24-month milestones (2 years): the CDC checklist, with activities for each one
24-month milestones, per CDC's checklist: 13 things most children (75% or more) do by 24 months (2 years), across four areas (2 social-emotional, 4 language, 3 cognitive and 4 movement). Use them to monitor, not to screen; below, each item lists the skills it relates to and activities that practise it.
Updated
CDC 24-month milestone checklist
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Social and emotional
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At 24 months, try Teddy Is Sad: Comfort Game (4–8 min, 22–32 months)
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At 24 months, try When a Friend Cries: Helper Steps (2–5 min, 27–36 months)
Language and communication
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At 24 months, try Count-Along Picture Book (5–10 min, 15–27 months)
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At 24 months, try Family Photo Action Talk (5–10 min, 24–34 months)
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At 24 months, try Teddy's Doctor Check-Up (8–15 min, 24–34 months)
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At 24 months, try Goodbye Wave at the Window (2–5 min, 12–24 months)
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
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At 24 months, try Bubble Jar Twist and Blow (5–10 min, 22–36 months)
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At 24 months, try Ready-Set-Go Car Ramp (5–10 min, 16–26 months)
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At 24 months, try Stir the Pretend Soup (5–10 min, 14–24 months)
Movement and physical development
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At 24 months, try Kick It Back to Me (5–10 min, 22–36 months)
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At 24 months, try Ready-Set-Go Chalk Dash (5–12 min, 19–31 months)
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At 24 months, try Count-the-Stairs Walk Up (3–8 min, 16–28 months)
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At 24 months, try Basin Spoon Scoop (5–15 min, 18–28 months)
A checklist is monitoring, not a screening test. If your child loses a skill they had, or something worries you, talk to your pediatrician; in the U.S. you can also contact your state's Early Intervention program directly, no referral needed.
The 24-month checklist at a glance
| Checklist | CDC “By 24 months”, paraphrased (source: CDC milestone checklists by age) |
|---|---|
| Items | 13: 2 social-emotional, 4 language, 3 cognitive and 4 movement |
| Library activities that practise them | 61 that fit 24 months (12 skills involved) |
| Previous checklist | 18 months, six months earlier (15 items) |
| Next checklist | 30 months, six months later (15 items) |
| AAP screening | The AAP recommends an autism screening at the 24-month visit; the next general developmental screening is at 30 months, six months later. |
| Born early | Correction stops at 24 months: calendar age from the second birthday |
Language and communication milestones by 24 months
Four of the 13 items, built on pointing to pictures, two-word phrases, body parts and gestures and signs. Every one has a library activity that fits 24 months.
| Milestone | Skills it relates to | Activities that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| Points to the right picture in a book when you ask something like "Where is the dog?" | Pointing to pictures | Where's the Dog? Book Hunt (18-30 mo); Sticky Tab Page Turner (14-24 mo); Count-Along Picture Book (15-27 mo) |
| Joins at least two words together, like "more juice". | Two-word phrases | Family Photo Action Talk (24-34 mo); Cardboard Garage Parking Talk (21-32 mo) |
| Shows you two or more body parts when you ask, such as nose or tummy. | Body parts | Sticky Note Body Spots (19-30 mo); Nose-to-Nose Mirror Game (15-26 mo); Peekaboo Sleeve Push (14-24 mo) |
| Uses gestures beyond waving and pointing, such as nodding for yes or blowing a kiss. | Gestures and signs | Snack Signs: More and All Done (13-22 mo); Goodbye Wave at the Window (12-24 mo); Bubble Wand Turns (20-30 mo) |
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving) milestones by 24 months
Three of the 13 items, built on twisting lids and knobs, cause and effect and simple pretend play. Every one has a library activity that fits 24 months.
| Milestone | Skills it relates to | Activities that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| Holds an object steady in one hand while working with the other, like gripping a container and pulling off its lid. | Twisting lids and knobs | Snack Tub Lid Twist (20-34 mo); Bubble Jar Twist and Blow (22-36 mo); Nature Jar Lid Twist (22-32 mo) |
| Tries to work the buttons, knobs or switches on a toy. | Cause and effect | Box Lid Ramp Races (17-27 mo); Colander Rain Pour (20-30 mo); Shadow Stomp and Wave (27-36 mo) |
| Combines two toys in play, such as setting pretend food on a toy plate. | Simple pretend play | Teddy's Cardboard Box Car (17-27 mo); Stir the Pretend Soup (14-24 mo); Teddy Wash, Dry and Tuck-In (18-28 mo) |
Movement and physical development milestones by 24 months
Four of the 13 items, built on kicking a ball, running, walking up stairs and using a spoon. Every one has a library activity that fits 24 months.
