones. Suggested play to help an infant 8 to 12 months of age develop fine motor
skills:
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To encourage reaching with one arm, use small toys, as large toys encourage two-handed reach. Present a cookie and wait
for reach, place a toy key ring over your infant's toes, and use bubbles to encourage reach.
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To promote banging objects for play, offer items such as a spoon, rattle, tray, pot, or pans. Bang a squeak toy against a
table.
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To promote wrist movements, use colorful wristbands with bells attached to the wrists. Banging, mouthing, and shaking
objects helps encourage wrist movements.
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To encourage transferring toys, offer a ball of masking tape. Place it in your infant's hand to see if your child will
attempt to pull it off with the other hand. During a meal, offering your baby a spoon is great for promoting transfer. Or
stick a Cheerio to one of your infant's hands to see if they will remove it with other hand.
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To promote picking up small objects, use cooked pasta or cubed Jello Jigglers placed on a highchair tray. For a fun
challenge, provide finger foods (offered toward the thumb side of your infant's hand).

Let your baby paint with food. Yogurt, soft mashed carrots, or any other type of soft, smooth food is the perfect
consistency for doing some finger painting. Of course, licking your baby's fingers is part of the fun!
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Have your baby work for his or her meal. Pulling cooled noodles apart is a fun way to practice using his or her fingers.
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Have fun in the tub. Plastic cups, pitchers, measuring cups and sponges let your baby practice holding, pouring, and
squeezing (not to mention making it fun to take a bath!).
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When supported, a sitting child will follow you with his or her eyes, reach and grasp for objects, drop objects, hold onto
small objects, bring hands to mouth, and place both hands on a bottle when being bottle fed.
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To promote pincer grasp development, encourage pulling tissues from a box, pegs from a board, or a straw from a cup.
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To promote banging objects together, use blocks, spoons, small plastic cups, plastic rings from ring stacker toy.
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To promote taking items out of containers, use these items for containers: shoe box without lid, butter tub, pots, pans,
and toy buckets. Use these items to fill the container: blocks, pop beads, bean bags, Lil' people.
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At mealtime, place finger foods into an empty butter cup, and at bath time, use cups filled with water to dump into tub.
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To promote more wrist movements, encourage waving "hi' and "bye." Finger paint with pudding using a whole, open hand.
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To encourage voluntary release, roll a ball back and forth together. Let your baby grasp and release sand, grass, pasta,
etc.
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To promote poke and probe using index finger, explore holes of toy dial phone, holes of a peg board, encourage pushing
buttons such as doorbells or keys of a piano.
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Babies love to clap. Help your baby bring his or her hands together and clap. Then hide baby's hands under a blanket. Your
baby will enjoy watching his or her hands go away and come back.
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Some babies love to rip paper. If that sounds like your baby, get a big basket and some old magazines and let him or her
rip, shred, and tear his or her way to happiness. (If your baby is more interested in putting wads of paper in his or her
mouth, put the basket away and try again in a few weeks.)
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Learn how to twist. Let your baby watch you put Cheerios or another type of cereal into a twist top or snap-top container.
Show your baby how to open it. After a few tries, your baby will be able to do this independently.
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Play catch. Make a ball out of a pair of socks. Sit close and toss it to your baby. Your baby probably cannot catch the ball,
but it will enjoy trying and chasing after it.
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Read before bed. Your baby will enjoy listening to you read and looking at the pictures in simple baby books. Keep those
fingers working by having your baby help you turn the page.
12-16 Months
At this level of development, your baby is favoring use of one hand.
While viewing books, he or she will be pointing to pictures.
He or she will be gripping objects and releasing into a container. While one hand holds an object, the other hand explores and
manipulates. Your baby is happy to build block towers, climb onto furniture, and climb stairs during this time. When offered
markers or crayons, he or she will scribble spontaneously.
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with baby developmental milestones. Suggested play to help a baby 12 to 16 months of age develop fine motor
skills:
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To encourage marks and scribbles, tape a large piece of paper to a table, offer crayons. Demonstrate and say "dot, dot,
dot" while making marks.
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To promote putting items into a container, use pots or a coffee can that will make interesting sounds as your child drops
items into the container.
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To promote stacking blocks, use a variety of stackable items such as tissue boxes, empty butter tubs, books, and shoe
boxes before trying to stack smaller items.
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To promote pointing with the index finger, use a 'texture book' where you child can poke a finger into cotton, fabric, and
various interesting materials.
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Place balls of Play-Doh into an ice cube tray or egg carton and show your child how to poke the material.
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To encourage scribbling, use a Magna Doodle, Aqua Doodle, or sidewalk chalk on pavement. Paper taped to table and
scribbled on with crayons is great too!
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To promote play with both hands, use bowls and a spoon for stirring. Help your child remove the paper wrapper from a
Popsicle or juice bar. Hold a tambourine and hit it with other hand. Even peeling a banana can be helpful and fun.
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Toys don't always come from stores. Make a small wad of masking tape, sticky side out. It's very entertaining and will
give your baby some good finger exercise.
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Fill and dump, again and again. Give your baby a plastic container and a mix of toys and household items. Show your baby
how to fill the container, and then dump everything out. The next day, change the items to keep it fun.
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Homemade blocks. Fill saved pint and quart milk cartons with rice, and show your baby how to stack them up and knock
them down.
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Squeeze those little hands. Put a sponge ball or washcloth in the bath and show your baby how to squeeze out all the
water.
16-20 Months
By 18 Months, most toddlers can:
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Build a tower using 2 cubes
Use hands together at midline (middle of the body)
Scribble
Point with pointer finger
Hold cup and drink - some spilling will occur
Remove socks
Place hats on heads
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with baby developmental milestones. Suggested play to help a baby 16 to 20 months of age develop fine motor
skills:
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Let your baby be a chef! Have your baby wash its hands and show it how to tear lettuce or spinach leaves. Remember to
tell the family who made the salad.
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Teach knife skills. Using a plastic knife, show your baby how to scoop and spread jelly or butter onto a piece of bread.
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Create edible art. Give your toddler a small container of Cheerios or other round cereal and a clean shoelace or piece of
string with tape around the edges to make it stiff. Show your baby how to string the Cheerios, and then eat them.

