A Complete Guide to the Life Stages and Their Lifespans in The Sims 4!

The Sims 4 is an immersive life simulation game that lets you create and play with Sims of various life stages, from Newborn to Elder. You decide the length of the lifespans in your game, and you decide how you play!

Life Stages in The Sims 4

There are eight total life stages in The Sims 4, allowing you to play along with your Sims from the very beginning to the very end. Your Sims will naturally age up based on the Lifespan you choose in Game Options, or you can bake a cake, click on it, and choose one of the many interactions it offers to Age Up.

Did you know we didn’t always have the Toddler or Infant Sims 4 life stages? These were introduced as free Base Game Updates, with the Toddler life stage released on January 12, 2017, and the Newborn life stage released on March 14, 2023.

Infant

The Sims 4 has little bundles of joy that need love and care, just like real life! The Newborn life stage is a quick and cuddly time in any Sim’s life. The number of days in this stage of life will be determined by the lifespan you choose, but it will always be the quickest. Your Newborn Sim will spend this time either in their bassinet or in a loved ones arms, so you don’t have to worry about losing your baby on the ground anymore (sorry previous Sims games, I do love you).

Needs & Traits

Newborn Sims are not playable, and they do not have an interactive Simology panel. Their Needs seem to quickly deteriorate, so it is important to keep an eye on your little one. Newborns will get hungry require diaper changes, and spend a lot of time sleeping. This leads me me to believe their main Needs are Hunger, Bladder, Hygiene, and Sleep.

Social Interactions

Teen Sims and older can take care of Newborn Sims’ Needs with several interactions, such as Change Dirty Diaper and Bottle Feed. The Newborn Sims’ biological mother is able to Breast Feed their baby as well.

Sims ages Child and older can also build relationships with Newborns through interactions like Talk and Cuddle. Newborns can also grow up early with the bassinet’s Age Up interaction.

Infant

If you thought the Newborn stage was stressful, let me introduce you to The Sims 4 Infant life stage. These cute and squirmy little infants sure do require a lot of care and attention, and good luck if they’re twins!

Needs & Traits

Infants have the basic Needs of Hunger, Bladder, Hygiene, Attention, and Sleep. These Needs tend to drain quickly and require a lot of attention to keep them filled.

At this stage of life, your little Sim is starting to show some personality through their one Personality Trait. Infants can have one of the following personality traits: Sensitive, Sunny, Wiggly, Calm, Cautious, or Intense.

Social Interactions

Social interactions with Infants typically center around the baby’s growth and development. Older Sims can help your Infant achieve important milestones through interactions such as Tummy Time Together.

Toddler

The Toddler Sims 4 life stage brings lots of learning and messes. Toddlers love to follow older Sims around, learning how to crawl and walk as they try to catch up, and practice their creativity by splattering paint on the ground. It’s a fun and colorful time in a Sim’s life.

Needs & Traits

Toddlers have the same basic Needs as Infants. These bundles of joy rely on older Sims for their Needs, but they can learn the Potty Skill to tend to their own Bladder Needs.

When a Sim ages up from an Infant to a Toddler, you can pick from the following traits: Clingy, Charmer, Inquisitive, Silly, Independent, Fussy, Angelic, and Wild.

Social Interactions

Toddlers, like Infants, spend a lot of their social life focusing on learning fundamental skills. Older Sims can use interactions like Teach to Walk and Teach to Talk to help their kid excel as a Toddler. Toddlers also love to play with items like toys and dollhouses.

These young Sims have the Help social interaction category, letting them ask older Sims for food, a drink, and a bath.

Child

Childhood is full of wonder and imagination. At the Child stage of a Sim’s life, they have truly grown into their budding personality and are ready to take on the new challenges of school, friendship, and more.

Needs, Traits, & Aspirations

At the Childhood phase of life, Sims unlock the full Need panel that they will carry with them throughout their life. This includes Bladder, Fun, Hunger, Social, Energy, and Hygiene.

When a Child ages up, you will get the option to choose their Trait and corresponding Aspiration. Aspirations are introduced at this stage of life, giving your little one their first goal to work towards in life. Children have specific Aspirations, such as Slumber Party Animal and Whiz Kid.

Social Interactions & Friendship

With Childhood comes the magic of playgrounds, friendships, trading cards, and making crafts. While Sims can start forming friendships from the Newborn stage of life, Children can start working on their lasting friendships and making fun memories at sleepovers.

Children unlock the Mischief social interaction category and no longer have the Help social interaction category.

School & Afterschool Activities

Child Sims have to go to school in The Sims 4. School will require your Child to do homework and projects, and getting good grades in grade school will help them out when they get to high school.

At this stage of life, Children can join the Drama Club or the Scouts if they’re interested in an afterschool activity.

Rules for Young Sims

While Infants and Toddlers can’t die in The Sims 4, Child Sims and older can. Child Sims can die from fire, drowning, exposure to extreme temperatures, spoiled Pufferfish, a meteor strike, or Rabid Rodent Fever.

Sims ages Child and younger can not die from starvation, and will instead be taken by child services. This will result in the removal of all children ages Child and younger from the household.

Sims ages Child and younger can not live alone. If the older Sims die or are otherwise removed from the household, this will likely result in all children ages Child and younger being removed by child services.

Teen

From acne to heartbreak, Teenage Sims go through all the ups and downs we see in real-life adolescence. Teens Sims have to balance grades, relationships, mood swings, and more as they gear up for their Adult years.