| Milestone | Skills it relates to | Activities that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| Gives a ball a kick. | Kicking a ball | Kick It Back to Me (22-36 mo); Kick Over the Tube Pins (20-36 mo); Kick into the Box Goal (18-30 mo) |
| Runs, not only walks. | Running | Bubble Chase on the Grass (18-30 mo); Ready-Set-Go Chalk Dash (19-31 mo); Shadow Stomp and Wave (27-36 mo) |
| Walks up a few stairs, rather than climbing on hands and knees, with or without help. | Walking up stairs | Curb Step-Ups on Walks (20-30 mo); Climb the Stairs to Teddy (15-30 mo); Count-the-Stairs Walk Up (16-28 mo) |
| Feeds themselves with a spoon. | Using a spoon | Basin Spoon Scoop (18-28 mo); Stir the Big Pot (17-28 mo) |
Activities for the 24-month milestones
36 activities from the library, picked for these 13 items and for 24 months.
Social-emotional practice
Language practice
Cognitive practice
Movement practice
What you can do at 24 months
Everyday ideas in the spirit of CDC's “what you can do” tips for the 24-month checklist:
- Offer two simple choices ("Red cup or blue cup?") so your child practices deciding and using words.
- Add one word to what your child says: "More juice" becomes "More apple juice."
- Ask "What's that?" and "Where's the...?" while you read, then wait for an answer.
- Set up time with other children, even if they mostly play side by side for now.
- Kick and roll a ball together outside and give your child safe open ground to run on.
- Let your child use a spoon at family meals and help with easy jobs like carrying napkins to the table.
- Talk about other people's feelings when they come up: "She's crying. She feels sad."
- Sing rhymes with actions and leave out the last word for your child to fill in.
What changed since 18 months
The 18-month checklist had 15 items and the 24-month one has 13: social-emotional goes from five to two, language goes from two to four, cognitive goes from two to three and movement goes from six to four. Skills that appear on a checklist for the first time at 24 months: noticing others' feelings, pointing to pictures, two-word phrases, body parts, twisting lids and knobs, cause and effect, kicking a ball, running and walking up stairs.
How these milestones grow by 30 months
Three items on this list share a skill with an item on the 30-month checklist, six months later:
- By 24 months: joins at least two words together, like "more juice". By 30 months: strings two or more words together with one of them an action word, like "baby sleep".
- By 24 months: combines two toys in play, such as setting pretend food on a toy plate. By 30 months: lets one thing stand in for another in pretend play, like offering a block to a doll as if it were food.
- By 24 months: holds an object steady in one hand while working with the other, like gripping a container and pulling off its lid. By 30 months: twists things with their hands, such as turning a doorknob or unscrewing a lid.
When to talk to your pediatrician at 24 months
Talk to your pediatrician if a 24-month-old loses a skill they used to have, if 24-month items such as “feeds themselves with a spoon” or “points to the right picture in a book when you ask something like "Where is the dog?"” are still missing around this age, or if anything else worries you. The AAP recommends an autism screening at the 24-month visit; the next general developmental screening is at 30 months, six months later.
CDC milestones are things most children (75% or more) can do by that age; the checklists are for monitoring and are not a standardized screening tool. In the U.S. you can contact your state's Early Intervention program for children under 3 yourself; no doctor's referral is needed.
Born early? Correction stops at 24 months
Corrected age is used for the first 2 years (AAP), so on the second birthday every child, born early or not, moves to the 24-month checklist by calendar age. A child born 8 weeks early was still on the 18-month list at 23 months (about 21 months, 1 week corrected) and changes lists on that birthday; ask your pediatrician how they want to compare at the 24-month visit.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 24-month milestones?
CDC's 24-month checklist has 13 items: 2 social-emotional, 4 language, 3 cognitive and 4 movement. Examples: reacts when someone is hurt or upset, for example stopping or looking sad when another person cries, joins at least two words together, like "more juice" and holds an object steady in one hand while working with the other, like gripping a container and pulling off its lid. Most children (75% or more) do these by 24 months.
How much should a 24-month-old talk?
The 24-month checklist says: joins at least two words together, like "more juice" and uses gestures beyond waving and pointing, such as nodding for yes or blowing a kiss. Those are the talking items on the checklist; by 30 months it lists: uses around 50 words.
What if my child has not reached the 24-month milestones?
Talk to your pediatrician if items are missing, if your child loses a skill or if you are worried; you do not have to wait. The AAP recommends an autism screening at the 24-month visit; the next general developmental screening is at 30 months, six months later. In the U.S. you can also contact your state's Early Intervention program directly, without a referral.
Is the 24-month checklist a screening test?
No. The CDC checklist is for monitoring: it lists what most children do by 24 months. The AAP recommends developmental screening at 9, 18 and 30 months and autism screening at 18 and 24 months.
Related
Milestones month by month
Plan for 24 months
Born early
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.
Social-emotional milestones by 24 months
Two of the 13 items, built on noticing others' feelings. Every one has a library activity that fits 24 months.