Create daily place mats. While you're busy making dinner, your toddler can be busy making place mats. Drawing is a great
activity for his/her little hands.
20-24 Months
Fine motor skills will be refining at this level.
Your toddler is able to make circular scribbles and imitate vertical lines.
Crayons are held between thumb and fingers. During play, he or she manipulates shapes and large puzzle pieces, building with
blocks, and scooping independently.
Most Two Year Olds can:
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Build a tower of three small blocks
Put four rings on a stick
Place five pegs in a pegboard
Turn pages two or three at a time
Scribble
Turn knobs
Throw a small ball
Paint with whole arm movement, shifting hands, making strokes
Build a tower with 4-6 blocks
Fold paper (randomly)
Imitate a circle when scribbling (not accurate)
Begin to use scissors and string beads
Use zippers
Open doors using knobs
Help with simple household tasks
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with baby developmental milestones. Suggested play to help a toddler 20 to 24 months of age develop fine
motor skills:

To encourage drawing a line (vertical or horizontal), draw a line with finger in wet sand or finger paint, demonstrate
making a line, and offer your toddler a chance to imitate you.

To promote circular scribbles, practice stirring with a bowl. Make circles in wet sand with your finger or a stick. Sit
next to your toddler while you demonstrate.

Make jewelry. Stringing beads, macaroni, or large cereal will help your child learn how to use two hands at the same time.
Remember to put tape at the end of the shoelace or string.

Puzzles are fun. This is a great age to introduce simple puzzles. You can even make your own by cutting a cereal box into
three or four large pieces.

Create a photo album. Make a small picture book just for your toddler with photos of family, friends, and pets. Your
toddler will enjoy helping you put the book together. Later, you can look at the book and talk about the people, again and
again!

Make a fruit salad. By using a plastic picnic knife or even a Popsicle stick, your baby can cut up soft fruit like bananas or
peaches. He or she can sprinkle raisins on top and stir it all together.

Write a store list. While you're making a shopping list, give your child paper and a crayon and have him or her 'write'
their own list.
30-36 Months
Most Three Year Olds can:
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String four large beads
Turn single pages
Snip with scissors
Hold crayons with thumb and finger (not fist)
Use one hand consistently in most activities
Imitate circular, vertical, and horizontal strokes
Paint with some wrist action. Make dots, lines, and circular strokes
Roll, pound, squeeze, and pull clay
Build tower of up to 9 cubes
String 1/2 inch beads
Cut along a line
Use a fork
Manage large buttons
Dress self with supervision
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with toddler developmental milestones. Suggested play to help a toddler 30 to 36 months of age develop fine
motor skills:

Bubbles are fun. First draw bubbles of all sizes on a piece of paper ' big ones, little ones, green ones, and purple ones.
Then blow some real bubbles.

Become a mechanic. Collect a group of large bolts with matching nuts. Show your child how to find the one that matches
and then twist them together. (Supervise this activity to make sure your child doesn't put anything in its mouth.)

Turn tongs into toys. How many cotton balls can your child move from one container to another with a pair of kitchen
tongs? This requires concentration. After the cotton balls, switch to something heavier like walnuts or small stones.

Make a delicious puzzle. Next time you make your child a sandwich, cut it into three odd shapes and have him/her put the
puzzle together before he/she eats the 'pieces'.

M is for Morgan. Show your child how to write the first letter of his or her name. Even if it doesn't look close to the
letter, clap and tell him or her you are proud of the accomplishment.
36-42 Months
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with toddler developmental milestones. Suggested play to help a toddler 36 to 42 months of age develop fine
motor skills:

Dress the bear. Find some of your child's old baby clothes that fit its teddy bear or another stuffed animal. Look for
clothes with large buttons or snaps so your child can practice small finger work. Have your child dress his or her animal!

Pick peas from a pod. Buy some fresh peapods. Show your child how to find the peas hiding inside the shell. He or she can
put all the peas they can find into a bowl, then rinse them off and eat them.

Decorate the sidewalk. Outdoor chalk is a fun way to use hand muscles. Or give your child a paint brush and a bucket of
water. The painting will be fun and so will the magic of evaporation. "Where did your picture go?"

Make more jewelry. Cut circles and flowers from colored paper, punching a hole in the center of each. Next, cut a large
plastic soda straw into pieces. Let your child string a shoelace with alternating flowers, straw pieces, and circles. Your
child may not always alternate the pieces, but that doesn't matter. Tie the ends and he or she will have a beautiful
necklace.
42-48 Months
Most four-year-olds can:
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Build a tower of nine small blocks
Drive nails and pegs
Copy a circle
Imitate cross
Manipulate clay material (rolls balls, snakes, cookies)
Hold a pencil with appropriate grasp
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with toddler developmental milestones. Suggested play to help a toddler 42 to 48 months of age develop fine
motor skills:

Play button hide-and-seek. Provide clothes for your child featuring one or two large buttons. As your child is trying to
fasten the button, pretend it is a hide-and-seek-game with the button hiding at first, then 'peeking out' from the hole,
and finally coming all the way through.

Cut coupons. Give your child some coupon flyers and safety scissors. Ask your child to cut out the coupons (don't expect
them to be perfect, they might not even be usable). He or she will love the feeling that they are helping you.

Make magazine puzzles. Take a colorful page from a magazine and cut it into five or six pieces. Make the pieces sturdy by
gluing onto cardboard before you cut it. Save the puzzle in an envelope to use again and again.

Play a game of pick-up. Give your child a pair of tweezers or small tongs and two cups. Put some cotton balls, large pieces
of macaroni, or large beans into one of the cups and have your child pick them up with the tweezers and put them into the
other cup. Once your child can do this, make it more exciting by having a race. Do it fast. Ready, set, go!

Wind a clock. If you have a wind-up clock, show your child how to wind the alarm or turn the hands. Not only will your
child get some good fine motor practice, but it will also learn something about how clocks work.
48-54 Months
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with your child's developmental milestones. Suggested play to help developing fine motor skills in a child 48 to
54 months of age:

Play with pudding. Make a batch of pudding (your child will be good at stirring the ingredients). Place a few spoonfuls on a
cookie sheet or a large plate. (You may want to cover the table with newspaper first.) Have your child wash its hands and
then finger-paint in the pudding. Your child can practice letters and shapes or draw pictures. The best part is cleaning up!

When the mail comes, let your child open the junk mail. He or she can exercise his or her fingers opening the mail, and
may find some little surprises inside. Help your child write and mail letters to family members or to a favorite performer
or athlete.

