To understand if an activity is developmentally appropriate, we need to understand the common developmental milestones for each age group.
Infants and young toddlers (0-2 years)
- They depend on you for everything at first but become more independent as they age.
- They need to always be in sight and/or hearing range to keep them safe.
- They can’t regulate their own behavior yet, so you need to modify their environment to keep them safe.
Toddlers and preschoolers (2-5 years)
- Become more independent.
- Need a secure base to feel comfortable exploring their environment.
- Still need a modified environment for safety.
- Need to always be in sight and/or hearing range for safety.
- Become more interested in playing with peers and doing more group activities in the high end of this age range.
- Need lots of physical activity.
Early School Age (5-12 years)
- Begin forming deeper peer relationships and friendships.
- Want to go to friends' houses or have friends over.
- Like to help (bake, work in yard, etc).
- Need lots of physical activity.
- Like to have some control, so giving choices between two options is great for this age range.
- Extracurricular activities begin (sports, dance, etc.).
- In the mid to upper age range of this group, unsupervised activities are likely (riding bikes around the neighborhood, etc.).
- Very aware if they don’t fit in or are different from their peers.
Teenagers (13-17 years old)
- During adolescence, normal behaviors include increased risk-taking, a desire to become increasingly independent, and the longing to have more responsibility.
- Need more independence to make decisions about unsupervised activities.
- Friendships and peer relationships are very important.
- Very aware if they don’t fit in or are different from their peers.
- Might try on different styles, groups of friends, or trends to see where they fit and feel comfortable.
- Start having boyfriends or girlfriends. In the mid to upper age range of this group, teens want to start dating and driving and should be thinking about future goals.
- Need to learn life skills.
For a more complete look at child development stages, read Understand Ages & Stages by ParentFurther
