Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Lifts and turns head when on stomach.
• When on back will turn head in response to an auditory or visual stimulus.
• Random movements become more purposeful, but are typically large jerky movement.
• Brings hands to mouth.
• Grasp is a reflex.

Eyes

• Follows a face
• Shows interest by staring at a window or bright colors (regards environment).

Play/Social

• Looks at you.
• Smiles in response to you.
• Begins to respond to movement by moving and makes noises in response to being spoken to.
• Quiets when comforted.

Speech/Language

• Uses limited sounds.
• Communicates by crying (varies crying according to needs, such as hunger or pain).

Self-care

• Easily takes a bottle or breast and sucks well.

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• Shake a rattle or musical toy from one side of your child's face to the other side to facilitate him/her to follow the toy.
• Bring your face close to your child when talking to him/her.
• Place a brightly colored mobile in your child's crib for something to follow with her/his eyes while on their back.
• Place your child on their tummy for at least 10 minutes a day.

Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Actively moves arm (reaches and swipes) when sees object of interest.
• Grasps object voluntarily.
• Plays with own hands and feet.
• Watches/plays with hands/toys at midline, transfers from hand to hand.
• Lifts head and chest with weight on hands when on stomach.
• Holds head upright and steady.
• Rolls from stomach to back and back to stomach.

Eyes

• Should have fully developed visual control by 6 months.
• Eye movements become independent from head movements.

Play/Social

• Laughs.
• Turns head toward sounds.
• Shows likes and dislikes.
• Looks at toys.
• May be reserved with strangers.
• Mouths objects/toys.

Speech/Language

• Coos - making lots of different sounds.
• Vocalizes more, cries less.
• Begins babbling.

Self-care

• Quiets for, anticipates dressing and diaper changes.
• Helps hold a bottle and brings it to mouth.

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• Dangle different objects (such as a rattle, beads, squishy toys) within reach of your child to motivate him/her to reach for them.
• Play Patty-cake with your child's feet and hands placing them together and then apart.
• Bring your child's feet together and then bring them to their mouth. Allow them to try this on their own.
• While lying on their back, have your child follow a toy (rattle, beads, squishy toys) from one side of their body to the next. Place the toy just out of reach and above their head to motivate them to roll over to get it.
• Allow your child to spend time sitting with either you or a toy supporting them to sit more erect.
• Place your child on their tummy and have them practice pushing up on their hands.

Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Uses index finger to poke.
• Holds an object in each hand and alternately plays with each.
• Transfers objects from hand to hand.
• Pivots on stomach.
• Pulls self to hands and knees.
• Sits with help while playing with toys.

Eyes

• Should have fully developed visual control by 6 months.

Play/Social

• Stranger anxiety.
• Takes turns while playing with adult (action, sounds, facial expressions).
• Uses vocal and non-vocal gestures to express interests and influence others.

Speech/Language

• Begins understanding the meaning of words.
• Learns language of daily routines.
• Babbles (repetitive).
• Associates gestures with words, phrases (hi, good-bye).

Self-care

• Feeds self with finger foods.
• Attempts to hold bottle.
• Holds and tries to eat a cracker.

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• When on his/her tummy, place toys to the side of their body to try and get them to pivot and turn toward toy.
• Give your child toys that fit inside each other, such as cups and blocks.
• Have them practice waving hi and good bye at appropriate times.
• Place a mirror or toy just above eye level when your child is on their tummy to motivate them to push up on hands and knees to look at it/themselves.
• Have your child sit supported on your lap with both of their feet touching the ground and place a toy just out of reach in front of them to motivate them to lean forward and reach for it.

Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Picks things up with pincer grasp (thumb and one finger).
• Drops and picks up toy.
• Manipulates toys with hands and fingers.
• Uses both hands to perform an action.
• Sits without support.
• Creeps (moves forward on hands and knees).
• Pulls to standing.
• Stands without support.
• Walks with support.
• Can take independent steps.

Play/Social

• Takes turns while playing with you.
• Lets you know wants and needs with motion and sounds.
• Feeds self finger foods.
• Pays attention to own name.
• Copies simple actions of others.

Speech/Language

• Copies speech sounds.
• Understands the names of familiar people and objects.
• Shows understanding with responsive body language and facial expressions.
• Says a few words.
• Responds to "no."

Self-care

• Feeds self a cracker.
• Beginning to use a spoon.
• Holds a cup with two hands, drinks with assistance.
• Cooperates (helps) with dressing. Holds out arms and legs.

