For parents who care deeply
Child Development Milestones (0–12 Years)
Understand what children typically learn at every age, discover important developmental milestones, and know when extra support may help.
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2 Years milestones
2-Year-Old Milestones
At 2, your toddler is bursting with curiosity and language. You'll see more independence, lots of new words, and the very beginnings of pretend play.
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How to use: Tap any domain below to open its checklist. Tick what your child can usually do, then Save to update progress on this page.
2-Year-Old Milestones — Milestone Checklist
Communication & Language
- ☐ Says 50+ words — e.g. Uses many everyday words like ‘milk’, ‘bath’, ‘car’.
- ☐ Combines two words — e.g. Like ‘more juice’ or ‘daddy go’.
- ☐ Follows 1–2 step instructions — e.g. ‘Pick up your shoe and give it to me.’
- ☐ Names familiar objects — e.g. Points and says ‘apple’.
- ☐ Uses ‘no’, ‘mine’, ‘me’ — e.g. Strong sense of self appearing.
- ☐ Asks simple questions — e.g. ‘What that?’ or ‘Where mama?’
- ☐ Points to body parts — e.g. Knows nose, eyes, tummy.
- ☐ Familiar people understand ~50% of speech — e.g. Strangers may struggle, which is normal.
- ☐ Imitates words you say — e.g. Repeats new words during the day.
- ☐ Joins in songs and rhymes — e.g. Fills in the last word.
- ☐ Names a few pictures in books — e.g. Points to dog, cat, baby.
- ☐ Uses pronouns inconsistently — e.g. Says ‘me do it’.
Gross Motor
- ☐ Walks confidently — e.g. Walks around obstacles.
- ☐ Runs (with stiff steps) — e.g. Chases a ball across the room.
- ☐ Climbs onto and off furniture — e.g. Gets onto a chair alone.
- ☐ Walks up stairs holding rail — e.g. One foot per step with help.
- ☐ Kicks a large ball forward — e.g. Pushes ball with foot.
- ☐ Throws a ball overhand — e.g. Aim is rough but it leaves the hand.
- ☐ Jumps in place with both feet — e.g. Small jumps, may stumble.
- ☐ Squats to pick up toys — e.g. Bends knees instead of bending over.
- ☐ Pulls a riding toy with feet — e.g. Sits on push car and moves.
- ☐ Carries a large toy while walking — e.g. Walks across room holding a teddy.
- ☐ Stands briefly on one foot with support — e.g. Holds on while lifting a foot.
Fine Motor
- ☐ Builds a tower of 4–6 blocks — e.g. Stacks before knocking it over.
- ☐ Scribbles freely — e.g. Circles, dots, lines.
- ☐ Turns book pages one at a time — e.g. Mostly board books.
- ☐ Uses a spoon with less spilling — e.g. Eats yogurt mostly cleanly.
- ☐ Tries to imitate a vertical line — e.g. Draws a wobbly down stroke.
- ☐ Strings large beads — e.g. On a stiff cord with help.
- ☐ Opens lids and twists knobs — e.g. Opens snack containers.
- ☐ Holds a crayon with whole hand — e.g. Palmar grasp.
- ☐ Inserts shapes into a shape sorter — e.g. Circle and square.
- ☐ Pulls off socks and unfastens velcro — e.g. Removes shoes after walk.
- ☐ Uses fingers to point and poke — e.g. Pokes play-dough.
Social Skills
- ☐ Plays alongside other children — e.g. Parallel play is typical.
- ☐ Watches and imitates older kids — e.g. Copies a sibling’s actions.
- ☐ Shows affection without prompting — e.g. Hugs, kisses, brings you toys.
- ☐ Hands you toys to show — e.g. Brings a book to share.
- ☐ Notices when others are upset — e.g. Looks concerned at crying child.
- ☐ Plays simple back-and-forth games — e.g. Rolls car back to you.
- ☐ Begins to take brief turns — e.g. With prompting and modelling.
- ☐ Says hello and goodbye — e.g. Sometimes with a wave.
- ☐ Recognises self in photos — e.g. Says ‘me!’ when shown.
- ☐ Plays peek-a-boo style games — e.g. Hides and reappears.
Emotional Regulation
- ☐ Shows wide range of emotions — e.g. Joy, frustration, pride, jealousy.
- ☐ Has tantrums when frustrated — e.g. Very normal at this age.
- ☐ Recovers from upset with comfort — e.g. Calms within a few minutes.
- ☐ Begins to label feelings — e.g. Says ‘sad’ or ‘happy’.
