Watching a child grow and develop is a unique and unforgettable experience. Most children develop skills and abilities in roughly the same order, but the timeframes involved aren’t exact. Milestones are things that a child can do at a certain age. Different organizations may have slightly different ways of describing milestones. Familiarity with milestones can help shape the experiences provided to a child or alert us if there are any concerns.

As children grow, they develop skills they different developmental areas. These include fine and gross motor, language, social-emotional and cognitive areas.

Your Developing Child: 5 years

• Hops or stands on one foot for five seconds or longer.
• Throws a ball overhand.
• Goes upstairs and downstairs without support.
• Copies a triangle, most letters, and numbers.
• Cuts out simple shapes with scissors.
• Plays games with more rules.
• Shows concern for someone who is hurt or upset.
• Provides full name, age, mother’s name.
• Attends an activity for up to 20 minutes.
• Recognizes some letters and write some of their name.
• Recognizes and names most colors.
• Counts five or more objects.
• Follows long directions such as “Get your crayons, make a picture and put it on the fridge.”
• Tells a story they heard or made up with at least two events. For example, a cat was stuck in a tree and a firefighter saved it.
• Able to dress and undress.
• Uses the washroom alone.

There are many ways you can help your child’s development.

Play is a learning experience for children. Play is a universal and vital process for the healthy development of every child. Play is the living work of children and allows an opportunity to develop and explore the world.

If you have any concerns about your child’s development, talk to your public health nurse or family doctor.

Services related to this information:

• Contact your Public Health Nurse.
• 811 HealthLine (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555