Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Recording information. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. Siedel's Guide to Physical Examination. 9th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2019:chap 5.
Kimmel SR, Ratliff-Schaub K. Growth and development. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 22.
Lipkin PH. Developmental and behavioral surveillance and screening. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 28.
< Back to Child Development Checklists
Instructions: Answer all questions up to your child’s current age bracket by answering ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
Interpretation: If you tick 2 or more boxes with a ‘Yes’ then contact Kid Sense Child Development on 1800 KIDSENSE [1800 543 736].
Does your child have difficulty with:
| Age | Skill | Yes | No |
| 0-6 months | Rolling over from front to back or back to front. | ||
| Bringing feet to hands/mouth while on back. | |||
| Holding head erect in a support position. | |||
| Sitting [initially with support]. | |||
| Pushing body off ground with arms when lying on tummy. | |||
| 6-12 months | Roller over from front to back, or back to front. | ||
| Crawling on belly. | |||
| Sitting independently. | |||
| Getting up on all fours. | |||
| Pushing body off ground with arms when lying on tummy. | |||
| Bringing self into a seated position unaided. | |||
| Creeping on hands and knees. | |||
| Transitioning into different positions e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy. | |||
| Pulling self into standing position. | |||
| Stands momentarily without support. | |||
| Walking while holding onto furniture. | |||
| Taking 2-3 steps without support. | |||
| Rolling a ball in imitation of adult. | |||
| 1-2 years | Sitting, crawling or walking independently. | ||
| Getting up on all fours. | |||
| Creeping on hands and knees. | |||
| Transitioning into different positions [e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy]. | |||
| Pulling self into standing position. | |||
| Standing without support. | |||
| Trying to run [running stiff with eyes on floor]. | |||
| Walking while holding a toy. | |||
| Changing direction while walking. | |||
| Rolling a ball in imitation of an adult. | |||
| 2-3 years | Transitioning into different positions [e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy]. | ||
| Walking smoothly and turning corners. | |||
| Running with control [still has wide gait]. | |||
| Climbing onto/down from furniture without assistance. | |||
| Pulling self into standing position. | |||
| Walking up and down steps [with support]. | |||
| Walking while holding a toy. | |||
| Changing direction while walking. | |||
| Picking up toys from the floor without falling over. | |||
| Rolling a ball. | |||
| 3-4 years | Transitioning into different positions [e.g. sitting, all fours, lying on tummy]. | ||
| Imitating an adult standing on one foot. | |||
| Imitating simple bilateral movements of limbs [e.g. arms up together]. | |||
| Running with control. | |||
| Climbing onto/down from furniture without assistance. | |||
| Climbing on jungle gym and ladders. | |||
| Pedalling a tricycle. | |||
| Changing direction while walking. | |||
| Walking up and down stairs with alternating feet. | |||
| Jumping with two feet together 5 times in a row. | |||
| Walking on tip toes. | |||
| Picking up toys from the floor without falling over. | |||
| Throwing objects with an overarm action at a target. | |||
| Rolling a ball. | |||
| Catching a ball [using the whole body, not just arms]. | |||
| 4-5 years | Standing on one foot for up to 5 seconds. | ||
| Imitating simple bilateral movements of limbs [e.g. arms up together]. | |||
| Walking up and down stairs with alternating feet. | |||
| Climbing onto/down from furniture without assistance. | |||
| Climbing on jungle gym and ladders. | |||
| Pedalling a tricycle. | |||
| Kicking a ball forwards. | |||
| Throwing a ball overarm. | |||
| Catching a ball that has been bounced. | |||
| Catching a ball with hands instead of using arms and body. | |||
| Running around obstacles. | |||
| Jumping 10 times in a row, maintaining the distance of jumps. | |||
| Walking on tip toes. | |||
| Walking along a line. | |||
| Safely performing a forward roll. | |||
| Hopping on one foot. | |||
| Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together. | |||
| 5-6 years | Standing on one foot for 10 seconds. | ||
| Kicking a ball. | |||
| Walking up stairs while holding an object. | |||
| Walking backwards heel-toe. | |||
| Jumping forwards 10 times without falling. | |||
| Skipping forward after demonstration. | |||
| Running around obstacles. | |||
| Hanging from a bar for at least 5 seconds. | |||
| Stepping forward with leg on same side as throwing arm when throwing a ball. | |||
| Walking along a line. | |||
| Hopping on one foot. | |||
| Safely performing a forward roll. | |||
| Catching a small ball using hands only. | |||
| Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together. | |||
| 6-7 years | Running smoothly with arms opposing legs and a narrow base of support [feet not too far apart]. | ||
| Running around obstacles while maintaining balance. | |||
| Standing on one foot for at least 10 seconds. | |||
| Skipping forward without demonstration. | |||
| Stepping forward with leg on opposite side as throwing arm when throwing a ball. | |||
| Kicking a soccer ball with reasonable accuracy. | |||
| Walking backwards heel-toe. | |||
| Walking on a balance beam. | |||
| Hanging from a bar for at least 10 seconds. | |||
| Holding and moving across monkey bars without support. | |||
| Using a skipping rope. | |||
| Hopping on 1 foot. | |||
| Jumping forwards with both feet together. | |||
| Safely performing a forward roll. | |||
| Catching a small ball using hands only. | |||
| Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together. | |||
| Riding a bike without training wheels. | |||
| 7-8 years | Holding and moving across monkey bars without support. | ||
| Safely performing a forward roll. | |||
| Running smoothly with arms opposing legs and a narrow base of support [feet not too far apart]. | |||
| Running around obstacles while maintaining balance. | |||
| Stepping forward with leg on opposite side as throwing arm when throwing a ball. | |||
| Kicking a soccer ball with reasonable accuracy. | |||
| Kicking a football with reasonable accuracy and consistency. | |||
| Jumping over an object and landing with both feet together. | |||
| Catching a small ball using hands only. | |||
| Walking on a balance beam. | |||
| Walking backwards heel-toe. | |||
| Standing and maintaining balance on one foot. | |||
| Using a skipping rope. | |||
| Hopping on one foot. | |||
| Riding a bike. |
This checklist was designed to serve as a functional screening of developmental skills per age group. It does not constitute an assessment nor reflect strictly standardised research.
The information in this checklist was compiled over many years from a variety of sources. This information was then further shaped by years of clinical practice as well as therapeutic consultation with child care, kindergarten and school teachers in South Australia about the developmental skills necessary for children to meet the demands of these educational environments. In more recent years, it has been further modified by the need for children and their teachers to meet the functional Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] requirements that are not always congruent with standardised research.