Make paper chains. Paper chains can be made by cutting any type of paper into strips about 1 inch by 5 inches. Show your
child how to make a loop by gluing or taping the ends together. Create a chain by inserting the next length through the
first loop and so forth. See how long you can make the chain.

Homemade books are fun! Staple, tape, glue or sew together a few pieces of paper. On the pages, your child can draw
pictures or paste in cut-out pictures from magazines to illustrate a story. Encourage your child to tell you its story. Help
your child by writing down its words on each page.

Artists always sign their masterpieces. After your child makes you a picture with paint or crayons, ask him or her to sign
their name. Show your child how to do it, and watch them make the marks on the paper. It won't look just right, but
letting your child do things on his or her own is a powerful way to help them learn.
54-60 Months
Most Five Year Olds Can:
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Cut on a line continuously
Copy a cross
Copy a square
Print some capital letters
Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:
You can help with your child's developmental milestones. Suggested play to help developing fine motor skills in a child 54 to
60 months of age:

Make a family portrait. Encourage your child to draw a picture of the family. When he or she is done, ask them to tell you
about the picture.
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Wrap it up. Give your child a small sturdy box, some newspaper or wrapping paper tape and ribbon. Let your child practice
wrapping the box. Later they can wrap a real present for a friend in their very own way.

Color the sidewalks. Decorate your sidewalks with beautiful chalk drawings. Colorful chalk can be found at any toy store
and some supermarkets. Don't forget to remind your child to sign its name!

Make lacing cards. Using safety scissors, your child can cut out simple pictures of familiar things from magazines and glue
the pictures onto the cardboard. With a paper punch, punch several holes around the outside of the picture. Tie a
shoestring or heavy piece of yarn through one of the holes. Make sure the other end of the string has tape wrapped
around it to make a firm tip. Your child can sew in and out around the edges of the card.

Make a map. Draw a large square for your child. Ask your child to make a map of its room, showing where the bed,
dresser, etc. are located. After making a map of the room, your child can make one of the entire house.
Speech Development
Under 4 Months
Parenting Tips for Speech Skills
Suggested play to help speech development for your child:

When you hold your baby, trying singing a song. Your infant enjoys the repetitive nature of a melody it hears again and
again. Add the soothing movement of a rocking chair and see who falls asleep faster, you or your baby!

It's never too early to read. Snuggle together and read to your baby from a book with clear, colorful pictures. Talk softly
and point to the cow, the birds, or anything else on the pages. Your baby will learn at an early age that reading with you is
a special time.

Point out common sounds. You might not think it is special when the phone rings or a car honks its horn, but everything is
new and exciting to your baby. Point out these environmental sounds. "Do you hear that? The phone is ringing."

Face to Face. When your baby is awake, cuddle it so it can see your face. Talk for a little bit. If your baby coos, squeals,
or makes any other sound, react to those sounds. You might not understand what your baby is telling you, but you two are
having a conversation.
4-8 Months
A typical 6-month-old child can (or has already mastered):
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Squeal
Laugh
Respond to sounds, music and speech of others
Respond to their name
Babbles maybe even 2 consonants
Parenting Tips for Speech Skills:
Want to help your infant with speech development?

From four months on, you can use your words to stay in touch with your baby. If your child is in its crib and it can't see
you putting the clothes away in the dresser, keep talking. Your child will know you're there by the sound of your voice.

Make up songs. Changing a diaper? Sing, "Here we go a-diapering, a-diapering, a-diapering, here we go a-diapering so early
in the morning." If your baby is in its high chair having a snack, sing, "Chew, chew, chew says the Mommy...yum, yum, yum
says the tummy!"

Play hide and seek. Move where your baby can't see you. Call its name. "Maria, Maria where are you?" Reappear and say,
"There you are!"
8-12 Months
Most One Year Olds can:
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Recognize name
Say "mama" and "dada" (nonspecifically) and 2-3 words besides "mama" and "dada"
Imitate familiar words
Understand simple instructions
Recognize words as symbols for objects: car points to garage, dog barks
Babble single consonants
Shout for attention
Wave hi and bye
Demonstrate an understanding of some words by gesturing or pointing
Parenting Tips for Speech Skills:
Around eight months, you'll notice your baby has a lot to say. He or she will play with sounds like "ba ba ba," as well as know
that "dada" means Dad.
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Explain the grocery store. Your baby will enjoy sitting in the grocery cart looking at all the sights, but remember to talk
to him/her about what he/she is seeing. "Look, over there are apples. Lets get some red apples."
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Give simple directions. When your baby is getting a bath, hand over the washcloth and say, "Wash your tummy."

Eliminate background noise. If you have a television or radio on throughout the day, your baby will have a hard time
hearing the gentle ticking of a clock or the birds chirping outside. It will also be easier for your baby to hear the sounds
of your words more clearly.
Walk in the room where Grandma is sitting and say, "Where's Grandma?" When your baby follows directions, make sure
you acknowledge the accomplishment and thank them.
12-24 Months
In speech development, typical 18-month-olds can:
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Use 10-15 words spontaneously
Attempt to sing
Say "No" meaningfully
Gesture to express needs
Name one or two familiar objects
In speech development, most two-year-olds can:
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Understand "no"
Use 10 to 20 words, including names
Combine two words such as "daddy bye-bye"
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Wave good-bye and plays pat-a-cake
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Point to his or her toes, eyes, and nose
Make the "sounds" of familiar animals
Give a toy when asked
Use words such as "more" to make wants known
Bring objects from another room when asked
Repeat up to 4 word phrases
Attempt to sing using words
Refer to self by name
Be intelligible about half of the time
Identify pictures using words
Parenting Tips for Speech Skills
Suggested play to help a baby between 12 and 24 months develop its speech skills:

Clap to the beat. While listening to music, show your baby how to move and clap in rhythm. Expose your baby to
everything from classical and country to rock and roll.
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Make small sentences. When your baby hands you its cup and simply says, "Juice," turn it into a small sentence. Say,
"More juice?" This will encourage your baby to start making its own two word sentences.

Ring, ring, it's for you! Next time a relative calls, ask them to talk to your baby. Your baby won't talk back but it will be
delighted to hear Dad or Grandmas voice on the other end of the phone.

Bring out the animal in you. Read books about baby animals and practice the sounds they make. Then you can be a Mommy
cow and your baby becomes a baby cow. You'll have fun mooing at each other.

