The developmental milestones for a 4-year-old are focused on continued growth. Just a couple years ago, a ball was something to grasp at with little fingers; now, she’s catching a bounced ball and throwing it back. Deeper cognitive reasoning is emerging, as he understand the concepts of same and different, and begins to follow more complex instructions.

4-year-old Developmental Milestones

While every child grows at his or her own rate, Help Me Grow offers the following developmental milestones as typical for a 4-year-old. These markers help monitor a child’s progress:

• Catches a bounced ball most of the time
• Tells stories and recalls parts of stories
• Plays cooperatively with other children
• Copies simple shapes
• Understands the concept of same and different
• Follows instructions with two or three steps
• Hops and stands on one foot for a few seconds
• Sings a song or says a rhyme from memory
• Says first and last name
• Communicates clearly and speaks in complete sentences
• Negotiates solutions to conflicts
• Prefers playing with other children than playing alone
• Understands the concept of counting and may know numbers
• Draws a person with two to four body parts

For a 4-year-old, parents and caregivers can encourage a child’s development in the following ways:

• Give the child crayons, markers and a variety of play materials
• Read with the child every day
• Pay attention when the child is talking
• Give the child opportunities to play with other children
• Say positive things to the child
• Urge the child to use words to ask for help

Developmental milestones help you understand what’s typical in a preschool aged child’s development. To learn more about these milestones and how to encourage a child’s progress at different ages, visit helpmegrowmn.org.