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• Have smaller toys/pegs for your child to manipulate.
• Sit your child near furniture they can safely pull up to standing with (couch, recliner, ottoman). Place a toy on top of these pieces of furniture to motivate them to pull up to get them.
• Once your child is standing at the furniture, have them hold onto your fingers, and you hold onto their wrists and practice walking. Allow them to fall safely so they learn the consequences of loosing their balance.
• Have your child play with toys while they are standing on their knees by placing a surface that is at chest height for them with toys on top of it. Try not to have them lean with their stomach on the surface.
• When standing at furniture, move the toy they are playing with to another side of the couch and have them go get it by cruising along the couch.

Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Walks alone. Beginning to walk sideways and backwards.
• Comes to standing without support.
• Climbs on and off of furniture.
• Picks up small objects.
• Stacks or puts one object on top of another.
• Puts objects in and dumps from containers.
• Pulls apart objects, such as pop beads.
• Fits single pieces puzzles.
• Scribbles.

Play/Social

• Plays by self; initiates own play.
• Imitates adult behaviors in play.
• Helps to put things away.

Speech/Language

• Says two or three different words in addition to "ma ma" or "da da."
• Asks for things using words.
• Combines two words.
• Waves good-bye and plays pat-a-cake.
• Makes the sounds of familiar animals.

Self-care

• Feeds self with spoon with spilling.
• Holds and drinks from a cup with some spilling.
• Removes shoes and socks.
• Indicates toilet needs.

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• Allow your child to help with cleaning up by putting toys back into a box or container.
• Place raised obstacles (pillows, your legs, stuffed animals) in the path of your child as he/she crawls, and allow them to climb over them or problem solve how to get around them.
• Allow your child to practice standing on their own without using anyone/thing to pull up.
• Let your child try and feed themselves with a spoon and drink from a cup by themselves. (Have a washcloth handy.)

Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Walks up and down stairs with assistance (support from rail/wall).
• Walks sideways and backwards.
• Runs.
• Walks up and down stairs with same-step foot placement (with and without support from rail/wall).
• Begins jumping off floor and jumping from a step.
• Begins standing on one foot briefly.
• Turns pages of a book.
• Unscrews small lids.
• Puts together pop beads.
• Imitates a vertical stroke.

Play/Social

• Looks at story book pictures with an adult.
• Imitates peer and adult play and actions.

Speech/Language

• Understands and will point to hair, nose, feet and hands.
• Likes singing.
• Puts two words together.
• Can understand around, over, under.
• Follows verbal instructions.
• Begins to ask questions.

Self-care

• Takes off socks and shoes, helps take off pants and shirt.
• Feeds self a cut sandwich.
• Uses spoon with some spilling.
• Drinks from a cup with one hand, unassisted.
• Indicates toilet needs.

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• Practice walking up and down stairs using the wall or rail for support. You may motivate your child to walk up the stairs by placing a toy at the top and having them throw the object down the stairs and going to get it.
• Suspend a toy in the air just out of reach when your child is standing. Encourage them to jump up to grab it from you.
• Give your child toys with lids to unscrew and pull toys/pegs/large beads out of.
• Play Simon Says to practice imitation of adults/peers and give more body awareness.

Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Walks well, run, stop, step up, squats down and walks on tiptoes.
• Walks up stairs with an alternating foot pattern with one hand on rail.
• Walks down stairs with a same-step foot placement, with or without one hand on rail.
• Beginning to jump 2 inches off ground or over a 2-inch hurdle.
• Jumps down from a step height.
• Stands on one leg for 1 - 3 seconds.
• Kicks a ball 3 - 6 feet.
• Throws a ball underhand.
• Begins learning to catch a ball from a short distance.
• Stacks more than one object onto another (blocks).
• Strings large beads.
• Imitates horizontal strokes and copies a circle with a circular scribble.

Play/Social

• Can play for long periods with toys.
• Will watch other children play but not join in.
• Participates in simple group activity.
• Defends own possessions.

Speech/Language

• Names 5 - 6 body parts on self.
• Uses 2 - 3 word sentences regularly.
• Carries on a "conversation" with self and dolls.
• Has a 450-word vocabulary.
• Understands simple time concepts.
• Matches 3 - 4 colors, knows big and little.
• Answers simple "what" and "what do" and "where" questions.

Self-care

• Unbuttons large buttons.
• Puts on a front button coat or shirt.
• Removes pants with an elastic waist.
• Uses a spoon with little or no spilling.
• Opens door by turning handle.
• Achieves regulated toileting, tells someone the need to use the bathroom.

