What to Expect: Cognitive and Physical Milestones for Children in Daycare
At Sunshine Daycare, we are dedicated to nurturing the growth of every child. Our caregivers closely monitor each child’s development to ensure they are reaching important cognitive and physical milestones. Understanding these milestones helps parents recognize what to expect from their child during their time in daycare. Below, we outline the key developmental milestones for each age group, so you can see how daycare supports your child’s development.
Developmental Milestones for Infants (0–3 Months) in Daycare
During the first few months, babies are rapidly developing their ability to process the world around them. Here’s what you can expect:
Cognitive Milestones
- Focus and Recognition: Infants start focusing on objects up close (6–12 inches away) and begin recognizing familiar faces, like their parents and caregivers.
- Curiosity and Tracking: By the end of this stage, babies start to track objects with their eyes and may show curiosity by watching faces and objects closely.
- Reactions to Sound: They will begin to startle at loud sounds and may respond to familiar voices by turning their head toward the sound.
Physical Milestones
- Head and Chest Lifting: Your infant will begin raising their head and chest while lying on their stomach, strengthening their neck muscles.
- Leg Kicking and Movement: Babies start stretching and kicking their legs more smoothly, building strength for later motor skills like rolling over.
- Grasping Reflex: They will start opening and shutting their hands, and may grasp your finger or a toy.
Developmental Milestones for Infants (3–6 Months) in Daycare
At Sunshine Daycare, we continue to support your child’s growth as they reach new developmental milestones between 3 and 6 months.
Cognitive Milestones
- Increased Curiosity: Babies show interest in things around them, turning their heads to watch objects or people in their environment.
- Cause and Effect Awareness: They begin to understand simple cause and effect, such as shaking a toy to make noise.
Physical Milestones
- Rolling Over: By 6 months, many babies are able to roll over from their back to their tummy and vice versa.
- Sitting with Support: Babies start sitting up with assistance and may push up on their arms when lying on their stomach.
- Grasping Objects: They’ll reach for objects, grasp them, and even transfer them from one hand to another, improving their coordination.
Developmental Milestones for Babies (6–9 Months) in Daycare
As babies approach their first year, they make big strides in cognitive and motor skills.
Cognitive Milestones
- Object Exploration: Babies begin exploring objects with their hands, mouth, and eyes, learning through touch, taste, and sight.
- Basic Social Interaction: Babies start engaging in simple interactive games like peek-a-boo, showing joy through laughter.
Physical Milestones
- Sitting Independently: By this age, babies typically can sit without support and may start crawling.
- Fine Motor Skills: Babies develop the ability to hold objects in both hands and pass them between hands.
- Crawling: Many babies begin crawling during this stage, a significant physical milestone that supports exploration and independence.
Developmental Milestones for Toddlers (9–12 Months) in Daycare
The transition to toddlerhood is an exciting time for both parents and caregivers at Sunshine Daycare.
Cognitive Milestones
- Problem-Solving Skills: Toddlers start learning to solve problems, such as searching for hidden objects or manipulating toys to achieve a result.
- Understanding Simple Words: Your child may begin to understand basic words and commands like “no,” “bye-bye,” and “come here.”
Physical Milestones
- Standing and Cruising: Babies often pull themselves up to stand and may begin “cruising” along furniture as they prepare for their first steps.
- Fine Motor Development: Toddlers improve their fine motor skills by picking up small objects between their thumb and forefinger.
- Clapping and Waving: Babies often start clapping hands and waving, reflecting both their physical coordination and social awareness.
Developmental Milestones for Toddlers (12–18 Months) in Daycare
At this age, your toddler is becoming more mobile and independent, and Sunshine Daycare is here to support their rapid development.
Cognitive Milestones
- Pretend Play: Toddlers engage in simple pretend play, such as pretending to drink from a cup or feeding a doll, showing early signs of imagination.
- Problem Solving: Your child will also demonstrate an ability to solve problems through trial and error, such as figuring out how to fit shapes into a sorter.
Physical Milestones
- Walking: Most toddlers begin walking independently during this stage.
- Climbing: They also love climbing stairs with assistance and pulling toys while walking, boosting their coordination and balance.
- Using Tools: They may start using spoons and forks with some assistance, enhancing their hand-eye coordination.
Developmental Milestones for Toddlers (18–24 Months) in Daycare
As toddlers grow into more independent explorers, they achieve new milestones in both cognitive and physical development.
Cognitive Milestones
- Vocabulary Growth: By 24 months, many toddlers have a vocabulary of 50-100 words and begin forming two-word phrases like “more juice” or “big truck.”
- Early Problem-Solving: They start to understand how objects work and show problem-solving skills by engaging in tasks like stacking blocks or turning pages of a book.
Physical Milestones
- Running and Kicking: Toddlers begin running and may kick a ball with growing precision.
- Using Riding Toys: They enjoy propelling riding toys with their feet and are becoming more skilled at using utensils and feeding themselves.
Developmental Milestones for Preschoolers (2–3 Years) in Daycare
As your child enters preschool, they begin developing more advanced skills.
Cognitive Milestones
- Imaginative Play: Preschoolers start using their imagination more vividly, engaging in more complex pretend play scenarios.
- Problem Solving and Puzzles: They show increased interest in solving puzzles, stacking objects, and understanding simple concepts like size and shape.
Physical Milestones
- Running and Jumping: Preschoolers are able to run more confidently and can jump in place.
- Climbing and Balance: They continue to refine their coordination, climbing stairs more independently and balancing on one foot for short periods.
Developmental Milestones for Preschoolers (3–4 Years) in Daycare
By this age, children are developing more advanced social and physical skills that prepare them for school.
Cognitive Milestones
- Counting and Sorting: Your child may begin counting up to 10 and sorting objects by color or shape.
- Story Retelling: They start retelling stories and can answer basic “who,” “what,” and “where” questions about things they see or hear.
Physical Milestones
- Pedaling and Ball Games: Preschoolers can pedal a tricycle and catch a large ball, demonstrating improved hand-eye coordination and balance.
- Fine Motor Skills: They start to show preferences for being right- or left-handed and improve their ability to draw and use scissors.
At Sunshine Daycare, we pride ourselves on creating a nurturing environment where your child can meet and exceed these cognitive and physical milestones. We work closely with parents to ensure every child gets the support they need to thrive at every developmental stage.
If you’re interested in learning more about how daycare supports early childhood development, feel free to contact us today!