Development Milestones – 5 Years


months years
0–12 12 14 15 18 22 24 30 3 4 5

Gross motor development
(How Your Baby Moves)

Fine motor development
(How Your Baby Uses His Hands)

Receptive Language development
  • Walks backwards

  • Hops
  • Skips
  • Throws, catches, and kicks well
  • May be starting to ride a bicycle without training wheels
  • Copies a triangle
  • Draws a person with a body
  • Identifies and prints letters
  • Prints first name
  • Can build elaborate structures
  • Counts up to 10 objects

  • Understands four-step commands
  • Links past and present events
  • Recognizes all letters of alphabet

Expressive Language Development

Psychosocial: Emotional Development

Psychosocial: Social Development
  • Has a 2,700 word vocabulary

  • Understands definitions
  • Uses future tense
  • Uses mature conversation with “how” and “why” questions
  • Knows telephone number and address
  • Begins to express more feelings in words

  • Embarrasses easily
  • Cannot yet laugh at self
  • Has feelings about death
  • Shows guilt over misbehaviour
  • Likes independence
  • Has a group of friends

  • Likes make-believe and dress-up play
  • May have imaginary friends but keeps them private
  • Follows rules of games and community rules

Psychosocial: Adaptive Development

Eating: Motor Skills Development
Milestones apply for ages 4 to 5 years

Eating: Social and Personal Skills Development
Milestones apply for ages 4 to 5 years
  • Helps prepare food

  • Dresses independently
  • Goes to the toilet independently
  • Becomes quite good at feeding himself

  • Uses a knife and fork
  • Prefers talking to eating

  • Peer influence becomes important
  • Is interested in where food comes from