29-month milestones (2 years 5 months): what is emerging next
29-month milestones: CDC has no 29-month checklist, so the 24-month list (13 items) applies for one last month before the 30-month checklist starts. Below are its 15 items, what is emerging next, each with activities that fit a 29-month-old now.
Updated
CDC 24-month milestone checklist
At 29 months use the 24-month checklist (CDC: use the earlier checklist between ages); next checklist at 30 months.
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Social and emotional
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At 29 months, try Park Bench Feelings Watch (5–10 min, 26–36 months)
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At 29 months, try Teddy's Doctor Check-Up (8–15 min, 24–34 months)
Language and communication
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At 29 months, try Count-Along Picture Book (5–10 min, 15–27 months)
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At 29 months, try Family Photo Action Talk (5–10 min, 24–34 months)
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At 29 months, try Silly Sock Directions (5–10 min, 24–34 months)
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At 29 months, try Bubble Wand Turns (5–12 min, 20–30 months)
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
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At 29 months, try Three Jars, Three Lids (5–10 min, 28–36 months)
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At 29 months, try Box Lid Ramp Races (5–15 min, 17–27 months)
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At 29 months, try Knock-Knock Box House (5–15 min, 27–36 months)
Movement and physical development
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At 29 months, try Tape-Road Ball Dribble (5–12 min, 26–36 months)
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At 29 months, try Bubble Chase on the Grass (5–12 min, 18–30 months)
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At 29 months, try Climb the Stairs to Teddy (3–8 min, 15–30 months)
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At 29 months, try Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice (5–15 min, 28–36 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.
29 months at a glance
| CDC checklist for 29 months | None (CDC's checklists in this range: 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 36 months) |
|---|---|
| Checklist that applies now | 24 months (13 items), reached five months ago |
| Next checklist | 30 months (15 items), next month |
| Where this month sits | In-between month 5 of 5 from 24 to 30 months |
| Library activities that fit 29 months | 128 (age band overlapping 27-32 months) |
| Skills building at 29 months | 54 of the 67 everyday skills on this site |
| Born early | No correction (it stops at 24 months) |
Which checklist applies at 29 months
This is the last month on the 24-month list. CDC says to use the earlier checklist between two ages, and the 30-month checklist takes over next month, so 29 months is a good time to look over its items and notice which ones already show up in play.
The 30-month list has 15 items (3 social-emotional, 4 language, 4 cognitive and 4 movement). They are not expected at 29 months; they show what is emerging next. Thirteen of them have activities below that fit this month.
30-month milestones to watch for at 29 months
Each 30-month item with one or two activities for a 29-month-old, and how the activity's age band relates to 29 months:
| By 30 months (CDC) | Area | Try at 29 months |
|---|---|---|
| Plays near other children and now and then joins in with them. | social-emotional | Side-by-Side Sandbox Scoops (late in its 19-30 mo band); Tape Parking Lot for Two (mid-band, 25-33 mo) |
| Shows you what they can do, calling out something like "Look at me!" | social-emotional | Everyday moments, no planned activity |
| Follows a simple routine when asked, such as helping pick up toys when you say it is clean-up time. | social-emotional | Picture-Label Toy Homes (mid-band, 24-34 mo); Small-Pitcher Pour at Snack (mid-band, 24-34 mo) |
| Uses around 50 words. | language | Mystery Tote Bag Guess (mid-band, 26-36 mo); Shopping Cart Spotter (an easy win, band ended at 28 mo) |
| Strings two or more words together with one of them an action word, like "baby sleep". | language | Cardboard Garage Parking Talk (mid-band, 21-32 mo); Family Photo Action Talk (mid-band, 24-34 mo) |
| Tells you the name of a picture in a book when you point and ask what it is. | language | Mystery Tote Bag Guess (mid-band, 26-36 mo); Shopping Cart Spotter (an easy win, band ended at 28 mo) |
| Refers to themselves or a group with words like "I", "me" or "we". | language | Everyday moments, no planned activity |
| Lets one thing stand in for another in pretend play, like offering a block to a doll as if it were food. | cognitive | Teddy Wash, Dry and Tuck-In (an easy win, band ended at 28 mo); Chalk Road Car Trip (mid-band, 27-36 mo) |
| Solves simple problems, such as climbing onto a small stool to reach something. | cognitive | Which Hole Fits? (an easy win, band ended at 28 mo); Spoon Rake Rescue (mid-band, 24-32 mo) |
| Follows a two-step instruction, like "Pick up your hat and put it on the chair." | cognitive | Teddy's Two-Step Picnic (mid-band, 25-34 mo); Silly Sock Directions (mid-band, 24-34 mo) |
| Shows they know at least one color, for example picking out the red crayon when you ask for red. | cognitive | Melting Color Ice Pucks (mid-band, 27-36 mo); Egg Carton Color Hunt (new in its 28-36 mo band) |
| Twists things with their hands, such as turning a doorknob or unscrewing a lid. | movement | Bubble Jar Twist and Blow (mid-band, 22-36 mo); Nature Jar Lid Twist (mid-band, 22-32 mo) |
| Gets some clothes off alone, such as an open jacket or loose pants. | movement | Coat Flip on the Floor (mid-band, 26-36 mo) |
| Jumps with both feet leaving the ground. | movement | Hoop Island Jump (mid-band, 24-34 mo); Jump Down from the Bottom Step (mid-band, 26-36 mo) |
| Turns the pages of a book one by one as you read together. | movement | Paper-Page Picture Book Turns (mid-band, 26-36 mo); Where's the Dog? Book Hunt (late in its 18-30 mo band) |
Activities toward the 30-month milestones
23 activities picked for 29 months, by CDC area. In Silly Sock Directions, for example, watch for this sign of progress: completes both steps in the order given.
