30-month milestones (2½ years): the CDC checklist, with activities for each one
30-month milestones, per CDC's checklist: 15 things most children (75% or more) do by 30 months (2½ years), across four areas (3 social-emotional, 4 language, 4 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 30-month milestone checklist
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Social and emotional
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At 30 months, try Side-by-Side Sandbox Scoops (10–20 min, 19–30 months)
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At 30 months, try Brush and Hands Wash-Up (3–8 min, 20–36 months)
Language and communication
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At 30 months, try Mystery Tote Bag Guess (5–10 min, 26–36 months)
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At 30 months, try Bedtime Day Recap (3–8 min, 28–36 months)
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At 30 months, try Shopping Cart Spotter (5–15 min, 17–28 months)
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
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At 30 months, try Teddy's Doctor Check-Up (8–15 min, 24–34 months)
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At 30 months, try Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice (5–15 min, 28–36 months)
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At 30 months, try Teddy's Two-Step Picnic (5–15 min, 25–34 months)
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At 30 months, try Egg Carton Color Hunt (10–20 min, 28–36 months)
Movement and physical development
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At 30 months, try Three Jars, Three Lids (5–10 min, 28–36 months)
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At 30 months, try Coat Flip on the Floor (3–8 min, 26–36 months)
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At 30 months, try Animal Moves Action Song (5–10 min, 24–34 months)
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At 30 months, try Paper-Page Picture Book Turns (5–10 min, 26–36 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.
The 30-month checklist at a glance
| Checklist | CDC “By 30 months”, paraphrased (source: CDC milestone checklists by age) |
|---|---|
| Items | 15: 3 social-emotional, 4 language, 4 cognitive and 4 movement |
| Library activities that practise them | 65 that fit 30 months (13 skills involved) |
| Previous checklist | 24 months, six months earlier (13 items) |
| Next checklist | 36 months, six months later (12 items) |
| AAP screening | 30 months is a screening age: the AAP recommends a general developmental screening at the 30-month visit. |
| Born early | No correction at 30 months (it stops at 24) |
Language and communication milestones by 30 months
Four of the 15 items, built on naming things and two-word phrases. Three have a library activity that fits 30 months.
| Milestone | Skills it relates to | Activities that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| Uses around 50 words. | Naming things | Mystery Tote Bag Guess (26-36 mo); Shopping Cart Spotter (17-28 mo); Family Photo Action Talk (24-34 mo) |
| Strings two or more words together with one of them an action word, like "baby sleep". | Two-word phrases | Cardboard Garage Parking Talk (21-32 mo); Bedtime Day Recap (28-36 mo); Family Photo Action Talk (24-34 mo) |
| Tells you the name of a picture in a book when you point and ask what it is. | Naming things | Tissue Box Mystery Feel (30-36 mo); Knob Puzzle Peek and Name (15-30 mo); Things That Go Together (25-33 mo) |
| Refers to themselves or a group with words like "I", "me" or "we". | Everyday behavior (no single skill) | Watch for it in daily life |
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving) milestones by 30 months
Four of the 15 items, built on simple pretend play, pretend sequences, problem solving, following two-step directions and colors and shapes. Every one has a library activity that fits 30 months.
| Milestone | Skills it relates to | Activities that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| Lets one thing stand in for another in pretend play, like offering a block to a doll as if it were food. | Simple pretend play, Pretend sequences | Dough Pancake Café (21-32 mo); Dough Birthday Cake Party (25-36 mo); Teddy's Doctor Check-Up (24-34 mo) |
| Solves simple problems, such as climbing onto a small stool to reach something. | Problem solving | Spoon Rake Rescue (24-32 mo); Which Hole Fits? (18-28 mo); Coat Flip on the Floor (26-36 mo) |
| Follows a two-step instruction, like "Pick up your hat and put it on the chair." | Following two-step directions | Silly Sock Directions (24-34 mo); Teddy's Two-Step Picnic (25-34 mo); Hand-Wash Picture Steps (24-36 mo) |
| Shows they know at least one color, for example picking out the red crayon when you ask for red. | Colors and shapes | Egg Carton Color Hunt (28-36 mo); Egg Cup Circle Stamping (22-32 mo); Melting Color Ice Pucks (27-36 mo) |
Movement and physical development milestones by 30 months
Four of the 15 items, built on twisting lids and knobs, helping with dressing, jumping and turning pages. Every one has a library activity that fits 30 months.