What did we see? When you get home from the park or running errands, start talking about something you saw, it can be
helpful to explain what you saw to another person. "Tell Grandma about the fire engine we saw."

Play the help me game. Asking your baby to help you throughout the day helps it connect more words to the objects they
represent. When you are getting dressed, point to your shoes and say, "Can you help me by getting my shoe?"

Wash from head to toe. When you are giving your baby a bath, name all of the body parts as you wash them. Make your
baby's head nice and clean, rub the dirt off its belly, don't forget to clean the toes!

Reading is everywhere. Most parents take the time to read books to their babies, but remember to read wherever you
are. If you are in a restaurant, read the menu together. At the grocery store, point out the words above the fruit to
show that you are reading.
24-36 Months
In speech development, most two-and-a-half-year olds can:
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Use 50+ words
Answer questions
Refer to self as "I" or "me"
Communicate mostly with speech and shows frustration when misunderstood
In speech development, most three-year-olds can:
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Identify body parts
Carry on a 'conversation' with self and dolls
Ask "what's that?" And "where's my?"
Use 2-word negative phrases such as "no want"
Form some plurals by adding "s": book, books
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Speak 450 words
Give first name, hold up fingers to tell age
Combine nouns and verbs "mommy go"
Understand simple time concepts: "last night", "tomorrow"
Refer to self as "me" rather than by name
Try to get adult attention: "watch me"
Like to hear same story repeated
Possibly say "no" when means "yes"
Talk to other children as well as adults
Solve problems by talking instead of hitting or crying
Answer "where" questions
Name common pictures and things
Use short sentences like "me want more" or "me want cookie"
Ask questions starting "when", "where" or "who"
Be understood 80% of the time
Use vocabulary of 200+ words
Repeat five word sentences
Can often make words into the plural e.g. "She 'doed' this..."
Parenting Tips for Speech Skills
Suggested play to help with toddler speech development between 2 and 3:

Take field trips. Your child will enjoy going to new places. This doesn't need to be expensive. For example, take a bus to a
different part of town, walk by the big buildings, then sit on a bench and watch the buses and trucks drive by. Even
better, see if you can find a construction site! Little boys and girls both love to watch back hoes in action.

Make sock puppets. No need to make this an elaborate craft project. Simply put a sock over your hand and pretend to
talk to your toddler. "I'm Suzy the sock. I love to keep your toes warm." Encourage your toddler to talk back (as
him/herself, or as another sock).

Sing songs. If you don't remember songs from your own childhood, go to the library and pick up a book with "Twinkle,
Twinkle, Little Star" or "Ba Ba Black Sheep." Your toddler will love to sing the song for someone else in the family.

Wash a baby. Give your toddler a plastic tub and a plastic doll and have him/her wash the doll or, he/she can bring the
doll into the tub. Name the doll parts as they are washed, You did a good job washing the baby's feet! Praise your child
for taking such good care of his/her baby.

What did I hear? Try this at night. When the house is quiet, listen with your child for interesting sounds. "What's that?"
"Its the refrigerator motor." This is good to do on a summer night when you might hear crickets, wind chimes or a dog
barking.

Make a photo album. Fill this book with pictures of people and pets that your child knows. As your child is looking at the
book, ask him/her to tell you a little bit about the people or pets that he/she sees.

Play the forgetful game. You child will laugh when you give everyday household items silly names. Point to your child's bed
and say, "I forget what this is. Is it a car?" Your child will enjoy telling you the real word. The sillier you are makes this
even better!

Read, pause and ask. When reading a book, take the time to stop and ask questions. Point to the illustrations and ask your
toddler what they think will happen next.
36-48 Months
In child speech development, most four year olds can:
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Can tell a story
Have a sentence length of 4-5 words
Have a vocabulary of nearly 1,000 words
Can name at least one color
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Understand "yesterday," "summer", "lunchtime", "tonight", "little-big"
Begin to obey requests like "put the block under the chair"
Know his or her last name, name of street on which he/she lives and several nursery rhymes
Parenting Tips for Speech Skills
Suggested play to help a toddler between 3 and 4 years develop its speech skills:

Where do they live? Help your child learn directions by talking about where animals live. When you see birds flying,
mention that they fly up in the sky. See a bunny? Ask your child if it can find their bunny hole, under the ground. When
you see a rock, ask your child if they think any bugs live under it, then pick up the rock to find out!

Make a weather report. Have your child look outside every morning and tell you the weather. If you have a large calendar,
your child can draw a sun on the calendar when the sun shines or rain drops when its raining. On cloudy days, your child
can draw clouds on the calendar.

Happy birthday! Start a tradition of making birthday cards for your relatives. Your toddler will enjoy making the card. He
or she can draw a picture and decorate it with stickers. With your help, your child can even write Happy Birthday. Then
mail the card. Your child will feel proud when the recipient thanks them for the special card.

Become an author. Your child can start to make up its own stories. Write them down on paper as he/she tells them to you.
Have your child draw a cover, then attach the pages and you just made your child's first book. You might even want to
laminate the pages so your child can read it again and again.

How many can we find? Traveling in a bus or car is the perfect time to play this game. Start with animals. I wonder how
many animals we can see today. Then start pointing out all the dogs and cats you see. Don't forget the dog on the
billboard or store sign. Playing how many pumpkins can we find is fun around Halloween. On a rainy day, you might loose
count if you look for umbrellas!

Play copy cat. Develop memory skills and have fun by having your child copy your actions. Tell your child you want him or
her to copy what you do. First, pat your head. Then tell you child to do what you did. Next, flap your arms like a bird.
Have your child pat his/her head and flap his/her arms. Add a clap and a wink. See how long you can go!

What comes next? When you're reading a book that your child loves, pause for a moment and see if they are able to give
you the next word. Repeat this periodically as you're reading.
48-60 Months
In child speech development, most five year olds can:
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Have sentence length of 4-5 words
Use past tense correctly
Have a vocabulary of nearly 1,500 words
Point to colors red, blue, yellow and green
Identify triangles, circles and squares
Understand "In the morning", "next", "noontime"
Can speak of imaginary conditions such as "I hope"
Ask many questions, such as "who?" and "why?"
Parenting Tips for Speech Skills
Suggested play to help a toddler between 4 and 5 years develop its speech skills:

Plan an excellent adventure. Decide with your child on a new place you want to visit. Read about it if you can, and talk
about what you hope to see when you're there. It might be a park you've never been to, or a museum. After you come
home, ask questions about what you saw and did.