Social-emotional at 29 months
Language at 29 months
Cognitive at 29 months
Movement at 29 months
Skills behind the 30-month list
What changes in the activity plan at 29 months
The family plan offers an activity from 3 months before its age band until 2 months after it. At 29 months, twelve activities leave (band ended at 26 months):
- Leaves the plan: Teddy Goodnight Hugs, whose 16-26 mo band ended three months ago.
- Leaves the plan: Rainstorm on a Baking Sheet, whose 16-26 mo band ended three months ago.
- Leaves the plan: Big Cup, Little Cup Bath Pour, whose 14-26 mo band ended three months ago.
Skills commonly building at 29 months
54 everyday skills on this site have 29 months inside their age window. Six of them, with where 29 months falls and their usual timing:
- Imitating actions, consolidating (12-30 months): Copying other children while playing is a CDC 15-month milestone, and copying you doing chores, such as sweeping, is a CDC 18-month milestone.
- Showing affection, consolidating (12-30 months): Hugging, cuddling or kissing you and giving a doll or stuffed animal a hug are both CDC 15-month milestones.
- Simple pretend play, late in its window (12-36 months): Hugging a doll or stuffed animal is a CDC 15-month milestone; playing with more than one toy at the same time, like putting toy food on a plate, is a 24-month milestone; and pretending one thing is another, such as feeding a block to a doll, is a 30-month milestone.
- Asking questions, mid-window (18-36 months): Asking "who", "what", "where" or "why" questions is a CDC 36-month milestone.
- Following two-step directions, mid-window (20-36 months): Following a two-step instruction is a CDC 30-month milestone.
- Sorting, mid-window (20-36 months): Sorting is not a CDC checklist item.
When to talk to your pediatrician at 29 months
Talk to your pediatrician if a 29-month-old loses a skill they used to have, if 24-month items such as “runs, not only walks” or “reacts when someone is hurt or upset, for example stopping or looking sad when another person cries” are still missing at 29 months, or if anything else worries you. From 29 months, the next AAP-recommended check is a general developmental screening at 30 months (one month away).
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? No correction at 29 months
Correction stops at 24 months chronological (AAP: the first 2 years), and 29 months is five months past that point, so use the calendar age as it is: the 24-month checklist applies, whatever the weeks born early.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a 29-month-old talk?
CDC gives no list for 29 months. 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. By 30 months it adds: uses around 50 words and strings two or more words together with one of them an action word, like "baby sleep".
Is there a CDC milestone checklist for 29 months?
No. In the 12-36 month range CDC has checklists at 12, 15, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months. At 29 months use the 24-month checklist (CDC: between two ages, use the earlier one); the 30-month checklist follows next month.
When is the next milestone checklist after 29 months?
At 30 months, next month: CDC's 30-month checklist has 15 items (3 social-emotional, 4 language, 4 cognitive and 4 movement). Until then the 24-month list (13 items) applies.
Which activities help a 29-month-old toward the 30-month milestones?
This page picks 23 library activities that fit 29 months, one or two per 30-month item, for example Which Hole Fits?, Nature Jar Lid Twist and Picture-Label Toy Homes. Short, playful repeats work better than drills.
What if my 29-month-old has not reached these milestones?
The 30-month items are not due at 29 months. If 24-month items are missing, if a skill is lost or if you are worried, talk to your pediatrician now. From 29 months, the next AAP-recommended check is a general developmental screening at 30 months (one month away). In the U.S. you can also call your state's Early Intervention program without a referral.
Related
Milestones month by month
Plan for 29 months
Born early
Skills building at 29 months
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.