A Four-Year Old

Ages & Stages

Physical Development

• weighs 27-50 pounds
• height 37-46 inches
• uses a spoon, fork, and dinner knife skillfully
• needs 10-12 hours sleep each night
• dresses self without much help
• walks a straight line
• hops on 1 foot
• pedals and steers a tricycle skillfully
• jumps over objects 5-6 inches high
• runs, jumps, hops, skips around obstacles with ease
• stacks 10 or more blocks
• forms shapes and objects out of clay or play dough
• threads small beads on a string
• catches, bounces, and throws a ball easily

Mental Development

• can place objects in a line from largest to smallest
• can recognize some letters if taught and may be able to print name
• recognizes familiar words in simple books or signs
• understands the concepts of tallest, biggest, same, more, on, in, under, and above
• counts 1-7 objects
• understands order to daily routines (breakfast before lunch, lunch before dinner, etc.)
• speaks fairly complex sentences
• enjoys singing simple songs, rhymes, and nonsense words
• adapts language to listener's level of understanding