Typical cognitive development at 4 to 5 years

Children at this age are learning to obey parents and rules, they understand 2 or 3 simple instructions; for example "Go and get Grandma’s bag, take it to Daddy and then put it on the table".

They can count up to 20 by rote, but understand the concept of number up to 3 and count these correctly.

Their drawings of people show a person with a head, body, arms and legs and by five they can copy a square, triangle and cross.

They understand that writing carries meaning and like to scribble in pretend play, for example, "I’m writing a list of who comes to my party" and to copy actual letters especially their own name.

They can often give a good account of a recent experience using past and future tenses. Their increased memory skills are obvious, but their imaginative world is so strong that truth and fiction are sometimes muddled up. Also, they don’t yet understand right from wrong.

They can name and match 4 colours.

They are constantly asking questions such as why, when, how and also asking embarrassing questions too.