Age 4

Developmental Milestones

At age 4, watch for your child’s ability to:

Building Relationships

Follow a few, short, easy directions

Have a sense of humor and try to make others laugh

Enjoy playing with other children

Physical/Motor Skills

Stand on one foot for 5-10 seconds and not lose balance

Stand, hop on one foot, and jump at least 20 inches forward on two feet

Color mostly within the lines

Copy some letters of the alphabet

Growing Brains

Sing a song or say a short poem

Count 5 or more objects

Express anger with words rather than in a physical way

Two young girls walk hand in hand on a wooden path in a garden. They wear colorful dresses and sandals, conveying a sense of friendship and adventure.

What is developmental screening?

Developmental screening can help you determine if your child is developing on track for his or her age. It’s a way to check if there are any problems in how your child learns, plays, speaks, or acts.

Parents who have used a developmental screening tool with their children say it helped them learn more about child development. It’s great hands-on parenting!

Ask your child’s doctor, child-care provider, early childhood teacher, or home visitor about doing a developmental screening. There are tools that have been developed just for parents to use with their children.

Find one for your child’s age at:
https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/

Social and Emotional Growth

Help your child build a strong foundation for life by being their role model. Coach your child on how to cope with their feelings, understand others’ feelings and needs, and have positive relations with others. Help them practice sharing.

Developmental milestones are skills that appear in a certain order for all children. Each child will reach these milestones at different rates. Developmental milestones help parents understand what to expect as their child grows.

Tips for Encouraging and Supporting Developmental Milestones

Building Relationships

Offer sincere, specific praise to reward behavior you want to encourage. “I like the way you sat quietly and listened.”

Give your child new opportunities and help them finish what they starts.

Provide support, while letting her finish and feel the accomplishment.

Give your child plenty of time to engage in activities. Rushing is stressful.

Provide consistent, daily routines.

Physical/Motor Skills

Encourage outdoor play to keep your child active and build motor skills.

Growing Brains

Encourage your child’s imagination and creativity by taking time to answer their questions, introducing different ways of using things, and providing new experiences.

Help your child express their feelings through the use of their words, pretend play, or drawing a picture.