Through the Years Child Development Guide Child Development Guide Overview Toddlers 1-Year-Old 2-Year-Old Discipline Advice Parenting Tips Preschoolers 3-Year-Old 4-Year-Old 5-Year-Old Discipline Advice Parenting Tips School-Age Kids 6-Year-Old 7-Year-Old 8-Year-Old 9-Year-Old Discipline Advice Parenting Tips Tweens 10-Year-Old 11-Year-Old 12-Year-Old Discipline Advice Parenting Tips Teens 13-Year-Old 14-Year-Old 15-Year-Old 16-Year-Old 17-Year-Old 18-Year-Old Discipline Advice Parenting Tips 5-Year-Old Child Development Milestones Your child’s growth and development at age 5 By Amy Morin, LCSW facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, international bestselling author and host of the Mentally Strong People podcast. Learn about our editorial process Amy Morin, LCSW Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Lyndsey Garbi, MD on October 02, 2019 linkedin Lyndsey Garbi, MD, is a pediatrician who is double board-certified in pediatrics and neonatology. Learn about our Review Board Lyndsey Garbi, MD on October 02, 2019 Print Table of Contents View All Physical Development Emotional Development Social Development Cognitive Development Other Milestones When to Be Concerned Next in Child Development Guide The Best Ways to Get a Preschooler to Behave The development of a 5-year-old is fraught with emotional extremes and contradictions. At this age, many children are still straddling the not-too-distant past period of the toddlerhood and preschool years and the "big kid" phase of development to come. A 5-year-old may be able to exhibit much more self-control than a toddler, and most children this age will be able to sit for periods of time in a classroom and listen to a teacher's instructions. At the same time, a child this age is still learning to regulate their emotions, and will still be prone to meltdowns over something as small as a spilled glass of milk. Illustration by Emily Roberts, Verywell Physical Development Your 5-year-old has likely left their teetering toddler years long behind them and are well on their way to becoming more coordinated and precise in their movements as they enter the school-age years. At age 5, many children will start to look less like a chubby-cheeked toddler and more like the lanky grade-schoolers they will become. This is when kids begin to lose fat and gain muscle. Some of the typical growth milestones include gaining four to five pounds, growing two to three inches, and achieving 20/20 vision. Key Milestones Gross motor skills: A child’s ability to hop, skip, run and jump really starts to develop at this age. They will have good balance and better coordination.Fine mother skills: As their small muscles become more fine-tuned, a 5-year-old will be able to dress themselves, handle buttons and zippers, and learn how to tie their shoes (although many kids develop this skill later these days since Velcro has taken over children’s footwear).Major highlights: Mealtime will be a different experience as 5-year-olds become more adept at handling forks and knives and need less help with things like cutting their food. Parenting Tip As your child masters each new skill, it’s a great time to introduce new tasks to keep them challenged. For example, as the ability to use utensils improves, start teaching better table manners. Emotional Development At age 5, children are entering the "big kid" world of better emotional control and regulation. Many 5-year-olds are "people pleasers," who actively want to make friends and receive positive responses from adults. At the same time, 5-year-old children are still very much in the world of younger children and may display emotional extremes, tantrums, and contradictions. This is the age when many children begin articulating their feelings in a meaningful way. For instance, a 5-year-old child might say, "I don't like it when I have to go to bed early." Children also naturally feel empathy, and a 5-year-old who sees a friend in distress might say, "I'm sorry you are sad." If a child this age is upset about something, they may simply declare what they're thinking, and say something like, "I'm mad at you, Mommy." Key Milestones Separates from caregivers without excessive upsetPlays and shares with other childrenAttends to an adult-directed task for at least five minutes Parenting Tip It’s a key time to begin teaching your child socially appropriate ways to handle feelings, like anger and frustration. Talk about how drawing a picture, counting silently to themselves, or taking deep breaths are good ways to calm down the mind and body. Social Development Your child will start to make new friends, experience the formation of relationships (including teachers and peers) that are outside the immediate family circle, and blossom as an independent person. Many of the social and emotional milestones you will see at this age will make your child's transition to kindergarten much easier. Because of this, friendships begin to take on more importance for 5-year-olds. A child this age may begin to gravitate toward certain select friends and form close-knit bonds with two or three other kids. Key Milestones Wants to please friendsMore likely to agree with the rulesWants to be like the other kids Parenting Tip Cliques may form and ostracism may occur in 5-year-olds, so it’s important to keep a close eye on dynamics in classrooms and playgroups. Bullying can also occur in kindergarten and at this age, kids lack the skills to respond to a bully so adult intervention is key. Cognitive Development Your 5-year-old should also begin to understand the difference between "right" and "wrong." They will be able to grasp the concept of rules and will want to follow them and please adults. By age 5, kids can think and express themselves on higher levels. Those who start kindergarten will show interest in tackling academic and behavioral expectations at school. Speech & Language By this age, kids can express their needs and wants with their words. Their language should be easily understood by adults who are not familiar with them and in turn, they can usually understand more complex instructions. They can also understand positional vocabulary, and should know what you mean when you say things like, “on top of,” “below,” or, “next to.” Play Most 5-year-olds enjoy dramatic play. They may initiate some privacy with their friends too, by suggesting they play in another room away from adult interaction. They can often resolve minor conflict on their own without requiring adult intervention in their play. Their budding physical skills may also expand their play. Your child might enjoy riding a bike without training wheels, jump rope, or play more complex games with balls. Key Milestones Able to count to 10Begin to extend their oral language skills to reading and writingLikes to sing, act, and dance Parenting Tip Expose your child to a variety of new experiences to help them learn new skills and practice the ones they already have. Introduce new crafts, sports, and social situations to help them flourish. Other Milestones Many 5-year-old children will begin to lose their baby teeth, which will soon be replaced by permanent teeth in the next couple of years. It should be noted that pediatric dentists do not recommend yanking out loose baby teeth and generally recommend letting baby teeth fall out naturally on their own. Many 5-year-olds can brush their own teeth, although parent supervision is usually still a good idea. They can wash themselves, and even wipe their own bottoms after using the toilet (which parents may also want to also oversee and help with until kids master this skill). When to Be Concerned All 5-year-olds develop at slightly different rates. Attendance at school or preschool will also play a big role in some of the milestones you’re likely to see. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests talking to your child’s physician if you notice any of the following in your 5-year-old: Doesn’t show a wide range of emotionsExhibits extreme behavior (unusually fearful, aggressive, shy or sad)Is unusually withdrawnIs easily distracted, has trouble focusing on one activity for more than five minutesDoesn’t respond to people, or responds only superficiallyCan’t tell what’s real and what’s make-believeDoesn’t play a variety of games and activitiesCan’t give first and last nameDoesn’t use plurals or past tense properlyDoesn’t talk about daily activities or experiencesDoesn’t draw picturesCan’t brush teeth, wash and dry hands, or get undressed without helpLoses skills they once had A Word From Verywell Kindergarten is a big step for kids and parents, so it's understandable if you have concerns about whether your child is ready to start school. If there is a concern about a particular skill, try to work on it with your child. If you are concerned about your child’s lack of readiness, talk to the pediatrician or a preschool teacher. Parenting Tips for Raising Happy, Healthy Preschoolers Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Dosman CF, Andrews D, Goulden KJ. Evidence-based milestone ages as a framework for developmental surveillance. Paediatr Child Health. 2012;17(10):561-8. doi:org/10.1093/pch/17.10.561 Additional Reading Important milestones: your child by five years. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Developmental Milestones: 4 to 5 Year Olds. HealthyChildren.org. PBS Parents. Child development tracker: your six-year-old.