What does it feel like? Put a few objects in a bag. Without looking, have your child pick an object and describe it to you.
See if your child can guess what it is. Try a screw, a big feather, measuring cup and a cotton ball.

Look for cloud pictures. Take a blanket outside, lie down and watch the clouds go by. Talk about what you see. "Does that
fluffy one look like whip cream?" "Look over there. I see an elephant's head!"

End the day on a happy note. Every night when your tuck your toddler in bed, ask "What was the best part about today?"
Ask questions to encourage your child to tell you more. Then tell him/her the best moment of your day.

Give your child an office. Your child watches you do "important tasks" like pay bills, balance the check book, and schedule
appointments. So, give your child a mini office where they can do the same. All you need is a calculator, toy phone, note
pad, pencils, paper, and envelopes. A computer keyboard is a nice touch. Pretend with them, asking what time he or she
will be going to work and then call your child on his or her toy phone.

Guess the animal. This is fun for the whole family. Cut out some photos of animals from magazines. Turn the pictures
upside down and have one person at a time choose a picture. Everyone asks yes or no questions to guess the identity of
the animal, like "Does it fly?" When a person correctly guesses the animal, it's their turn to take a picture and answer
the questions.
Cognitive Development
Under 4 Months
When your baby is under four months, she'll enjoy looking at herself in a mirror. Hold her in front of a mirror and see if she
smiles and makes noises at herself.
Feet are fun! Put a brightly colored sock on your baby's foot. This will encourage her to look at her feet and pull at them and
catch a foot. This game will also help your baby discover parts of her own body.
Make funny faces. Sometimes your baby will be staring intently at your face, taking in every detail. Make an 'oh' face; stick
out your tongue or pucker your lips. Hold that expression and see if your baby imitates it. Smile if your baby copies you!
Play the tickle, tickle feather game. Lightly stroke your baby with a feather or even a cotton ball. She'll enjoy the sensation
as she learns to isolate different body parts. Talk to your baby softly. Describe what she is feeling.
At this age, it is normal for your baby to demand attention, like interactive play, and enjoy repeating activities.
4-8 Months
Between the ages of 5 and 8 months, you'll notice your baby loves looking at other babies. Invite another parent and his or
her baby to share in this experience, and stay close to the babies as they discover one other.
Where's the baby? When folding laundry, cover your baby with a sheet or towel. Say, 'Where's the baby?' Wait a second
and pull down the cloth. 'Oh, there's the baby!'
Waving bye-bye. Wave bye-bye when you leave the room for a moment or two. As you wave, tell your baby where you are
going. 'I am going into the kitchen, I'll be right back. Bye-bye.'
Share a surprise. It's time to give your baby toys that pop-up and squeak. Let your baby discover how to make the toy noises
and be just as surprised as she is!
Shhh! It's time to whisper. As your walking or rocking your baby, whisper sweet words into her ear. This will help her calm
down and provide another way to talk in a loving voice.
At this age, your baby also demands attention, likes interactive play, and enjoys repeating activities.
8-12 Months
In terms of cognitive development, most One-Year Olds can:
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Show happiness to see her parents' face, bottle, toys and mirror
Know strangers from family; cries when parent goes away
Begins to play simple games
Gives affection and love
Pay attention to simple commands such as 'No' and 'Give it to me'
Show anxiety when separated from her parents
Have fear with new situations
Parenting Tips for Toddler Cognitive Development:
By nine months, your baby might enjoy follow the leader. Use simple movements, like tapping on the table or putting on a hat.
Say, 'Your turn,' and see if he or she is able to follow along. Remember to let her have a turn at being the leader.
Wash your belly. When your baby is taking a bath, give her the washcloth. Encourage her to wash herself. Later, when she's
getting dressed let her help get dressed by pushing her arm through her shirt. These skills take a long time to develop. Be
patient and practice every once and a while.
Eat like a big boy. Let your baby feed himself during snack time. Give him a choice of wholesome food, like crackers, pieces
of fruit, or cheese. With a little help, he might be able to drink from a cup, just like you!
Put him or her to work! Babies this age like to help, so provide them with a damp sponge and let them wipe the table and
chairs.
12-24 months
In terms of cognitive development, most Two-Year Olds will:
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Recognize self in the mirror
Play for longer periods of time
Often says 'no' to bedtime and other requests
Enjoy dancing to music
Feel proud when doing things independently
Enjoy messy activities
Be willing to release toy to her parent
Give hugs and kisses to her parent
Play with a ball cooperatively
Like to be the center of attention
Begin to say 'NO'
Imitate chores
Show jealousy
Begin to recognize distress in others and comfort them
Begin to resist and fight, and become easily frustrated
Show a wide array of emotions
Parenting Tips for Toddler Cognitive Development:
Suggested ideas to help a baby between 12 and 24 months develop his or her social and problem-solving skills:

Now is the time to let your toddler join the family at the table. He may need a booster seat but he'll be able to eat with
his own spoon and fork. He can even help you set a place at the table.

Play the matching game. When you're folding laundry, play this game. Put some of the socks in a pile. Ask your toddler to
find the one that matches the little green one. Show her how to match the sock if she needs help, and then ask, 'Who
wears these little green socks?'

Good night nose. When getting your toddler ready for bed, say goodnight with a kiss on different parts of his body.
'Goodnight little nose (kiss), goodnight little ear (kiss) etc. Ask what part of his body you should say good night to next.

Start a collection. Take a little pail with you as you go for a walk and collect little rocks, leaves, etc. When you get home
put things together into different groups. Separate the big rocks from the little rocks, the rocks from the leaves, or the
black rocks from the white ones. Make sure she doesn't put anything in her mouth.
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Give plenty of hugs. This can be a frustrating time for a toddler. Be ready to provide lots of comfort and reassurance.

Everyone needs a bed. Turn a shoe box into a bed for your toddler's favorite doll or stuffed animal. A dishtowel is the
perfect size to be a blanket. Before bedtime, your toddler can read a story and tuck their toy animal into his new bed.

