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4-Year Child Developmental Milestones

No two children develop, grow and learn in the same way or at the same pace. However, children do develop in certain predictable ways. Listed below are common developmental milestones for 4-year-olds.

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Watch this video to see milestones and stages of development for 4-year-olds and get ideas on how you can support a child’s healthy development.

moving icon Moving - Physical or Motor Development

  • Catches a bounced ball most of the time.
  • Hops and stands on one foot for a few seconds.
  • Pours beverages, cuts with supervision and mashes own food.

talking icon Talking - Communication and Language Development

  • Tells stories and recalls parts of stories.
  • Knows some basic rules of grammar and uses words correctly.
  • Sings a song or says a rhyme from memory.
  • Says first and last name.
  • Communicates clearly and speaks in complete sentences.

interacting icon Interacting - Social and Emotional Development

  • Plays cooperatively with other children.
  • Negotiates solutions to conflicts.
  • Prefers playing with other children than playing alone.
  • Enjoys doing new things.
  • Becomes more creative in make-believe play.
  • Confuses what’s real and what’s make-believe.
  • Expresses likes and dislikes.
  • Seeks new experiences.

thinking icon Thinking - Cognitive Development

  • Copies simple shapes.
  • Understands the concepts of “same” and “different.”
  • Follows instructions with two or three steps.
  • Understands the concept of counting and may know numbers.
  • Draws a person with two to four body parts.
  • Begins to understand time.
  • Knows basic colors.
  • Uses scissors.
  • Copies letters.
  • Plays board games or card games.
  • Tells you what will happen next in a story.

Resources

Help Me Grow has a variety of resources that can help you support the healthy development of a 4-year-old. Learn more about Infant and Toddler Intervention and Preschool Special Education services and discover other resources available to you.

Encouraging Healthy Development for a 4-Year-Old

Ideas that can help you support the development of a 4-year-old.

Help Me Grow Articles

Articles that help you support the healthy development of a child.

Resources Directory

A directory of services provided for families of children with disabilities.

happy toddler girl on swing

If you have concerns about a child's development and think a child might need extra help to learn and grow, do not hesitate to refer a child.

The family will be contacted by the local school district to arrange for a screening or evaluation to determine if their child is eligible for Infant and Toddler Intervention or Preschool Special Education services in Minnesota.

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