| Milestone | Skills it relates to | Activities that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| Twists things with their hands, such as turning a doorknob or unscrewing a lid. | Twisting lids and knobs | Three Jars, Three Lids (28-36 mo); Nature Jar Lid Twist (22-32 mo); Bubble Jar Twist and Blow (22-36 mo) |
| Gets some clothes off alone, such as an open jacket or loose pants. | Helping with dressing | Coat Flip on the Floor (26-36 mo) |
| Jumps with both feet leaving the ground. | Jumping | Jump Down from the Bottom Step (26-36 mo); Chalk Lily-Pad Hop Path (26-36 mo); Hoop Island Jump (24-34 mo) |
| Turns the pages of a book one by one as you read together. | Turning pages | Paper-Page Picture Book Turns (26-36 mo); Where's the Dog? Book Hunt (18-30 mo) |
Activities for the 30-month milestones
33 activities from the library, picked for these 15 items and for 30 months. Two items have no matching activity: shows you what they can do, calling out something like "Look at me!" and refers to themselves or a group with words like "I", "me" or "we".
Social-emotional practice
Language practice
Cognitive practice
Movement practice
What you can do at 30 months
Everyday ideas in the spirit of CDC's “what you can do” tips for the 30-month checklist:
- Give two-step directions during play ("Get the ball and put it in the box") and help with the second step if needed.
- Mention colors and sizes in passing ("the big red truck") without turning it into a quiz.
- Leave room for pretend play with simple props such as boxes, scarves, cups and old clothes.
- Let your child do part of dressing and undressing, like pulling off socks or a loose jacket.
- Make tidying a routine with a song or signal so helping becomes a normal part of the day.
- Arrange play near other children and stay close to help with turns and sharing.
- Reread favorite books and let your child turn the pages and name what they see.
- Give plenty of outdoor free play for running, climbing and jumping.
What changed since 24 months
The 24-month checklist had 13 items and the 30-month one has 15: social-emotional goes from two to three, language stays at four, cognitive goes from three to four and movement stays at four. Skills that appear on a checklist for the first time at 30 months: playing alongside others, tidying up, pretend sequences, problem solving, following two-step directions, colors and shapes and jumping.
How these milestones grow by 36 months
Three items on this list share a skill with an item on the 36-month checklist, six months later:
- By 30 months: plays near other children and now and then joins in with them. By 36 months: spots other children playing and goes over to join them.
- By 30 months: uses around 50 words. By 36 months: tells you what is happening in a picture or book when asked, such as "eating" or "running".
- By 30 months: gets some clothes off alone, such as an open jacket or loose pants. By 36 months: dresses in some clothes without help, such as a jacket or loose pants.
When to talk to your pediatrician at 30 months
Talk to your pediatrician if a 30-month-old loses a skill they used to have, if 30-month items such as “turns the pages of a book one by one as you read together” or “follows a simple routine when asked, such as helping pick up toys when you say it is clean-up time” are still missing around this age, or if anything else worries you. 30 months is a screening age: the AAP recommends a general developmental screening at the 30-month visit.
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 30 months
Correction stops at 24 months chronological (AAP: the first 2 years), and 30 months is six months past that point, so use the calendar age as it is: the 30-month checklist applies, whatever the weeks born early.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 30-month milestones?
CDC's 30-month checklist has 15 items: 3 social-emotional, 4 language, 4 cognitive and 4 movement. Examples: plays near other children and now and then joins in with them, uses around 50 words and refers to themselves or a group with words like "I", "me" or "we". Most children (75% or more) do these by 30 months.
How much should a 30-month-old talk?
The 30-month checklist says: uses around 50 words, strings two or more words together with one of them an action word, like "baby sleep", tells you the name of a picture in a book when you point and ask what it is and refers to themselves or a group with words like "I", "me" or "we". Those are the talking items on the checklist; by 36 months it lists: keeps a conversation with you going for at least two back-and-forth exchanges.
What if my child has not reached the 30-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. 30 months is a screening age: the AAP recommends a general developmental screening at the 30-month visit. In the U.S. you can also contact your state's Early Intervention program directly, without a referral.
Is the 30-month checklist a screening test?
No. The CDC checklist is for monitoring: it lists what most children do by 30 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 30 months
Born early
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.
Social-emotional milestones by 30 months
Three of the 15 items, built on playing alongside others and tidying up. Two have a library activity that fits 30 months.