This study is a systematic review designed to identify the instruments most frequently used to evaluate children's development, describe their operational and psychometric characteristics and determine which are the most accurate. We carried out a systematic search of the online databases PsycINFO and PubMed Central using the descriptors 'developmental milestones', 'developmental delay', 'test', 'scale', 'screening' and 'inventory'. We selected multidimensional instruments for assessing the development of children cited in 10 or more studies. Seven of the 278 instruments identified met the inclusion criteria. There were differences between the instruments with respect to the number and content of dimensions, target age range, administration mode and time. We scored the psychometric quality of the instruments to identify the most robust amongst the seven analysed. This study identified the most frequently used instruments for assessing child development and evaluated their quality. The findings may help researchers and clinicians to choose suitable instruments.