Your Child’s Fifth Year

• Skips using opposing arms and legs for at least 10 feet while maintaining balance
• Roller skates
• Bounces and catches small ball
• Kicks ball at least 12 feet
• Rides bike with training wheels
• Stands on either foot with eyes closed for at least 5 seconds, eyes open for at least 10 seconds
• Dribbles a ball walking forward
• Jumps forward 36 feet

Interesting Fact: Childhood development experts generally say that a reasonable attention span to expect of a child is two to three minutes per year of their age. That’s the period of time for which a typical child can maintain focus on a given task. 

• Colors between lines
• Cut basic and complex shapes on the line without deviations
• Completes simple dot-to-dot pictures
• Copies color/shape sequences
• Draws triangle and X
• Imitates writing first name
• Draw a human figure with at least 8 parts

• Dresses self with correct orientation
• Ties shoes independently
• Completes fasteners on self (snap, button, zipper clasp)
• Puts belt through loops
• Bathes self with help to fill tub and wash hair for safety
• Brushes teeth with follow up from parent for thoroughness

Interesting Fact: Milestones develop in a sequence fashion.  This means that a child would need to develop some skills before he or she can develop new skills. 

• Eats a variety of food textures from all food groups
• Is able to eat a meal with the rest of the family, within 30-40 minutes
• Willing to try new foods
• Sufficient at using utensils at mealtime
• Takes appropriate bites of food, does not overstuff mouth
• Can drink from an open cup, straw, or water bottle without spilling
• Chews food sufficient enough that does not result in chocking, or gagging
• Does not pocket food in cheeks

• Uses a variety of sentences
• Has a vocabulary of 2000 or more words
• Uses all speech sounds correctly
• Is 100% intelligible
• Asks questions to get more information
• Can describe objects and carry a plot when telling a story
• Can follow multi-step directions without repetition
• Demonstrates good eye contact

Interesting Fact: Research has shown that children who are read to by their parents have a larger vocabulary than other children.

• Starts to feel sensitive about how others feel about them
• Plays in different textures including glue, finger paint, and sand
• Enjoys playing on jungle gym equipment such as swings, rock wall, trampoline, and slide
• Is aware of risky and unsafe behaviors
• Easily adapts to changes in routine
• Usually able to self calm to fall asleep
• Has an established sleep schedule
• Tolerant of hair cuts and nail trims
• Tolerant of new clothes and various clothing textures

• Interest in simple board games, competitive games, cooperative games; understands rules of fair play
• Compromises to facilitate group play
• Plays with a single object or theme for 15+ minutes
• Demonstrates understanding of others’ feelings
• Costumes and props are more important for pretend play; emphasis is on reality than imaginary
• Begins interest in making recognizable products; attends to detail when constructing and making it useful
• Compromises to facilitate group play

Interesting Fact: Your child should be able to recite their full name, age, and address by the age of 7.

• Twister game
• Board games that encourage turn taking, group play, and playing fair
• Child size corn hole or ring toss
• Hopscotch
• Bike
• Two wheeled scooter
• Zoomball
• Dot-to-dot and word search books
• Simon Says
• Roller Skates
• Balls of all sizes
• Puzzles
• Crafts – color, cut, paste, paint
• Legos
• Action Figures
• Play Kitchen
• Dolls / Doll House

Interesting Fact: Each child is an individual and may meet developmental milestones earlier or later than their peers and/or siblings.