Bright Futures Milestone Category

Physical

Milestone Name	Expected Age
Moves in response to visual or auditory stimuli	0
Is able to suck, swallow, and breathe	0
Shows strong primitive reflexes (suck, rooting, palmer grasp, stepping, Moro reflex, tonic neck reflex)	0
Is able to lift head briefly when in the prone position	0
Is able to lift his head when on his tummy	1
Is able to hold up head and begins to push up in prone position	2
Has consistent head control in supported sitting position	2
Shows symmetrical movements of head, arms, and legs	2
Shows diminishing newborn reflexes	2
Pushes chest up to elbows	4
Has good head control	4
Demonstrates symmetrical movements of arms and legs	4
Begins to roll and reach for objects	4
Rolling over and sitting allow for increasing mobility, standing and bouncing; in prone position, will gradually move into crawling position	6
Rocks back and forth, often crawling backward before moving forward	6
Will learn to rotate in sitting and eventually move from sitting to crawling position	6
Rapidly expands motor skills—crawls reciprocally, gets to sitting, begins to pull to stand	9
Bangs 2 cubes held in hands	12
Stands alone	12
Walks well, stoops, and recovers	15
Is able to take steps backwards	15
Puts block in cup	15
Drinks from a cup	15
Walks up steps, runs	18
Stacks 2 or 3 blocks	18
May imitate a crayon stroke and scribbles	18
Uses a spoon and cup without spilling most of the time	18
Stacks 5 or 6 blocks	24
Makes or imitates horizontal and circular strokes with crayon	24
Turns book pages one at a time	24
Imitates food preparation: scrubs, tears, breaks, dips, snaps, beats an egg, “washes” dishes	24
Throws ball overhand	24
Goes up and down stairs one step at a time	24
Kicks a ball	24
Jumps up	24
Jumps up and down in place	30
Throws ball overhand	30
Washes and dries hands	30
Brushes teeth with help	30
Puts on clothes with help	30
Copies a vertical line	30
Builds a tower of 6 to 8 cubes	36
Throws a ball overhand	36
Rides a tricycle	36
Walks up stairs alternating feet	36
Balances on 1 foot for 1 second	36
Copies a circle	36
Draws a person with 2 body parts (head and one other part)	36
Is toilet trained during the daytime for both bowel and bladder	36
Hops on one foot	48
Balances on one foot for 2 seconds	48
Builds a tower of 8 blocks	48
Copies a cross	48
Pours, cuts, and mashes own food	48
Brushes own teeth	48
Dresses self, including buttons	48