Developmental Milestones

Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move (crawling, walking, etc.). These milestones are important clues about their development and change for each age range.

Young children grow so fast it can be hard to know what to expect. 

With the newly updated free Milestone Tracker app from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can learn how children play, learn, speak, act, and move as they grow, as well as learning how you can support your child’s development. 

The app for parents and care providers offers:  

  • Interactive milestone checklists in English and Spanish for children ages 2 months through 5 years;  

  • The ability to adjust the checklist age if your child was born prematurely;  

  • Photos and videos that illustrate each milestone and make tracking them for your child easy and fun;  

  • Your child’s milestone summary to share with others, like your child’s health care provider;  

  • Tips and activities that can help your child’s development;  

  • Information on what to do if you have a concern about your child’s development. 

Learn more at cdc.gov/MilestoneTracker