4-5 Years Milestones
Gross Motor
- Balances on one foot for five seconds or longer
- Jumps forward with feet together
- Performs a somersault (forward roll)
- Swings and climbs
- Possibly skips
Fine Motor
- Draws a person with body parts (about 7 parts)
- Dresses and undresses without assistance
- Uses a fork, a spoon, and sometimes a table knife
- Usually cares for own toilet needs
- Snaps fingers
- Copies diagonal strokes
- Colors within the lines
- Dynamic tripod improved and used consistently
- Builds gate as demonstrated with blocks
Language
- Speaks sentences of more than 5 words
- Uses future tense
- Tells long stories with details
- Says address
- Names at least four colors
- Says what to do when a person is tired, hungry, or cold
Personal and Social
- Asks a lot of questions
- Can count five or more objects
- Better understands the concept of time
- Knows about things used every day in the home
- Plays board games and card games
- Wants to please friends and be similar to friends
- Is more willing to agree to the rules
- Likes to sing, dance, and act
- Shows more independence
Other Characteristics and Behaviors to Expect
- Is aware of gender differences — knows boy from girl
- Is able to distinguish fantasy from reality
- Is sometimes stubborn, demanding and very cooperative
