DEVELOPMENTAL CHECKLIST – 24 TO 36 MONTHS
MOVEMENT
- Climbs well (24-30 mos.)
- Walks down stairs alone, placing both feet on each step (26-28 mos.)
- Walks up stairs alternating feet with support (24-30 mos.)
- Swings leg to kick ball (24-30 mos.)
- Runs easily (24-26 mos.)
- Pedals tricycle (30-36 mos.)
- Bends over easily without falling (24-30 mos.)
HAND AND FINGER SKILLS
- Makes vertical, horizontal, circular strokes with pencil or crayon (30-36 mos.)
- Turns book pages one at a time (24-30 mos.)
- Builds a tower of more than 6 blocks (24-30 mos.)
- Holds a pencil in writing position (30-36 mos.)
- Screws and unscrews jar lids, nuts, and bolts (24-30 mos.)
- Turns rotating handle (24-30 mos.)
LANGUAGE
- Recognizes and identifies almost all common objects and pictures (26-32 mos.)
- Understands most sentences (24-40 mos.)
- Understands physical relationships (on, in, under) (30-36 mos.)
- Can say name, age, and sex (30-36 mos.)
- Uses pronouns (I, you, me, we, they) (24-30 mos.)
- Strangers can understand most of words (30-36 mos.)
COGNITIVE
- Makes mechanical toys work (30-36 mos.)
- Matches an object in hand or room to a picture in a book (24-30 mos.)
- Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people (24-36 mos.)
- Sorts objects by color (30-36 mos.)
- Completes puzzles with 3 or 4 pieces (24-36 mos.)
- Understands concept of “two” (26-32 mos.)
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL
- Separates easily from parents (by 36 mo.)
- Expresses a wide range of emotions (24-36 mos.)
- Objects to major changes in routine (24-36 mos.)
DEVELOPMENTAL RED FLAGS (24 TO 36 MONTHS)
- Frequent falling and difficulty with stairs
- Persistent drooling or very unclear speech
- Inability to build a tower of more than 4 blocks
- Difficulty manipulating small objects
- Inability to copy a circle by 3 years old
- Inability to communicate in short phrases
- No involvement in pretend play
- Failure to understand simple instructions
- Little interest in other children
- Extreme difficulty separating from primary caregiver
Downloadable Version
Click the icon below to download a PDF version of this checklist.
