Age-By-Age "Can Do" List

As you read through the room-by-room suggestions, you may be thinking to yourself, when will my child be capable of pulling on his pants or making his bed? Well, as with walking and talking, every child's developmental time line is different, but this age-by-age "can do" list provides a rough guideline of when you might start introducing activities. "Use your creativity and intuition," says Bev Farrell, director of the Teacher Education Program at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California. "Try things with your child, and if he's not quite ready for it, modify it a bit--make it easier next time."

• Put on Velcro-closure shoes: two years
• Pour from a small pitcher into a sturdy cup: 2 1/2 to three years
• Make the bed (with a duvet or sleeping bag): 2 1/2 to three years
• Wipe a child-size table with a rag or small sponge: 2 1/2 to three years
• Get dressed (sweatpants and over-the-head sweatshirt): 2 1/2 to three years
• Fold hand towels, match socks: 2 1/2 to three years
• Set small table: 2 1/2 to three years
• Dust with feather duster: 2 1/2 to three years
• Put on a jacket: three years
• Slice something soft, such as a banana, with a blunt knife: three years
• Sweep the floor using a small hand broom and dustpan: three to 3 1/2 years
• Slice slightly cooked carrots with a small, sharp knives with adult supervision: four to five years
• Tie shoes: four to six years