Toddler & Child Size Chart

Once a child moves past the baby size range, growth slows from its infant pace but stays uneven across different measurements — chest and head circumference grow at a fairly steady rate through this range, while foot length is more prone to a growth spurt that outpaces the rest.

The chart

Size label	Approx. age	Chest	Head circ.	Foot length
Toddler 2T	2 years	20–21 in	18.5–19.5 in	4.75–5.25 in
Child 4	4 years	23–24 in	19.5–20 in	5.75–6.25 in
Child 6	6 years	25–26 in	20–20.5 in	6.5–7 in
Child 8	8 years	26–27.5 in	20.5–21 in	7–7.5 in
Child 10	10 years	28–29.5 in	21–21.5 in	7.5–8 in

Head circumference growth flattens out noticeably across this range compared to chest and foot length — by age 10, head circumference sits within about half an inch of the low end of this site's adult sizing, since head growth is largely complete well before the rest of the body catches up.

Why foot length is worth checking most often

Feet at this age can outgrow a chart band within a single school term, faster and less predictably than chest measurement typically does — this site's child sock project page covers the practical consequence directly: re-measuring before every new sock project, rather than trusting a chart lookup from months earlier, is the single most effective habit for avoiding a "new" pair that's already tight.

Sizing for growth versus sizing for current fit

A baby item can be oversized on purpose without anyone minding; a school-age child has real opinions about whether something visibly doesn't fit yet, which makes growth planning at this age a genuine balancing act rather than a free win. The child sweater project page covers construction choices — a longer body before ribbing starts, a foldable cuff — that buy real growth room without the piece reading as oversized in the meantime.

Durability matters more at this age

A child's knitwear takes real abrasion from active play in a way baby and adult garments typically don't — a sturdier fibre blend with some nylon content, or a tighter gauge specifically at cuffs and hems, holds up to this age's wear pattern better than a delicate, loosely spun single-ply choice would.

FAQ

Does this chart apply equally to boys and girls? Yes — body measurements at this age don't split meaningfully by gender the way some adult measurements eventually do, so a single unified chart covers both.

What if a measurement falls between two listed age bands? Feed the actual measured number straight into the Cast-On Calculator instead of rounding to whichever band looks closest — a chart band exists for when you can't measure, not as a replacement for a number you already have.

Is head circumference still relevant for a school-age child's projects, or mostly done growing by this point? Still relevant for hats specifically, though the range of change across this chart's age bands is smaller for head circumference than for chest or foot length, exactly because most head growth happens earlier in childhood.