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Age 5

Updated 25 Oct 2026

How your child is growing

  • Many children this age hop on one foot, do up some buttons and look after many of their own daily needs.
  • Your child tells a story with a couple of events in it, answers simple questions about a book you have read, and keeps a conversation going over several turns.
  • Your child counts, names some numbers and letters, writes some of the letters in their name and uses time words such as “yesterday” and “tomorrow”.
  • Your child can pay attention for a little while during an activity such as story time or arts and crafts.
  • Your child follows rules and takes turns in games with other children, and loves to sing, dance or act for you.
  • Your child can do simple chores, like matching socks or clearing the table after a meal.

How you can walk alongside

  • Prepare your child for new places and new people, such as primary school, through stories and pretend play about “going to school”.
  • Let your child dress, pour a drink and tidy their own things. Celebrate the effort and let small mistakes go.
  • While you play together, ask “Why?” and “How?” to stretch their thinking. Rhyming games, memory games and simple board or card games teach how rules work.
  • Read together every day, invite your child to “read” by telling the story from the pictures, and look for books on whatever they are keen on.
  • Talk about feelings through the characters in stories. Keep a quiet corner at home where your child can calm down, with you nearby.
  • When your child tests limits or answers back, give it little attention. Praise polite asking and taking “no” calmly.
  • Teach your child about their own body: which touches are safe, which are not, and how to say “no”. Help them learn their name and yours, and who to ask for help if they get lost.

Changes and things to keep in mind

  • Keep a calm bedtime routine. The CDC suggests screens off well before sleep and kept out of the bedroom.
  • Set a daily limit on screen time and agree a media plan for the whole family.
  • Eat together without screens, and invite your child to help prepare the meal.
  • Make time for active play every day and let your child pick: dancing, playing outside, going for a walk.
  • According to Viet Nam’s Ministry of Health and WHO, school-age children are among those most at risk of drowning. Never leave your child alone near water, even briefly, and arrange swimming lessons.
  • Talk about staying safe near traffic, and have an adult with your child whenever they play outdoors.

When to ask a doctor

  • Your child has lost skills they once had.
  • Your child is not yet doing one or more of the things many children this age do, such as telling a short story, playing by the rules with others, or hopping.
  • Your child finds it very hard to concentrate, or struggles with everyday activities.
  • Your child was born prematurely or has special healthcare needs. Mention this to the doctor at check-ups.
  • You have any other concern about your child’s development. Share it with the doctor and ask about developmental screening.

Sources

  1. Vinmec – Các mốc phát triển xã hội, nhận thức và thể chất của trẻ 5 tuổi (accessed 4 Oct 2026)
  2. CDC – Positive Parenting Tips: Preschoolers (3–5 years old) (accessed 4 Oct 2026)
  3. WHO Việt Nam – Tỷ lệ đuối nước chưa giảm đủ nhanh: Bộ Y tế, WHO và các đối tác kêu gọi hành động nhân Ngày Thế giới Phòng, chống Đuối nước (accessed 4 Oct 2026)
  4. CDC – Milestones by 5 Years (accessed 4 Oct 2026)

This article helps you understand and prepare. It does not replace a check-up. For an answer about your own situation, please ask the doctor who is caring for you.

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