Plan some play dates. While your child won't be able to play independently, he or she will enjoy playing next to other
children. Make sure there are several cars or dolls so it's easier to share. Praise the children when they are playing well
together.
Take turns drawing. Get a large piece of paper and take turns copying what the other person draws or scribbles.
Have a picnic. Eating on a blanket in the backyard is very fun when your toddler is this age. Make it a party by inviting a
few stuffed animals to join you! On rainy days, a picnic in the living room is just as much fun.
24-36 Months
In terms of cognitive development, most Three-Year Olds will:
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Be able to control bladder and bowel functions, but still has accidents
Play with others for short periods of time
Starts learning how to dress herself
Wants to help parents
Possibly have an imaginary friend
Resist taking a nap but could still need one
Become shy, possibly start to whine and possibly procrastinate
Possibly become aggressive and frustrated easily
Begin to follow simple rules
Not like change
Possibly show a wide array and quickly change emotions
Parenting Tips for Toddler Cognitive Development:
Suggested ideas to help a child between 2 and 3 years develop his or her social and problem-solving skills:

Play hide the bear. Hide a stuffed animal under something. Give your child clues to help her find it. 'Where's the bear?
She's under something red.' Keep giving her clues until she finds it. Then it's her turn to hide something and you try to
find it. Where does this go?

Two to three year olds are very good at helping you clean up, if you make it a game. If a book is on the floor and it
belongs on the end table, ask her, 'where does this go?'

Learn colors with laundry. Helping you sort the laundry is a great way to learn colors. All the blue clothes go on one pile all
the white on another, etc. Remember to thank him for being such a good helper.

Help her understand her feelings. When you teach your child the names that go with feelings, she will be better able to
handle her feelings. If you know your child is frustrated, us the words, 'I can see that you are frustrated, but it will be
your turn in a minute.'

Have fun with friends. Invite one of your child's friends to come play for a short period of time. Make sure there are
enough toys to share. If the weather is nice, plan to meet a friend at the playground.

Play the silly mix-up game. While your child is getting ready for bed, remind him to brush his toes. As you comb his hair,
tell her how much you like combing his arms. He'll laugh and enjoy correcting you by telling you the right name.

Find big and little. Put a few shoes together and ask her to find the big shoe, now find the little shoe. It's a great game
to play at a park, 'I see a big dog, let's look for a little one' or even at the supermarket.

Look for letters. When you are in the car, on a bus or even taking a walk, you can look for letters on the store signs,
billboards, bumper stickers or anything else. 'I see the big, yellow M, do you?'
36-48 Months
In terms of cognitive development, most Four-Year Olds will:
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Will play games with other children and can agree to rules
Like to sing, dance and act
Might be bossy and defiant
Have an understanding of time, know 'yesterday' and 'next summer'
Shows more independence
Interested in physical difference between girls and boys
Parenting Tips for Toddler Cognitive Development:
Suggested ideas to help a toddler between 3 and 4 years develop his or her social and problem-solving skills

Let's go shopping! Give your toddler some play money and set up a store. Use empty milk cartons or canned goods and
unwrapped food. Or, set up a toy store with some of his toys. Help your child count the right amount of money for his
purchases.

Help at the real store. Before your next trip to the supermarket, cut out a few pictures of things you plan to purchase
and put them in an envelope. Ask your child to pick out a picture to remind you what you need. If he pulls out a picture of
apples, say, 'Yes we need to buy apples,' and put a few apples in your cart.

It's time for dress-up. Go through your closets and pull out old, interesting looking clothes. Big hats, boots and scarves
are fun. Let your child's imagination run wild with the possible outfits she can create.

Count while you wait. To help your child learn to wait, count to 10. Say, 'Joe can be on the swing while we count to ten,
then it's your turn.' Count out loud with your child. He'll learn his numbers while learning that the wait will soon be over.

Play a memory game. Start the game by saying, 'We're going to a picnic and we're bringing an apple.' Next is her turn to
add something but she must say what you are bringing, 'We're going on a picnic and we're bringing an apple and hot dogs.'
Take turns adding things and see who can remember it all: 'We're going on a picnic and we're bringing an apple, hot dogs,
a balloon and a dog and a cake and a...'

Fill in the blanks. Next time you're reading one of your child's favorite poems or nursery rhymes, pause and let him or her
fill in a few words.
You: Hickory, dickory...
Child: Dock
You: The mouse ran up the...
Child: Clock

Everyone can bake. Have your child help you bake cupcakes. You can measure the ingredients, she can stir. You handle
anything that's hot; she gets to spread the icing with a plastic spoon. At dinner, let her share her cupcakes with the
whole family.

Have a scavenger hunt. This can be played with other siblings and adults. First start with colors; 'Find something blue and
put it on the table. When you get tired of finding colors, make it harder by changing it to a category, 'Find something
that you put in your hair (comb, brush ponytail holder) or, 'Find something we use when it's cold outside' (coat, gloves,
hats).
Make puppets. Gluing scrapes of fabric on old socks or cut out pictures from magazines and tape them to Popsicle sticks
or paint stirring sticks. Have fun talking in pretend voices.

Practice pouring. Give your child a small pitcher or a measuring cup and let him pour his own milk into his cup. Be prepared
for spills but remember, he needs to practice to get better!

Discuss the past. When the seasons change, ask her what he remembers about summer, fall, winter or spring. Keep the
conversations going with her by asking lots of questions!
48-60 Months
In terms of cognitive development, most Five-Year Olds will:
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Be able to dress himself
Handle all bathroom responsibilities independently
Follow the rules to games, but sometimes change them as she goes
Can help with chores
Parenting Tips for Preschool Cognitive Development:
Suggested ideas to help a toddler between 4 and 5 years develop her social and problem-solving skills:

Make up rhymes. Ask your child to think of a word that rhymes with pie. Let's say she says sky. See if you can think of
any more then make a funny sentence using them. 'Look it the sky! A flying pie! Will it fall on my eye?'

Go Fish! Playing card games with your child is a great way to learn how to follow rules and take turns. Old Maid and Animal
Rummy are also fun. Your child might enjoy other simple games, like Candy Land, Don't Spill the Beans, or Chutes and
Ladders.

Become a chef. This is a great age to help in the kitchen. Here's a recipe a child can make with minimal supervision:
muffin pizzas. Let your child spread some spaghetti sauce on an English muffin, sprinkle on cheese and his favorite
topping. You cook the pizza in the oven for him. After he enjoys his snack, it's time to clean up!

Go camping in the living room. Have your child and a friend build a tent from sheets and blankets draped over chairs. Add
some flashlights and maybe a few stuffed animals and they'll have a good time.

Play 'I Spy.' Riding the bus or car or waiting for food in a restaurant is the perfect time to play I Spy. Say, 'I spy a
green hat.' And wait until your child finds it, then it's her turn. Remember to also look for letters and numbers.