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• Practice walking up stairs with one foot on one step and one foot on another with and without railing/support.
• Play soccer or kickball.
• Practice throwing and catching large balls/bean bags/stuffed animals.
• Allow your child to help with buttoning his/her jacket, pants, and shirt.
• Let your child open the door for themselves.

Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Can run around obstacles.
• Stands on one foot for 3 - 5 seconds.
• Stands on tiptoes for 3 - 5 seconds.
• Can walk on a line without stepping off.
• Can hop on one foot.
• Rides a tricycle.
• Can jump forward, down and over objects with feet together.
• Catch a medium sized ball.
• Throw a ball over and underhand.
• Can build a tower of 9 small cubes.
• Copies a circle.
• Imitates a cross.
• Cuts paper in half.

Play/Social

• Interacts/Plays with other children.
• Shares, will take turns with assistance.
• Begins dramatic play.

Speech/Language

• Can tell a story.
• Can name at least one color.
• Can have a sentence the length of 4 - 5 words.
• Has a large vocabulary (1,000 words).
• Knows last name and several nursery rhymes.
• Understands yesterday, summer, lunchtime, tonight and little-big.

Self-care

• Can pour well from a small pitcher.
• Can button and unbutton large buttons.
• Can independently wash hands.
• Can use the toilet independently (not wiping).
• Dresses with supervision.
• Puts on socks.

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• Practice jumping over lines in the sidewalk or flooring.
• Imitate coloring/copying different shapes and animals.
• Play hopscotch with an emphasis on jumping on one foot.
• Break out that tricycle and see how far your child can pedal.
• Review with your child what day of the week it is, what day was yesterday, and what your plans are for the evening. You can do this by using an interactive calendar.

Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Stands on one foot for 10 seconds.
• Stands on tiptoes for 8 seconds without moving feet.
• Hops forward on one foot for 5 hops.
• Walks on a line backwards.
• Can complete a forward roll.
• Gallops and skips forward.
• Walks up and down stairs alternating steps without support from wall/rail.
• Catches a tennis ball.
• Cuts on a line continuously.
• Copies a cross and square.
• Prints some letters.

Play/Social

• Plays and interacts with other children.
• Plays dress-up.
• Dramatic play closely resembles reality with attention to detail, time and space.

Speech/Language

• Uses past tense correctly.
• Has sentences of 4 - 5 words long.
• Knows colors.
• Identifies shapes such as triangles, circles and squares.
• Asks many questions.
• Understands next, in the morning and noontime.

Self-care

• Laces shoes.
• Buckles shoes or belt.
• Zips a zipper.
• Is independent in toileting (e.g. tearing toilet paper, flushing, washing hands and managing clothing).
• Puts on socks (heel in place) and shoes (with assistance in typing laces).

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• Have a competition to see how long your child can stand on one foot. Practice walking on just the curb like a balance beam.
• See how well your child can cut shapes and simple animal shapes to make a collage as an art project.
• Practice bouncing bouncy balls and catching them.
• Jump around like a bunny or frog for multiple jumps.

Motor Development (Movement and Posture)

• Skips maintaining balance and rhythm.
• Hops forward 20 feet without losing balance or letting the other foot touch the floor.
• Jumps rope.
• Walks on a balance beam.
• Jumps over hurdles 10 inches high with a two-footed take off and landing.
• Jumps sideways back and forth.
• Cuts out simple shapes.
• Copies a triangle and name.
• Colors within the lines.
• Has a mature grasp of a pencil.
• Handedness is well established.

Play/Social

• Plays simple games.
• Plays competitive games.
• Engages in cooperative play with other children.

Speech/Language

• Has a large vocabulary (around 2,000 words).
• Defines objects by their use.
• Knows spatial relations such as on top, behind, far and near.
• Knows common opposites.
• Counts to ten.
• Knows own right and left hands.
• Uses many types of sentences.
• Identifies money, like a penny, nickel and a dime.

Self-care

• Dresses independently.
• Puts shoes on correct feet.
• Ties shoelaces.
• Brushes teeth independently.

Listed below are some ideas for ways to play with your child to help to improve their development for their age. The toys pictured below may help to motivate your child to play. This list of activities and toys is by no means inclusive. It is meant to give you some ideas to help you create your own special way of interacting and playing with your child.

• Play and sing different song while jumping rope or jumping over a snaking rope.
• Use coloring books and stay in the lines.
• Try red light/ green light with other children and practice jumping as far forward as your child can instead of walking.
• Get out that bicycle and see how far your child can go with and without training wheels with all the proper safety equipment.
• Practice different animal walks (walking like a bear, and elephant, a wheel barrow).