Developmental Milestones by Age Four Years

Overview

At 4 years old, children reach important developmental milestones in various areas like social and emotional skills, language and communication skills, cognitive abilities, and movement and physical development. These milestones help determine if a child is developing typically for their age.

Social and Emotional Milestones:

• Pretends to be something else during play (teacher, superhero, dog)
• Asks to go play with children if none are around, like “Can I play with Alex?”
• Comforts others who are hurt or sad, like hugging a crying friend
• Avoids danger, like not jumping from tall heights at the playground
• Likes to be a “helper”
• Changes behavior based on where she is (place of worship, library, playground)

Language and Communication Milestones:

• Says sentences with four or more words
• Says some words from a song, story, or nursery rhyme
• Talks about at least one thing that happened during her day, like “I played soccer.”
• Answers simple questions like “What is a coat for?” or “What is a crayon for?

Cognitive Milestones:

• Names a few colors of items
• Tells what comes next in a well-known story
• Draws a person with three or more body parts

Movement and Physical Development Milestones:

• Catches a large ball most of the time
• Serves herself food or pours water, with adult supervision
• Unbuttons some buttons
• Holds crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb (not a fist)

These milestones are essential for tracking a child's growth and development during this crucial stage of early childhood.