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Thursday, February 4, 2010

Child Developmental Play Chart

My Cannon was born with schizencephaly, an extremely rare birth defect characterized by slits in the brain.  We discovered this just before his 1st birthday, and ever since then he has been involved in early intervention schools/programs, and taken to several specialists.
Little Lincoln has massive fluid build-up in his ears which is causing delays in his hearing and speech.  And so, yet again, our family is jumping on the bandwagon of early childhood intervention.

When you find out one of your kiddles has a delay of any kind, I think the common question to ask is "what are the normal developmental stages for children?"

I have been asked this question by countless moms.
I like to think that I would have caught the signs a bit sooner in both of my children had I known what to look for, and today I am providing an answer!

Even though this isn't a post about a particular activity, there are several appropriate toys and creative play ideas included for each age group.

And so, for those of you who are wondering if your little one may be behind in some way, or just want a better idea of what to look forward to, I give you the:

Child Developmental Play Chart
courtesy of Kids on the Move

Age Range: Birth to 1 month

Developmental Milestones:

  1. Holds head in prone position

  2. Anticipatory behavior at feeding

  3. Visual fixation and visual following

  4. Stop crying with novel stimulus, holding and rocking.

  5. Alert response to light and sound
Babies like to:

  • Suck

  • Listen to soft sounds

  • Stare at movement and light

  • Be held and rocked

  • Hold things placed in their hands
Appropriate toys and Creative Play:

  • Mobiles and contrasting colors

  • Lullaby recordings

  • Human voices and close warm touch



Age Range: 2-3 months

Developmental Milestones:

  1. Social smile with mother and strangers

  2. Controls bottle with hands

  3. Midline hand use

  4. Prolonged visual tracking
Babies Like To:

  • Focus on movement, especially hand actions

  • Reach and bat for nearby objects

  • Smile

  • Wave their fists and watch them
Appropriate toys and Creatie Play:

  • Soft musical toys

  • Cuddle toys

  • Chewable rattles

  • Dangling toys to reach for



Age Range: 4-6 months

Developmental Milestones:

  1. Increased social smile with mother

  2. Becomes more quiet and subdued with strangers

  3. Voluntary hand use

  4. Vocalizations plus play to invite reciprocity with familiar people

  5. Learns cause and effect
Babies Like To:

  • Grasp things and let go

  • Kick and grab feet

  • Laugh

  • Roll Over

  • Play Peek-a-boo

  • Gum objects
Appropriate toys and Creative Play:

  • Rubber suction toys

  • Play pen attachments

  • Crib gym- Unbreakable mirror

  • Use of household objects; cups spoons, pot lids and wire whisks

  • Squeaky toys or ball

  • Teething toys



Age Range: 7-9 months

Developmental Milestones:

  1. Mild separation anxiety

  2. Says Dada/Mama

  3. Increased hand-eye coordination

  4. Use of extended index finger in touching and exploring
Babies Like To:

  • Sit alone

  • Use fingers and thumbs

  • Notice cause and effect

  • Pivot on stomach

  • Throw, wave and bang toys

  • Creep and pull self up on things

  • Play pat-a-cake

  • Pull self up on furniture
Appropriate Toys and Creative Play:

  • Bath tub toys

  • More squeaky toys

  • Safe floor to explore

  • Move kitchen things

  • Jack-in-the-box

  • Peg baord

  • Unbreakable mirror to distinguish happy/sad face



Age Range: 10-15 months

Developmental Milestones:

  1. Walking

  2. Reaches out for, grasps and manipulates

  3. Attentive to parents

  4. Says "No", but goes ahead with activity

  5. Play and initiation increases

  6. Problem-solving and investigation increases
Toddlers Like To:

  • Poke and prod with fingers

  • Put things in other things

  • Mark on paper

  • Lower self from stand

  • Drink from a cup and try to feed self

  • Use 1 or 2 words
Appropriate Toys and Creative Play:

  • Cloth books

  • Motion

  • Container with objects and different shapes inside; ie: clothes, pins, large craons, and cheerios

  • Baby-proof house for full-proof exploration

  • Stacking blocks

  • Big outdoor toys: sandbox, pail and shovel, balls, things to push



Age Range: 16 months - 2 years

Developmental Milestones:

  1. Says, "No" and responds to "No"

  2. Use of about 20 words

  3. Feminine identification for both sexes, interest in dress, shoes, and baby

  4. Separates from parent - explores and returns

  5. Solitary play with small objects

  6. Imitation and vocal inflection

  7. Tantrums to be expected
Toddlers Like To:

  • Squat down

  • Carry things - lug, tub and drag things

  • Rough house

  • Use sand and water

  • Oppose you with no

  • Climb on things, stairs, and furniture

  • Dance to music

  • Identify parts of themselves

  • Have things their way

  • Take things apart, sort, and turn pages

  • Run
Appropriate Toys and Creative Play:

  • Push/Pull toys

  • Water/Sand toys

  • Adult approval and floor interaction

  • Cloth picture books with body parts and common objects

  • Toy telephone

  • Carrying case to put things in

  • Big crayon and paper with superision

  • Simple puzzles

  • Toy to ride



Age Range: 2-3 years

Developmental Milestones:

  1. Parallel play along side peers (2 1/2)

  2. Cooperative play (3 years)

  3. Two to three word sentences

  4. Creative use of speech

  5. Toilet training (2 1/2 - 3)

  6. Accepts reasonable limits

  7. Talks to self

  8. Tantrums to be expected
Toddlers Like To:

  • Move around

  • Problem solve

  • Imitate and pretend

  • Construct things
Appropriate Toys and Creative Play:

  • Playground activities; balls, bikes and slides

  • Shape sorter/puzzles

  • Interlocking links, blocks

  • Finger paint and bristle color

  • Use musical instruction

  • Read simple story books with adult

  • Play and listen to music video



Age Range: 3-4 years

Developmental Milestones:

  1. Cooperative play with peers

  2. Creative use of speech

  3. Special skill and talents displayed - Dance and Music

  4. Some leadership and organizational skills displayed
Preschoolers Like To:

  • Move more skillfully

  • Pretend

  • Build

  • Create

  • Play games

  • Talk, report on day events and joke
Appropriate Toys and Creative Play:

  • Puzzles with laces, threading

  • Puppets, dress-up and props

  • Construction sets

  • Art supplies in abundance to enhance creativity

  • Simple board games

  • Sensorimotor play and equipment



Age Range: 5 years

Developmental Milestones:

  1. Enjoy group activities

  2. Comfortable being away from home for part of the day

  3. Interestin parent's work

  4. Learning skills develop

  5. Can play catch well and solve simple puzzles

  6. Detailed dreams
Appropriate Toys and Creative Play:

  • Books of all kinds, fairy tales and non-fiction

  • More outside activities (Can't get enough at this age)

  • Moving, dancing, and climbing

  • Legos/Building toys
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1 comment:

  1. Stephanie SalmonFebruary 4, 2010 at 9:39 AM

    Oh Michelle, this is some GOOD stuff! Especially since I will be having a baby soon. And since we had to poke the embryo with a microscopic needle and inject the sperm inside to fertilize it, there is a slightly higher chance for birth defects. I'm SO sorry to hear about Lincoln. Wow, you sure have had some motherhood trials to go through!!

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