Developmental Milestones for 2-Year-Old & Health Delay Signs

Two-year-olds are very active and begin to lose the appearance of a baby.

While all children may grow at a different rate, the average 2-year-old boys and girls gain about 4 to 6 pounds (in weight) per year and grow about 2 to 3 inches each year in height. Here are some developmental milestones for 2-Year-Olds & the health delays to watch out for:

Movement Milestones

• Walks alone
• Pulls toys behind her while walking
• Carries large toy or several toys while walking
• Begins to run
• Stands on tiptoe
• Kicks a ball
• Climbs onto and down from furniture unassisted
• Walks up and down stairs holding on to support
• Milestones in hand and finger skills
• Scribbles spontaneously
• Turns over a container to pour out contents
• Builds tower of four blocks or more
• Might use one hand more frequently than the other

Language Milestones

• Points to object or picture when it’s named for him
• Recognizes names of familiar people, objects, and body parts
• Says several single words (by fifteen to eighteen months)
• Uses simple phrases (by eighteen to twenty-four months)
• Uses two- to four-word sentences
• Follows simple instructions
• Repeats words overheard in conversation

Cognitive Milestones

• Finds objects even when hidden under two or three covers
• Begins to sort by shapes and colors
• Begins make-believe play

Social and Emotional Milestones

• Imitates behavior of others, especially adults and older children
• Increasingly aware of herself as separate from others
• Increasingly enthusiastic about the company of other children
• Demonstrates increasing independence
• Begins to show defiant behavior
• Increasing episodes of separation anxiety toward midyear, then they fade

Developmental Health Watch

Every child develops at his/her own particular pace. Hence, it is impossible to tell exactly when a given skill will be perfected. The developmental milestones will give you a general idea of the changes you can expect as your child gets older, but don’t be alarmed if he takes a slightly different course. Alert your pediatrician, however, if he displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay for this age range.

• Cannot walk by eighteen months
• Fails to develop a mature heel-toe walking pattern after several months of walking, or walks exclusively on his toes
• Does not speak at least fifteen words by eighteen months
• Does not use two-word sentences by age two
• Does not seem to know the function of common household objects (brush, telephone, bell, fork, spoon) by fifteen months
• Does not imitate actions or words by the end of this period
• Does not follow simple instructions by age two
• Cannot push a wheeled toy by age two

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