Child Developmental Milestone Guide
- 18-24 Months -
The second half of the second year opens up new layers of understanding and exploration for toddlers. They’re more mobile and confident about their ability to navigate through the world, and many use language better and better, asking questions to help them better understand things. They are becoming more imaginative every day and it’s a pleasure to watch them figure things out and process new information.
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Fine Motor Skills
Your little one is fascinated by the tiny things she finds around her. Bits of fluff, crumbs, and other small objects aren’t safe from her increasingly dexterous grasp. She loves to put the little things she finds into her mouth, too, so watch out for that! With her developing dexterity will come a desire to make things happen, so providing her with toys and objects that react to fine manipulations will delight her and help her develop her fine motor skills.
Gross Motor Skills
Your toddler is on the move! He’s walking, running, and soon even climbing stairs with confidence. His advancing mobility makes him all the more eager to explore. He’s likely comfortable walking and pushing or pulling things like toy lawn mowers and pull-toys on
Curiosity & Discovery
Your toddler is learning new ways to explore the world around him. He’s using all his senses to understand his environment, and he’s probably (though not every child does yet) using the basic language skills he’s developed to ask questions about what he sees, touches, hears and smells. He loves touching objects with different textures and delights in performing small tasks – he’s discovered his sense of accomplishment!
Imagination & Creativity
Imaginative play is your little one’s newest tool for processing information, and she’s using it more and more. She may substitute one object for another (bananas might be telephones) and use other objects in unconventional ways, experimenting beyond their intended purposes. She also interacts with her toys in concrete, imaginative ways, like putting them to bed when it’s her own bedtime.
Thinking & Problem Solving Skills
Your little genius is using his imagination to solve problems and achieve goals. He will probably be experimenting with different physical methods to get things done. If he’s been talking for a while, he’s also by now learned enough language to make himself understood. He asks for help when he needs it using gestures and simple word combinations.
Academic Development
Language skills are most likely blossoming in your toddler during this period. If she started early, she’s now able to speak up to 200 words, combining them into simple phrases and short sentences. However, she probably doesn’t use any real grammar, and doesn’t yet understand that printed words on a page have any meaning. However, she does love being read to and looking at pictures in books. Toward the end of these six months, she may begin to understand that one object combined with another object make two objects – the most basic principal of mathematics!
Self-Expression & Confidence
Your little one is experiencing the full range of human emotions, and is learning how to express them. Happiness, anger, even envy might come out in interesting ways. She’s also learning to express herself through sounds and music she makes with toy instruments and her voice. She has an emotional response to music that she hears, and probably likes dancing to its rhythm.
Sharing & Cooperation
Language skills are most likely blossoming in your toddler during this period. If she started early, she’s now able to speak up to 200 words, combining them into simple phrases and short sentences. However, she probably doesn’t use any real grammar, and doesn’t yet understand that printed words on a page have any meaning. However, she does love being read to and looking at pictures in books. Toward the end of these six months, she may begin to understand that one object combined with another object make two objects – the most basic principal of mathematics!
Listening & Communication Development
Your little one is eager to connect with you and other adults and enjoys playing games with you to discover new concepts. If he was an early talker, by now he uses words and phrases to ask questions, wanting to understand more about what’s happening in the world around him.
18-24 Month Old Recommended Toys
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