Traits, & Aspirations

When aging up from Child to Teen, Sims unlock a plethora of new traits and Aspirations. Many of these are available to Young Adults, Adults, and Elders, but there are a few Aspirations exclusive to the Teen life stage.

The Teen Aspiration category has four Aspirations to choose from: Drama Llama, Goal Oriented, Live Fast, and Admired Icon.

Social Interactions & Budding Romances

Teen Sims have matured enough to unlock almost all of the adult social interactions, but there’s still plenty of room to grow. At this age, Sims can use a lot of the same Mischief, Friendly, Mean, and Funny interactions, with a few extras like the Enthuse about Candy and Talk about Favorite Animal Friendly interactions.

A big change from Child Sims to Teen Sims is unlocking the Romance social interaction option. Teens can romantically interact with other Teen Sims to start their romantic journey in life. While they aren’t old enough for all of the Romantic social interactions, they do unlock the ability to Mess Around and even Exchange Promise Rings.

High School

Like Children, Teens can go to school and will have homework in The Sims 4. If you have The Sims 4: High School Years, your Teen can drop out or graduate early if they decide school isn’t for them! Teens can also get expelled from school if they skip school or have consistently bad grades.

Part-Time Jobs & Afterschool Activities

Teenagers are unique in The Sims 4 because they can have part-time jobs or join afterschool activities. These help your Teens learn important life skills, earn money, meet new friends, create important milestones, and even look great on a college resume.

Moods Swing and Looks Change

At some point in their lives, teens experience mood swings and even puberty. These sims can get into negative moods and phases, making it difficult for them to complete tasks or feel themselves for hours or days. Try paying attention to what they want to help calm them down.

Teen Sims also unlock most of the same clothing, hair, makeup, and other Create-a-Sim items that are available to Young Adults and older.

A Fully Expanded Simology Panel

Teenage Sims unlock the fully expanded Simology panel. This includes their Traits, Balance & Imbalance, Luck, Preferences, Relationship Preferences, Milestones, Lifestyles, Public Image, and Neighborhood Action Plans. Teens also have the Character Values visual in this panel.

Young Adult & Adult

The Young Adult and Adult Sims 4 life stages are the most extensive and allow your Sim to fully unlock their world. With the ability to start new jobs and careers, go to college, expand the family, and more, these Sims can finally embark on their own life! Many of these carry on into the Elder stage of life as well.

Traits, & Aspirations

Young Adult and Adult Sims unlock the full list of Traits in The Sims 4 and have access to dozens of Aspirations they can work towards throughout their lives. Aspirations include things like Public Enemy, Appliance Wiz, and Bestselling Author.

Social Interactions and Relationships

Along with the general conversation and social interactions all Sims Teens and older can use, Young Adult and Adult Sims can discuss their relationships on a deeper level. The ability to discuss personality quirks and attraction is available at these life stages, allowing older Sims to create personal boundaries and learn about others.

In The Sims 4, relationships can become more permanent during the Young Adult and older phases of life, with the ability to Move In, WooHoo, Try for a Baby, Propose, Get Married, and Get Divorced. These interactions will change the course of your Sim’s life and can help add some much-needed drama to any storyline.

The saying goes, “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage…” But this does not have to be the case in your Sims’ lives. The Sims 4 allows Sims aged Young Adult to Adult to have a baby in several different ways, no matter the stage of the relationship they are in.

Sims can use the Try for a Baby interaction to make a baby the old-fashioned way, or go another route. Use the phone or computer to Adopt a Baby, Have a Science Baby as a Single Parent, or Have a Science Baby with a friend or romantic partner. Any of these options will make your Sim a parent just the same.

College and Careers

If you have The Sims 4: Discover University, the Young Adult life stage in The Sims 4 unlocks the ability to go to college and earn a degree, letting your Sim start their career a few ranks higher than normal. Sims ages Young Adult and up can enroll in university at any time.

At this age, Sims can now focus on their career (if they choose). The Sims 4 has several ways to make a living, ranging from self-employed to Astronaut. How will your Sim make their Simoleons?

Deaths

While Teens can die from many of the same fates, it is important to note that Young Adults, Adults, and Elders can pass away in The Sims 4. These untimely deaths can be Death by Fire, Death by Electrocution, Death by Cow Plant, and many, many more.

Elder

Elders are special Sims who have lived long lives and still have much to experience. This life stage includes the same Needs, Careers, and Aspirations, while making a few social changes. Elders can bestow wisdom on younger Sims and make preparations for their afterlife. Sims that are biologically female will not be able to Try for a Baby at this stage of life.

Nearing the End of Life

As Elder Sims outside of your household near the end of their life, your Sim will receive notifications letting them know they should reach out to say their final goodbyes. With The Sims 4: Life and Death, Elder Sims will tend to start preparing for their end of life. Elders will have wants such as Start a Will, and can start their Will by clicking on themselves.

Expanding Lifespans in The Sims 4

While our Sims have the ability to live long and fulfilled lives, there are several ways to give them even more time in their Sim world.

Aside from becoming an Occult Sim, Sims can extend their lifespans by earning the Long-Lived Aspiration Reward Trait, by drinking the Potion of Youth, or by drinking the Potion of Immortality.

Your Sim can also choose to continue their life in the Afterlife as a Ghost Sim. Ghost Sims have different Needs, powers, and gameplay.

What is your favorite of The Sims 4 life stages? Do you like to play on the short, normal, or long lifespan? Let us know in the comments below!