- ☐ Resists changes in routine — e.g. Wants the same cup, same book.
- ☐ Shows pride in achievements — e.g. Claps for self.
- ☐ Tolerates separations briefly — e.g. Settles at nursery after a cuddle.
- ☐ Seeks comfort objects — e.g. A blanket or stuffed toy.
- ☐ Tests limits with caregivers — e.g. Says ‘no’ to many requests.
- ☐ Soothes self in small ways — e.g. Sucks thumb or cuddles teddy.
Play Skills
- ☐ Begins pretend play — e.g. Feeds a doll, pretends to talk on phone.
- ☐ Stacks and knocks down blocks — e.g. Endless fun.
- ☐ Pushes cars and trains around — e.g. Adds simple noises.
- ☐ Plays with cause-and-effect toys — e.g. Pop-up boxes, light boxes.
- ☐ Enjoys music and dance — e.g. Spins and stomps to music.
- ☐ Explores sand and water — e.g. Pours, scoops, splashes.
- ☐ Plays with playdough or clay — e.g. Pokes, rolls, squishes.
- ☐ Pretends to do household chores — e.g. Sweeps, cooks, talks on phone.
- ☐ Enjoys peekaboo and hide-and-seek — e.g. Hides in obvious spots.
- ☐ Lines up or sorts toys — e.g. Cars in a row, sometimes by colour.
Learning & Thinking
- ☐ Sorts by simple categories — e.g. Animals vs vehicles.
- ☐ Identifies 2–4 colours when prompted — e.g. Points to red, blue.
- ☐ Matches identical pictures — e.g. Pairs animals.
- ☐ Recognises shapes (circle, square) — e.g. Names them when shown.
- ☐ Counts ‘1, 2, 3’ by rote — e.g. Without true meaning yet.
- ☐ Recognises familiar logos — e.g. Points at favourite brand.
- ☐ Completes simple inset puzzles — e.g. 3–6 pieces.
- ☐ Follows 2-step routines — e.g. Get shoes, then sit down.
- ☐ Understands big/little — e.g. Points to bigger ball.
- ☐ Recognises emotions in pictures — e.g. Points to ‘sad face’.
Daily Living Skills
- ☐ Uses a spoon and open cup — e.g. Mostly without spills.
- ☐ Takes off shoes and socks — e.g. Pulls them off independently.
- ☐ Helps wash hands — e.g. With prompting and supervision.
- ☐ Sits at a family meal — e.g. For 5–10 minutes.
- ☐ Indicates wet or dirty nappy — e.g. Or shows discomfort.
- ☐ Brushes teeth with help — e.g. You finish the job.
- ☐ Drinks from straw and open cup — e.g. Often by 2.
- ☐ Helps put away toys — e.g. When prompted.
- ☐ Eats a variety of textures — e.g. Crunchy, soft, mushy.
- ☐ Begins to show toilet awareness — e.g. Tells you after going.
Attention & Self-Regulation
- ☐ Plays with a toy for 3–5 minutes — e.g. Focused, alone or near you.
- ☐ Listens to short stories — e.g. 2–3 minutes.
- ☐ Follows simple 1-step directions — e.g. Without gestures.
- ☐ Switches between activities — e.g. With a gentle warning.
- ☐ Sits for a short song — e.g. Joins in actions.
- ☐ Stops when told (with help) — e.g. Pauses an action briefly.
- ☐ Persists with a tricky task — e.g. Keeps trying a puzzle.
- ☐ Engages in joint attention — e.g. Looks at what you point to.
- ☐ Returns to play after interruption — e.g. Picks up where they left off.
- ☐ Notices novel things in environment — e.g. Spots a new toy.
Sensory Processing
- ☐ Tolerates many food textures — e.g. Mixed textures may still be tricky.
- ☐ Enjoys messy play — e.g. Painting, mud, slime.
- ☐ Tolerates hair washing — e.g. Wriggles but allows it.
- ☐ Notices and locates sounds — e.g. Looks for plane in sky.
- ☐ Enjoys movement play — e.g. Swings, slides, spinning.
- ☐ Calms with deep pressure — e.g. Big bear hugs help reset.
- ☐ Tolerates a variety of clothing — e.g. Most fabrics are okay.
- ☐ Adjusts to loud public places — e.g. May need a moment to settle.
- ☐ Explores with all senses — e.g. Smells, listens, touches new things.
- ☐ Self-regulates around bright lights — e.g. Squints or moves away.