Eat the alphabet. Make pretzels from pizza dough or pie crust dough. Cut the dough in strips and have your child help you
form letters from the dough. Brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with some salt. Bake until golden. Try to think of
something that starts with the letter, before you eat it!

Be an engaging story teller. Don't just read a story to your child; use different voices for each character to make the
story come alive. Next ask your child to do the same for you.

Play switch. Let your child be the parent and you be the child. You pretend you need help brushing your hair. She comes
and helps. Try to break one of your rules and see what your 'parent' says. 'Can I have ice cream for breakfast?' Ask her
to read you a story, the list is endless!

I can do it! Your child now can take care of a lot of her personal needs, but she will need extra time. Let her do what she
can, be patient and ready to help.
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Teach 911. A preschooler should know his name, address, and telephone number. Teach your child what to do in
emergency. You can role-play calling 911 with a play phone but remember to teach your child to use a real phone for a real
emergency.
Visual Skills Development
At Birth
A physician will examine your newborn's eyes at birth to rule out congenital cataracts and other serious problems. At this
time an antibiotic will be put on the eyes to prevent infection from bacteria that was present in the birth canal.
Nerve cells in the retina and brain that control vision are not completely developed. Therefore, infants can only see in black
and white and shades of gray. Newborns cannot focus on near objects, as eyes do not yet have the ability to
accommodate. The estimated visual acuity of a newborn is between 20/200 and 20/400. This means that a newborn can see
at 20 feet what an adult with normal vision can see at 200-400 feet. Studies show that infants enjoy looking at
faces. Since they cannot see much detail, they are really studying the outline of the face in contrast to the hairline. For
the first 2 months your infant's eyes are not coordinated. One eye may wander or eyes may appear crossed. If this
continues after 4 months consult your child's physician.
Pigmentation of the irises is not yet complete. Babies born with darker skin tend to be born with darker eyes that stay
relatively the same color. However babies born with lighter skin are usually born with blue or bluish-gray eyes. The pigment
in the eyes will change over the first year of life resulting in a deeper darker color. Permanent eye color is not set in stone
until at least 9 months of age.
Strategies
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To encourage visual interaction keep hairstyle the same
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While pastel colors in a nursery may look pleasing to an adult, to a newborn it essentially does nothing as they end up
seeing only one shade blurred together. Instead decorate the infant's room in bright cheerful colors, using contrasting
colors and shapes.
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Do not over do black and white. While it is great for toys, too much of it, such as on the baby's sheets, bumpers, and wall
hangings can cause sensory overload. Using black and white contrasts and patterns on crib sheets and around the crib can
cause the infant to be over stimulated at a time when they are there for rest. Infants should have somewhere in their
crib where they can turn from visual stimulation when they have had enough and need a break.
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Use a nightlight or dim light in baby's room
To encourage your baby to look up at your face try humming while breast feeding
When interacting with your baby position your face or toy 8-12 inches away from his/her face
Moving objects helps attract your infant's attention
Research has shown that black and white and other bright colors of high contrast stimulate your baby's retina
development
When outside, keep your infant in the shade to protect his/her eyes from the sun
At Birth
A physician will examine your newborn's eyes at birth to rule out congenital cataracts and other serious problems. At this
time an antibiotic will be put on the eyes to prevent infection from bacteria that was present in the birth canal.
Nerve cells in the retina and brain that control vision are not completely developed. Therefore, infants can only see in black
and white and shades of gray. Newborns cannot focus on near objects, as eyes do not yet have the ability to
accommodate. The estimated visual acuity of a newborn is between 20/200 and 20/400. This means that a newborn can see
at 20 feet what an adult with normal vision can see at 200-400 feet. Studies show that infants enjoy looking at
faces. Since they cannot see much detail, they are really studying the outline of the face in contrast to the hairline. For
the first 2 months your infant's eyes are not coordinated. One eye may wander or eyes may appear crossed. If this
continues after 4 months consult your child's physician.
Pigmentation of the irises is not yet complete. Babies born with darker skin tend to be born with darker eyes that stay
relatively the same color. However babies born with lighter skin are usually born with blue or bluish-gray eyes. The pigment
in the eyes will change over the first year of life resulting in a deeper darker color. Permanent eye color is not set in stone
until at least 9 months of age.
Strategies
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To encourage visual interaction keep hairstyle the same
To encourage your baby to look up at your face try humming while breast feeding
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When interacting with your baby position your face or toy 8-12 inches away from his/her face

While pastel colors in a nursery may look pleasing to an adult, to a newborn it essentially does nothing as they end up
seeing only one shade blurred together. Instead decorate the infant's room in bright cheerful colors, using contrasting
colors and shapes.

Do not over do black and white. While it is great for toys, too much of it, such as on the baby's sheets, bumpers, and wall
hangings can cause sensory overload. Using black and white contrasts and patterns on crib sheets and around the crib can
cause the infant to be over stimulated at a time when they are there for rest. Infants should have somewhere in their
crib where they can turn from visual stimulation when they have had enough and need a break.

