5.3 Cognitive Milestones
Children are actively learning about the world as they perceive it from the time they are in the womb. Here is a table of some of the cognitive milestones infants and toddlers typically develop.
| Typical Age | What Most Children Do by This Age |
|---|---|
| 2 months | Pays attention to faces |
| 2 months | Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance |
| 2 months | Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn’t change |
| 4 months | Lets you know if she is happy or sad |
| 4 months | Responds to affection |
| 4 months | Reaches for toy with one hand |
| 4 months | Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it |
| 4 months | Follows moving things with eyes from side to side |
| 4 months | Watches faces closely |
| 4 months | Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance |
| 6 months | Looks around at things nearby |
| 6 months | Brings things to mouth |
| 6 months | Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach |
| 6 months | Begins to pass things from one hand to the other |
| 9 months | Watches the path of something as it falls |
| 9 months | Looks for things he sees you hide |
| 9 months | Plays peek-a-boo |
| 9 months | Puts things in mouth |
| 9 months | Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other |
| 9 months | Picks up things like cereal o’s between thumb and index finger |
| 1 year | Explores things in different ways, like shaking, banging, throwing |
| 1 year | Finds hidden things easily |
| 1 year | Looks at the right picture or thing when it’s named |
| 1 year | Copies gestures |
| 1 year | Starts to use things correctly; for example, drinks from a cup, brushes hair |
| 1 year | Bangs two things together |
| 1 year | Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container |
| 1 year | Lets things go without help |
| 1 year | Pokes with index (pointer) finger |
| 1 year | Follows simple directions like “pick up the toy” |
| 18 months | Knows what ordinary things are for; for example, telephone, brush, spoon |
| 18 months | Points to get the attention of others |
| 18 months | Shows interest in a doll or stuffed animal by pretending to feed |
| 18 months | Points to one body part |
| 18 months | Scribbles on own |
| 18 months | Can follow 1-step verbal commands without any gestures; for example, sits when you say “sit down” |
| 2 years | Finds things even when hidden under two or three covers |
| 2 years | Begins to sort shapes and colors |
| 2 years | Completes sentences and rhymes in familiar books |
| 2 years | Plays simple make-believe games |
| 2 years | Builds towers of 4 or more blocks |
| 2 years | Might use one hand more than the other |
| 2 years | Follows two-step instructions such as “Pick up your shoes and put them in the closet.” |
| 2 years | Names items in a picture book such as a cat, bird, or dog |
Developmental Milestones by the CDC is in the public domain↩︎