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Developmental Milestones

June 8, 2026 |
Child Development

Watching our little ones head to preschool and kindergarten is exciting. We all want them to be prepared for success. While fine motor skills are essential for holding pencils and using scissors, these abilities develop long before the first day of school. The CDC outlines several key milestones that build the foundation for these crucial fine motor skills:

2 Months: Opens hands briefly.

4 Months: Reaches for a toy; brings hands to the mouth.

6 Months: Grasps and shakes a rattle; brings hands to midline.

9 Months: Picks things up between thumb and pointer finger, known as the pincer grasp.

Activities to build fine motor skills for infants

Allow your baby to put safe things in their mouth to explore.

Offer toys that make noise when shaken to encourage movement while grasping

Set toys just outside of baby’s reach to encourage reaching and grasping.

1 to 3 Years

1 Year: Bangs two objects together; puts items in a container.

15 Months: Stacks at least two small objects or blocks.

18 Months: Scribbles spontaneously.

2 Years: Uses hands to twist things, like doorknobs or unscrewing lids.

30 Months: Builds a tower of blocks and begins to hold crayons with fingertips rather than a full fist.

Activities to build fine motor skills for toddlers

Let your child use a cup without a lid for drinking and practice eating with a spoon.

Practice dumping toys out and picking them up to put away.

Play together with blocks and other toys that encourage your baby to use their hands.

3 to 5 Years

3 Years: Can snip paper with child-safe scissors and string large beads.

4 Years: Cuts simple shapes with scissors and completes simple puzzles.

5 Years: Develops writing and drawing skills (can draw a person with body parts) and can button clothes.

Activities to build fine motor skills for preschoolers

Play with toys that encourage your child to put things together such as puzzles and building blocks.

Provide opportunities to physically sort smaller items by color, size, shape etc...

Give opportunities to use tools like child-safe scissors, tongs, and droppers.

For more information on Milestones visit https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/index.html or download the CDC Milestone Tracker app directly to your device here: