When your child hits 4 – 5 years of age, they start to become more self confident and independent. This is the stage where they begin to have a greater sense of creativity and self control as well. In terms of 4 to 5 year old development, you will notice that they become more content and can play with their own toys for much longer and are eager to learn and try out new experiences. The child also becomes better at expressing emotions even when frustrated. Children develop differently but most achieve various developmental milestones. Learning about their developmental milestones such as average height of a 4 year old and average height of a 5 year old, can help you make better efforts to assist them to grow.
4- to 5-Year-Old Development Milestones
Physical Developement
Physical development like average height of a 5 year old differs between girls and boys:
Average Height and Weight of 4 Year Old
|
|
Girls |
Boys |
Height |
38.6 - 41.0 inches |
39.2 - 41.5 inches |
|
Weight |
32.2 - 38.5 pounds |
33.3 - 39.1 pounds |
Average Height and Weight of 5 Year Old
|
|
Girls |
Boys |
Height |
41.3 - 43.8 inches |
41.7 - 44.2 inches |
|
Weight |
36.3 - 44.0 pounds |
37.5 - 44.7 pounds |
Mobile Development
Mobile developments will also occur as most children are highly active-- hopping around, kicking balls, running, climbing and swinging easily. Other mobile milestones that will occur are better hand and finger coordination skills. Your child will be able to:
- Hop around and do somersaults
- Stand on one foot for a few seconds
- Walk with ease forward and backward
- Draw
- Use a spoon and fork
- Stack blocks of 10 or more
- Peddle a tricycle
- Undertake personal care tasks such as brushing teeth and dressing up without much help
Language and Cognitive Development
Your child’s language and cognitive abilities are growing and they are able to express themselves better. The child is able to answer questions logically and is more energetic at this stage. Sometimes they also become rowdy, obnoxious and even silly which is normal. At this stage, most kids will enjoy making up words, rhyming and singing. Some of the cognitive and language milestones you will notice in the coming year include:
- Counting as many as 10 objects or more
- Speaking more clearly using words that are more complex
- Naming about 4 shapes and colors correctly
- Following multiple commands such as ‘put away your book, brush your teeth then go to bed’ easily
- Recognizing a wider range of familiar words like ‘stop’
- Mastering his home address and phone number
- Having a wider attention span
- Understanding order better and the concept of time with daily activities such as lunch or dinner time
Emotional and Social Development
At this age, your child now understands that the world does not revolve around him or her and they begin to let go of self centered traits. Children start to understand other people’s feelings at this stage and they can resolve conflicts better.Some of the emotional and social development milestones you will notice are:
- Better sharing skills and taking turns with games
- Better understanding of rules although they show an uncooperative behavior at times
- More independence
- Better expression of anger using words as opposed to physical expressions
- The child will still confuse reality with fantasy
Note: What They Enjoy at This Age
Children develop a personality at a tender age and it’s important to support their interest. Your child may exhibit early signs of joking and they will say silly things and laugh at toilet jokes. The child may also have an interest is playing games with other kids, physical activities, books, stories with rhymes and simple computer games.
When Should Be Worried?
If your child has not reached these milestones, no need to worry. 4 to 5 year old development varies and you will notice their progression as time goes by. However, if you notice that your child has the following developmental delay signs, get in touch with your doctor:
- The child is extremely timid or overly aggressive
- The child is anxious especially when separated from people he or she is familiar with
- The child refuses to play with other kids
- The child is easily distracted and cannot focus on an undertaking for more than 5 minutes
- The child is often sad, unhappy and does not have a wide range of expressions
- Thechild is unable to hold a crayon
- The child has sleeping, eating and bathroom problems
- The child cannot perform personal tasks such as undressing or brushing teeth without help
- The child cannot build a tower with 8 or more blocks
- The child is unable to respond to other people and cannot make eye contact
- The child is not able to say his name
4 Year Old Development Milestone and How to Help Them Grow:
5 Year Old Development Milestone How to Help Them Grow:
How to Help 4 and 5 Year Olds to Grow
Every day is a learning day and you will learn to meet your young ones’ needs as they develop. All parents make mistakes and they learn through them so it’s okay to admit that you don’t know everything. Below are some of the ways that you can help your young one develop.
1. Ensure Good Nutrition
Good nutrition is essential even thought the growth pattern of your child is largely dependent on genetics. It’s important to note that pushing your child to eat greater amounts of nutrients will not alter their natural height. If anything, it may lead to weight gain. Normal growth is aided by proper nutrition, regular physical activity and enough sleep.
Most kids are picky eaters at this stage and it’s important to widen their palette with a greater variety of foods.
2. Start Kindergarten
Your child is able to join kindergarten at this stage and this could feel like childcare extension for the child and it may also be the first time for separation. Children will respond differently to school and this will depend on whether you have been separated in the past. If you have a new born, your young one may feel as though they are missing out and you need to reassure the child that they will still get their special time. You can help him get over the process more easily by celebrating his entry into kindergarten and talking to him about the fun things that happened in his kindergarten and buying a new lunch box or bag.
4. Spend Time with Your Child
- Stay with the child for some time every day, whether it’s indoor activities or outdoor activities such as tumbling and rolling.
- Allow the child to sort things and you create a game where you sort items into colors or shapes
- Let the child learn to ride a bike though at this stage is a three wheeled bike or a two wheeler with trainer wheels.
- Play the child’s favorite games such as hide and seek
- Readtogether, especially reading his favorite stories before bedtime
- Make time for arts and crafts as well as for physical activities such as walks, ball games and playground visits.
- Cook with your child and ask him to be your little helper
- Cultivate the sense of sharing and taking turns in your baby by playing games because now is a good time that they understand the importance of discipline.