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Use a nightlight or dim light in baby's room
Moving objects helps attract your infant's attention
Research has shown that black and white and other bright colors of high contrast stimulate your baby's retina
development
When outside, keep your infant in the shade to protect his/her eyes from the sun
5-6 Months
It is thought that infants have good color vision by 5 months of age, although, not as sensitive as an adult's.
Other milestones at 5-6 months include:
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Tracks horizontally across midline and diagonally
Tracks movement of people within the immediate environment
Visually follows the path of a dropped object
Observes own personal movement
Locates an object and leaning toward it
Smiles at mirror image
Uses vision to reach for and grasp objects accurately
Between 5-8 months eye-body coordination is continuing to improve. At 7-8 months you will begin seeing your child move his
or her eyes with very little head movement. He or she should also begin watching activities for longer periods of
time. Around 8-9 months your child will look for dropped toys (object permanence).
Strategies
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Play "peek-a-boo" with toys and faces
Provide objects of various shapes and textures for your child to explore
When feeding, have the child follow the spoon horizontally, vertically and diagonally
Use a floppy hat or baby sunglasses to protect your baby's eyes from the sun.
Schedule your child's first comprehensive eye exam between 6-12 months of age. InfantSEE is a public health program
offering no-cost eye exams regardless of income or insurance. Visit www.InfantSEE.org for a list of providers in your
area.
9-12 Months
You may start noticing your child visually responding to smiles and voices of others, moving his or her eyes around the room
to see what is happening, and creeping after a favorite toy when seen. Your child is also using his or her eyes together and
judging distances. He or she can now grasp and throw objects with greater accuracy.
Other Milestones Include:
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Increasing ability to shift visual attention from near to far space
Locates people and objects to be avoided when moving toward a goal
Imitates a variety of body movements
Locates objects pointed to by another person
Accurately releases objects into a container
Searches for contents removed from a container
Plays peek-a-boo
Recognizes familiar objects at 20 feet
Pulls apart pop beads
So what color are your baby's eyes? Since permanent eye color is not set in stone until at least 9 months of age, you may
want to wait until your child's first birthday to determine what color your child's eyes will be.
Strategies
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To develop visual memory play hide-and-seek games with toys
If older children are around allow child to watch and imitate
Encourage crawling rather than early walking; it is important in developing good eye-hand-body coordination
Provide stacking and take-apart toys
12-24 Months
At 1 year of age visual acuity is in the 20/50 range. Eye-hand coordination and depth perception are continuing to develop,
and by 2 years of age they should be well developed. In addition to fine motor activities such as scribbling with a crayon,
your child is now using his or her vision to coordinate gross motor activities and make judgments about them.
Children at this age are highly interested in environment, able to recognize familiar objects, interested in pictures in books,
and are pointing to objects within reach and in the environment. They are using visual cues to fit objects together and to
match familiar objects.
Other Visual Milestones for 12-18 months:
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Recognizes a change in a familiar room or setting
Locates a specific object from a group of dissimilar objects
Locates a specific object against a cluttered background
Points to objects
Attends to birds and airplanes
Points to, looks at or pats pictures in books
Points to people
Places rings on a cone
Matches identical objects
Looks in place where toy rolled out of sight
Marks paper with large crayon or maker
Nests two to three toys
Assembles large pop beads
Other Visual Milestones for 18-24 months include:
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Recognizes self in photograph
Matches simple, concrete shapes
Locates specific pictures in books
Imitates simple strokes
Strategies
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Roll ball back and forth to encourage tracking
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Provide opportunities for child to climb and explore both inside and outside
Read to your child and let him or her see what is being read and point out the pictures
To improve eye-hand coordination, eye teaming, and depth perception provide opportunities for child to stack blocks,
color, scribble and do simple puzzles
24-36 Months
By 2 years of age children should have 20/20 (normal) vision. You may notice that they are becoming increasing more
interested in exploring their environment. They should be imitating the placement of objects after visual observation.
At this age they are continuing the development of visual motor and fine motor tasks. These tasks include completing form
boards, pegboard designs, and simple puzzles. They are now beginning to develop visual closure skills such as identifying
common objects that are partially hidden in the environment and identifying common objects regardless of minor structural
changes.
Your child will also be using his or her visual memory skills to retrieve a toy from the place it was last seen. Figure-ground
perception skills include locating a specific object from a group of similar objects, and selecting an object when there is a
similar background.
Other Visual Milestones Include:
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Scans an array of two to three pictures
Moves eyes systematically left to right to scan an array
Accurately inserts string in one-inch bead
Watches and imitates the actions of other children
Recognizes familiar adult in photograph
Matches objects to pictures
Sorts 4 colors
Finds detail in picture books
Matches big and little objects
Assembles three-to-four piece puzzle
Strategies
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Read to your child and let him or her see what is being read
Promote visual motor development by encouraging drawing, coloring, and painting
Play catch with a ball, bean bag, or even a rolled up pair of socks
Playgrounds provide great opportunities for eye-hand-body coordination
36-48 Months
By 3 years of age the eye is almost grown to its adult size. A 3 year old is using his or her vision to coordinate fine motor
activities and make judgments about them. These visual motor skills include coloring a simple picture, copying simple marks
or shapes, and tracing simple shapes and objects.
He or she should also be demonstrating the ability to visually sequence by following a given pattern. Visual memory skills are
continuing to be refined and by now your child should be able to identify a missing object, identify how objects are similar
and different, and describe familiar objects or environments. The ability to locate a specific object in a cluttered
environment or against a similar background shows growth in figure-ground perception.
Other Milestones Include:
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Closes eyes on request
Accurately inserts string into 1/2" bead
Points to missing facial features in pictures
Completes incomplete drawing of circle
Recalls missing object among six
Identifies a picture that was briefly seen from four or more pictures
Sorts by size
Strategies
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Play simple memory games
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Playgrounds provide great opportunities for eye-hand-body coordination
Write, draw and finger paint
Place five small objects in front of your child. Ask him or her to look away and remove one object, replacing it with
another. Can your child tell you which object was removed?
Schedule an eye exam. Your child is beginning to use his or her eyes for near work; therefore it is critical that his or her
eyes are assessed for any possible refractive errors (near-sightedness, far-sightedness, and/or astigmatism) and muscle
imbalances. (If you child needs glasses check out the section on Getting Your Child to Wear Glasses for some helpful
strategies)
48-60 Months
At this age children are refining their visual motor skills. This is demonstrated by their ability to color within the lines, cut
between lines and on a broad line, and cutting out simple outline pictures.
They are also developing visual sequencing and visual imagery skills. Visual sequencing skills include arranging a set of
pictures to tell a story, and sequencing several items by a given characteristic (size, shape, or color).
Your child is demonstrating his or her visual imagery skills when drawing a figure or person as well as recognizable pictures
of familiar objects and activities. By 4-5 years of age, your child should also be able to identify colors.
Other Milestones Include:
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Pieces together a four-to-five piece puzzle
Adds two parts to incomplete picture of a man
Matches coins
Copies square
Copies cross
Forms a square with two right triangles
Arranges three or more pictures to tell a story
Colors within lines
Strategies
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Playgrounds provide great opportunities for eye-hand-body coordination
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Play simple memory games
Provide opportunities to color, cut, and paste
Draw an incomplete figure and have your child complete it
Create patterns using colored blocks or toys and have your child continue the pattern
Have child complete dot-to-dot pictures
Provide outdoor play with ball games, bike/tricycle riding, and swinging
Encourage interaction with other children
Don't forget to get your child's eyes checked before he or she heads off to school. (If your child does need glasses,
check out the section on Getting Your Child to Wear Glasses for some helpful strategies)