2 Years (24 Months) Developmental Milestones
At 2 years (24 months), toddlers use two-word phrases, follow simple instructions, and run. Here are the milestones most children reach by age 2.
What most children do by 2 Years (24 Months)
- Copies others, especially adults and older children
- Gets excited when with other children
- Shows more and more independence
- Shows defiant behavior (doing what he has been told not to)
- Plays mainly beside other children, but is beginning to include other children, such as in chase games
- Points to things or pictures when they are named
- Knows names of familiar people and body parts
- Says sentences with 2 to 4 words
- Follows simple instructions
- Repeats words overheard in conversation
- Points to things in a book
- Finds things even when hidden under two or three covers
- Begins to sort shapes and colors
- Completes sentences and rhymes in familiar books
- Plays simple make-believe games
- Builds towers of 4 or more blocks
- Might use one hand more than the other
- Follows two-step instructions such as “Pick up your shoes and put them in the closet”
- Names items in a picture book such as a cat, bird, or dog
- Stands on tiptoe
- Kicks a ball
- Begins to run
- Climbs onto and down from furniture without help
- Walks up and down stairs holding on
- Throws ball overhand
- Makes or copies straight lines and circles
Talk to your doctor right away if your child:
- Loses skills they once had (for example, words or social smiles)
- Doesn't respond to their name or make eye contact
- Isn't babbling, pointing, or using gestures by 12 months
- Isn't saying single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by 24 months
- Has trouble with feeding, swallowing, or muscle stiffness/floppiness
Trust your instincts — you know your child best. Acting early makes a real difference.
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Milestones are based on the CDC's "Learn the Signs. Act Early." program. Every child develops at their own pace. EarlyBegin helps you know what to do next — it doesn't diagnose or give medical advice. If you have concerns, talk to your pediatrician.