Age-by-Age Milestones: What to Expect from 6 Months to 5 Years

You know that moment when your baby suddenly rolls over for the first time, or when your toddler strings together their first real sentence? Those milestones hit different when you're a parent. One minute you're celebrating that first smile, and the next thing you know, you're watching your little one head off to kindergarten.

At Kidding Around Child Care Center, we get asked about developmental milestones constantly. Parents want to know: "Is my child on track?" "Should they be doing this by now?" "Why is my friend's kid already doing that?"

Here's the thing – every child develops at their own pace, but having a general roadmap helps. Let's break down what you can typically expect from 6 months to 5 years, so you can celebrate those wins and know when it might be time to chat with your pediatrician.

6 to 12 Months: The Foundation Year

This is when things get real. Your baby goes from being a adorable potato to an actual tiny human with opinions.

Physical development is huge during this stage. Most babies will:

• Sit up without support around 6-7 months

• Start crawling (though some skip this entirely and go straight to walking – totally normal!)

• Pull themselves up to standing by holding furniture

• Maybe take those wobbly first steps around their first birthday

Cognitive and language skills are exploding too. You'll notice your baby:

• Responding to their name

• Understanding "no" (even if they choose to ignore it)

• Babbling with different tones – it actually sounds like they're having conversations

• Possibly saying "mama" or "dada" with meaning

• Playing peek-a-boo like it's the greatest game ever invented

Social-emotional development shows up through separation anxiety, stranger danger, and lots of copying what you do. That fake cough they keep doing? Yeah, they learned that from you.

12 to 24 Months: The Toddler Tornado

Welcome to toddlerhood, where everything is exciting and frustrating at the same time – for both of you.

Gross motor skills take off. Your toddler will:

• Walk independently (hello, constant chasing)

• Start running, though it looks more like controlled falling

• Climb everything (seriously, everything)

• Kick a ball

• Walk up and down stairs holding your hand or the railing

Fine motor skills develop as they:

• Stack blocks

• Turn pages in books (sometimes several at once)

• Use a spoon and fork with varying degrees of success

• Scribble with crayons

• Start showing a hand preference

Language development really picks up speed. By age 2, many toddlers:

• Have a vocabulary of 50+ words

• Start putting two words together ("more milk," "daddy go")

• Follow simple directions

• Point to objects when you name them

• Understand way more than they can say

Social skills include parallel play (playing near other kids, not with them), imitating household tasks, and yes, those lovely tantrums when they can't communicate their big feelings.

2 to 3 Years: Finding Independence

This is the "me do it!" phase, and honestly, it's exhausting but also pretty amazing.

Physical milestones include:

• Running without falling (most of the time)

• Jumping with both feet

• Standing on one foot briefly

• Pedaling a tricycle

• Using stairs with alternating feet

Cognitive development shows through:

• Sorting shapes and colors

• Playing make-believe

• Following two-step instructions ("Get your shoes and bring them to me")

• Understanding concepts like "same" and "different"

• Starting to count objects

Language skills expand dramatically. Three-year-olds typically:

• Speak in 3-4 word sentences

• Have conversations

• Tell simple stories

• Know their name and age

• Understand prepositions (in, on, under)

Social-emotional growth means more interactive play with other children, showing affection for friends, and understanding "mine" versus "yours" (though sharing is still a work in progress).

3 to 4 Years: The Preschool Years

Your child is becoming more independent, more verbal, and has approximately 10,000 questions per day.

Physical abilities continue advancing:

• Hopping on one foot

• Catching a bounced ball

• Using scissors (with supervision)

• Drawing circles and squares

• Getting dressed with minimal help

Cognitive skills include:

• Understanding counting concepts

• Recognizing some letters and numbers

• Remembering parts of stories

• Understanding time concepts like "morning" and "night"

• Problem-solving through trial and error

Language development is in full swing:

• Speaking in sentences of 5+ words

• Telling longer stories

• Singing songs and reciting rhymes

• Using past tense

• Asking "why?" about absolutely everything

Social skills show through:

• Cooperative play with friends

• Taking turns (sometimes)

• Showing empathy when someone is hurt

• Preferring certain playmates

• Engaging in dramatic play scenarios

  
  

4 to 5 Years: Pre-K Superstars

Get ready for kindergarten – your little one is growing up fast.

Physical development includes:

• Skipping and hopping

• Swinging independently

• Using utensils properly

• Printing some letters

• Dressing themselves completely

Cognitive abilities expand to:

• Counting 10+ objects

• Naming colors and shapes

• Understanding same and different

• Predicting what happens next in stories

• Showing interest in reading and writing

Language skills are sophisticated now:

• Speaking in full, grammatically correct sentences

• Telling detailed stories

• Using future tense

• Understanding and following multi-step directions

• Having back-and-forth conversations

Social-emotional development includes:

• Playing cooperatively with others

• Understanding and following rules

• Showing independence

• Expressing feelings with words

• Wanting to please friends and adults
  

What If My Child Isn't "On Track"?

Here's what we tell parents at Kidding Around: milestone charts are guidelines, not deadlines. Some kids walk at 9 months, others at 15 months. Some kids are chatty at 18 months, others take their time. Development isn't a race.

That said, trust your gut. If something feels off, talk to your pediatrician. Early intervention for any delays can make a huge difference, and most of the time, parents just need reassurance that their child is doing great.

Red flags to watch for include:

• Loss of skills they once had

• Not responding to sounds or their name

• Limited eye contact or social interaction

• Significant delays across multiple areas

• Your intuition telling you something's not right

How We Support Development at Kidding Around

At our child care center, we create environments that naturally encourage milestone development. Our infant program focuses on tummy time, sensory exploration, and language-rich interactions. Our toddler rooms are designed for safe climbing, creative play, and social interaction. Our preschool curriculum includes early literacy, math concepts, and problem-solving through play.

We don't push kids to hit milestones early – we meet them where they are and provide opportunities for growth. Because childhood isn't about rushing through stages; it's about exploring, learning, and having fun along the way.

Celebrate the Journey

Whether your baby just started cruising along the furniture or your preschooler just wrote their name for the first time, take a moment to celebrate. These milestones represent hours of practice, determination, and growth. Take the pictures, share the excitement, and remember that even when developmental phases feel long, the years go by fast.

Want to learn more about how Kidding Around Child Care Center supports your child's development at every stage? We'd love to show you around and talk about what makes each age so special. Because every milestone – big or small – deserves to be celebrated.

Looking for quality child care that understands child development? Contact Kidding Around Child Care Center today to schedule a tour and see how we support children from infancy through pre-K in reaching their full potential.