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A toy kettle pouring pretend chai into a steel cup, a dabba lid twisting off, and a speech bubble saying look at me Look at me!
By 30 months

2.5 year old milestones

Jumping, pretending, and “look at me!”

Two and a half: most children now say about 50 words, put an action word in a sentence — “doggie run” — jump with both feet, twist lids open and feed a block to a doll as if it were food. Here is what most children do by 30 months, four easy ways to play this week, and the labels worth checking now.

What most children do by 30 months

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.

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Feelings and people

  • Plays next to other children, and sometimes with them
  • Shows you what they can do — “Look at me!”
  • Follows simple routines when told, like picking up toys at clean-up time

Talking and listening

  • Says about 50 words
  • Says two or more words together with an action word, like “doggie run”
  • Names things in a book when you point and ask “What is this?”
  • Says words like “I”, “me” or “we”

Thinking and exploring

  • Uses things to pretend, like feeding a block to a doll as if it were food
  • Shows simple problem-solving, like standing on a small stool to reach something
  • Follows two-step instructions, like “Put the toy down and close the door”
  • Knows at least one colour — points to the red one when you ask

Moving

  • Twists things with the hands, like turning a doorknob or unscrewing a lid
  • Takes some clothes off alone, like loose pants or an open jacket
  • Jumps off the ground with both feet
  • Turns book pages one at a time when you read together

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

Chai party

10 min · nothing to buy

You need: Steel cups and plates from the kitchen, a soft toy or two

  1. Set out cups for everyone — you, your child, Teddy.
  2. “Pour” pretend chai and offer a pretend biscuit to Teddy.
  3. Let your child be the host: “Who wants more?”
  • Uses things to pretend
  • Two-word sentences with an action
2

Red, find red!

5 min · nothing to buy

You need: Whatever is in the room

  1. Pick one colour for today. “Let's find red!”
  2. Point to one red thing, then let them find the next.
  3. Count them at the end — “one, two, three red things!”
  • Knows a colour
  • Names things you point at
3

Dabba lids

5 min · nothing to buy

You need: Three steel or plastic dabbas with screw or press lids, and something to hide inside

  1. Close a spoon inside one dabba and mix them up.
  2. “Which one has the spoon?” Let them twist each lid to check.
  3. Then they hide it, and you guess.

Stay close. Hide something too big to swallow — a spoon or a sock, never a coin or a battery.

  • Twists lids
  • Simple problem-solving
4

Frog jumps

5 min · nothing to buy

You need: A few cushions or folded towels on the floor

  1. Lay the cushions in a line, a small jump apart.
  2. Crouch like a frog — “ribbit!” — and jump with both feet together.
  3. Follow the leader, then let them be the leader.

Stay close. On a clear floor, away from glass tables and the stairs.

  • Jumps with both feet
  • Look at me!

What your child eats and uses now

Snacks, sweets and drinks now come from school bags, birthday parties and relatives' homes. 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 more than an hour of sedentary screen time a day at this age — less is better, and together is best.

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 30 months (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.