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A rolled sock ball bouncing towards a goal of two chappals, two speech bubbles saying more and milk, and footprints walking up three stairs more milk
By 2 years

2 year old milestones

Running, kicking, and two words together

Two years old: running, kicking a ball, and putting two words together — “more milk”, “papa come”. Most children now notice when someone is upset, and look at your face to see how to react. Here is what most children do by 2 years, four easy ways to play this week, and the labels worth checking now that snacks and sweets are in the picture.

What most children do by 2 years

From CDC's 2022 checklists: things at least 3 in 4 children do by this age. A guide for a chat with your pediatrician, not a test.

Sign in to tick what your child does

Feelings and people

  • Notices when others are hurt or upset — pauses, or looks sad when someone cries
  • Looks at your face to see how to react to something new

Talking and listening

  • Points to things in a book when you ask, like “Where is the cow?”
  • Says at least two words together, like “more milk”
  • Points to at least two body parts when you ask
  • Uses gestures beyond waving and pointing, like blowing a kiss or nodding yes

Thinking and exploring

  • Holds something in one hand while using the other — holding a dabba and taking the lid off
  • Tries switches, knobs or buttons on a toy
  • Plays with more than one thing at a time, like putting toy food on a toy plate

Moving

  • Kicks a ball
  • Runs
  • Walks (not climbs) up a few stairs, with or without help
  • Eats with a spoon

Play together this week

Five or ten minutes each, with things already in your home. Do them in any language you speak at home.

1

Where's your nose?

5 min · nothing to buy

You need: A mirror, or just the two of you

  1. Ask “Where's your nose?” and touch your own. Cheer when they find theirs.
  2. Add one new part each day — ears, tummy, toes, elbow.
  3. Swap roles: let them ask, and get it hilariously wrong now and then.
  • Points to body parts
  • Gestures beyond pointing
2

Sock-ball football

5–10 min · nothing to buy

You need: Two old socks rolled into a ball, and two chappals for a goal

  1. Set the chappals a little apart at the end of the corridor.
  2. Show a gentle kick, then roll the ball to their feet.
  3. Count the goals out loud, and run to fetch the ball together.

Stay close. Clear the floor of anything to trip on, and play well away from stairs and the balcony door.

  • Kicks a ball
  • Runs
3

Little kitchen helper

10 min · nothing to buy

You need: A basin with a little water and a few big vegetables — potatoes, tomatoes, a lauki

  1. Sit on the floor together with the basin between you.
  2. Ask for one at a time — “one more tomato”, “big potato” — two words your child can copy.
  3. Let them scrub, then pass each one to you for the plate.

Stay close. Never leave a child alone with water, even a shallow basin. Keep this on the floor, well away from the stove.

  • Two words together
  • One hand holds, the other works
4

Picture hunt

5 min · nothing to buy

You need: Any picture book, a calendar, or yesterday's newspaper

  1. Open to a page with a few clear pictures and ask “Where is the cow?”
  2. When they point, name one more thing about it: “Yes! The cow says moo.”
  3. Turn it around: you point, and they tell you what it is.
  • Points to things in a book
  • Two words together

What your child eats and uses now

Toddlers eat what the family eats, and the packaged food gets more colourful — sweets, jelly, juices, “sugar-free” drinks. On the back, check for:

Scan a label Free. No sign-up. Pick 12–36 months on the result to check it for this age.

WHO advises no sedentary screen time for children under 2, and no more than an hour a day for 2-year-olds — less is better.

If something worries you

You know your child best. If your child is not doing some of these things yet, or has stopped doing something they used to do, tell your pediatrician — at the next visit, or sooner. CDC's advice is not to wait: acting early is what helps most.

Born early? For the first two years, pediatricians usually count from the due date — the corrected age.

In India, your pediatrician can also refer you to the District Early Intervention Centre (DEIC) at your district hospital, part of the government's Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram.

Questions CDC suggests taking to the visit:

Sources

  1. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Learn the Signs. Act Early. Milestones by 2 years (2022 checklist).
  2. Zubler J.M. et al. (2022). Evidence-informed milestones for developmental surveillance tools. Pediatrics 149(3):e2021052138.
  3. WHO (2019). Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age.
  4. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Corrected age for preemies.
  5. National Health Mission, Government of India. Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK): child health screening and early intervention services.

Last reviewed 6 November 2026.

Talk to your pediatrician about anything concerning.