The Complete Developmental Milestones Checklist for Infants and Toddlers

If you are then you know there is a TON of information about child development out there.

Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start!

If you are looking for what developmental milestones from birth to 36 months look like…then you have come to the right place!

Feel free to grab them both!

Who should use this observation checklist for child development?

They are the perfect way to keep track of child development 0-3 years.

This list is great for parents and grandparents to keep track of their little ones development.

This would also work well as a toddler developmental checklist for teachers working in preschools and childcare.

I have been a developmental therapist for about 7 years working with the birth to three population.

So I have assessed and worked with many little ones!

Make sure if you do have a concern about your child to call your pediatrician or the early intervention services in your area.

The information in this post and in the checklist should not be used to diagnose or treat a child.

What areas does this developmental milestones checklist PDF cover?

This checklist covers the 5 main areas of development including:

Cognition
Motor
Language
Self Help (also known as adaptive skills)
Social/Emotional

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The Complete Developmental Checklist for Infants and Toddlers

0-3 Months Developmental Milestones

Responds to sounds
Shows comfort when picked up
Reacts to Voice
Cries to indicate needs and wants
Lifts head when held at shoulder
Kicks legs
Notices faces
Tracks interesting objects with eyes
First Smile
Starts to coo

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3-6 Months Developmental Milestones

Plays with hands and feet
Mouthing toys
Reaching for toys and objects
Starts to babble
Coos to music
Distinguishes strangers
Becomes aware of new environments
Recognized bottle and places hands on it
Bears some weight on legs
Rolls from tummy to back

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6-9 Months Developmental Milestones

Waves “bye bye”
Plays with a single toy for about 2-3 minutes
Babbling using a variety of sounds
Smiles at reflection in mirror
Says “mama” or “dada”
Looks at family members when named
Enjoys playing peek-a-boo
Transfers toy from one had to another
Sits without support
Pulls to stand on furniture

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9-12 Months Developmental Milestones

Throws toys
Looks at pictures in books
Imitates simple gestures
Starts to finger feed
Walks with both hands held
Stands momentarily
Attempts to hold crayon and scribble
Imitates sounds

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12-18 Months Developmental Milestones

Understands colors
Throws temper tantrums
Understands pointing
Turns pages in books
Identifies themselves in mirrors
Imitates gestures
Uses 10-15 words
Uses pointing or gestures to communicate
Walks without assistance
Throws ball
Scribbles on paper with crayons

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18-24 Months Developmental Milestones

Unzips zippers
Will play independently
Expresses a range of emotions
Can kick a ball
Identifies animal sounds
Identifies some body parts
Use some two word phrases
Tries to sing along to simple songs

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24-36 Months Developmental Milestones

Listens to short stories
Walks upstairs alternating feet
Imitates vertical and horizontal strokes
Uses 200 words by age 3
Names pictures in books
Matches shapes
Participates in imaginary play
Uses utensils at meal time
Independent in daily routines

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are developmental milestones important?

Knowing what developmental milestones your baby has reached will help you in deciding which activities and play ideas are appropriate for your baby.

When you know what skills are coming up, you will be able to choose toys that will encourage those skills instead of just random ones.

What are the major developmental areas of child development?

The major areas of development that we track in young children are:

Cognition
Motor
Language
Self Help (also known as adaptive skills)
Social/Emotional

What is a developmental checklist?

A developmental checklist for infants and toddlers is designed to help you keep track of the skills your child is learning.

The checklist below is for information purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat a child.

The developmental checklist below can be helpful for parents to keep track of milestones so they can put them in their baby book or bring them to their doctor appointments.

This checklist can also be helpful for daycare providers or toddler teachers to track development or know what skills they can work on with little ones.

0-36 Months Developmental Milestones PDF Downloads

Grab your FREE Milestone Guide HERE.

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Kayla ONeill

Kayla O’Neill has a master’s degree in education as well as a bachelor’s degree in special education with an emphasis in early childhood education. She has been working as a developmental therapist with babies and toddlers in early intervention since 2012. She is also a mom with two young children.