Summary
These milestone charts can help you gauge your toddler’s development.
Every toddler is different but most do similar things by certain ages. Talk with your pediatrician if you're concerned that your child is very late in reaching a milestone. The following milestone charts can help you gauge your toddler’s development.
| At 18 months, my toddler: | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| Plays pretend, such as feeding a doll | |
| Has temper tantrums | |
| Says several single words | |
| Follows a simple command, such as “sit down” | |
| Walks alone | |
| Drinks with a cup | |
| Eats with a spoon |
| At 2 years, my toddler: | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| Becomes defiant at times | |
| Knows names of familiar people and body parts | |
| Says sentences of two to four words | |
| Plays make-believe games | |
| Stacks two to four blocks | |
| Completes sentences or rhymes in picture books | |
| Kicks a ball | |
| Is beginning to run | |
| Climbs onto and down from furniture without help | |
| Walks up and down stairs holding on | |
| Throws a ball overhand | |
| Makes or copies straight lines and circles |
| At 3 years, my toddler: | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| Shows affection and concern for friends without prompting | |
| Takes turns in games | |
| Understands the idea of “mine” and “his” or “hers” | |
| Dresses and undresses herself | |
| Follows instructions with two or three steps | |
| Understands words like “in,” “on,” and “under” | |
| Says his first name, age, and sex | |
| Says words like “I,” “me,” “we,” “you,” and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats) | |
| Talks well enough for strangers to understand her most of the time | |
| Carries on aconversation using two to three sentences | |
| Works toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts | |
| Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people | |
| Does puzzles with three or four pieces | |
| Turns book pages one at a time | |
| Builds towers of more than six blocks | |
| Screws and unscrews jar lids or turns door handles | |
| Pedals a tricycle | |
| Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step |
Tips for parents
Help your child learn by reading, playing, exploring, and talking together.
- Set aside time each day to talk and play.
- Read books together.
- Point to pictures in books and ask her to name the objects. Do the same with body parts and objects around you.
- Finish words that your toddler starts. For example, when he says, “baba,” say “Yes, that’s your bottle.”
- Play matching games like shape sorting and simple puzzles.
- Encourage your child's growing independence by letting him help with dressing himself and feeding himself.
- Create predictable routines so she will know what to expect each day. For example, follow the same steps for bedtime (bath, brush teeth, read book, lights out).
Source: "Developmental Milestones," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/; "Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/parents/essentials/consequences/index.html; "Toddler," Healthy Children, www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/default.aspx
Summary
These milestone charts can help you gauge your toddler’s development.
Every toddler is different but most do similar things by certain ages. Talk with your pediatrician if you're concerned that your child is very late in reaching a milestone. The following milestone charts can help you gauge your toddler’s development.
| At 18 months, my toddler: | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| Plays pretend, such as feeding a doll | |
| Has temper tantrums | |
| Says several single words | |
| Follows a simple command, such as “sit down” | |
| Walks alone | |
| Drinks with a cup | |
| Eats with a spoon |
| At 2 years, my toddler: | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| Becomes defiant at times | |
| Knows names of familiar people and body parts | |
| Says sentences of two to four words | |
| Plays make-believe games | |
| Stacks two to four blocks | |
| Completes sentences or rhymes in picture books | |
| Kicks a ball | |
| Is beginning to run | |
| Climbs onto and down from furniture without help | |
| Walks up and down stairs holding on | |
| Throws a ball overhand | |
| Makes or copies straight lines and circles |
| At 3 years, my toddler: | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| Shows affection and concern for friends without prompting | |
| Takes turns in games | |
| Understands the idea of “mine” and “his” or “hers” | |
| Dresses and undresses herself | |
| Follows instructions with two or three steps | |
| Understands words like “in,” “on,” and “under” | |
| Says his first name, age, and sex | |
| Says words like “I,” “me,” “we,” “you,” and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats) | |
| Talks well enough for strangers to understand her most of the time | |
| Carries on aconversation using two to three sentences | |
| Works toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts | |
| Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people | |
| Does puzzles with three or four pieces | |
| Turns book pages one at a time | |
| Builds towers of more than six blocks | |
| Screws and unscrews jar lids or turns door handles | |
| Pedals a tricycle | |
| Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step |
Tips for parents
Help your child learn by reading, playing, exploring, and talking together.
- Set aside time each day to talk and play.
- Read books together.
- Point to pictures in books and ask her to name the objects. Do the same with body parts and objects around you.
- Finish words that your toddler starts. For example, when he says, “baba,” say “Yes, that’s your bottle.”
- Play matching games like shape sorting and simple puzzles.
- Encourage your child's growing independence by letting him help with dressing himself and feeding himself.
- Create predictable routines so she will know what to expect each day. For example, follow the same steps for bedtime (bath, brush teeth, read book, lights out).
Source: "Developmental Milestones," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/; "Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/parents/essentials/consequences/index.html; "Toddler," Healthy Children, www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/default.aspx
Summary
These milestone charts can help you gauge your toddler’s development.
Every toddler is different but most do similar things by certain ages. Talk with your pediatrician if you're concerned that your child is very late in reaching a milestone. The following milestone charts can help you gauge your toddler’s development.
| At 18 months, my toddler: | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| Plays pretend, such as feeding a doll | |
| Has temper tantrums | |
| Says several single words | |
| Follows a simple command, such as “sit down” | |
| Walks alone | |
| Drinks with a cup | |
| Eats with a spoon |
| At 2 years, my toddler: | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| Becomes defiant at times | |
| Knows names of familiar people and body parts | |
| Says sentences of two to four words | |
| Plays make-believe games | |
| Stacks two to four blocks | |
| Completes sentences or rhymes in picture books | |
| Kicks a ball | |
| Is beginning to run | |
| Climbs onto and down from furniture without help | |
| Walks up and down stairs holding on | |
| Throws a ball overhand | |
| Makes or copies straight lines and circles |
| At 3 years, my toddler: | Yes or No |
|---|---|
| Shows affection and concern for friends without prompting | |
| Takes turns in games | |
| Understands the idea of “mine” and “his” or “hers” | |
| Dresses and undresses herself | |
| Follows instructions with two or three steps | |
| Understands words like “in,” “on,” and “under” | |
| Says his first name, age, and sex | |
| Says words like “I,” “me,” “we,” “you,” and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats) | |
| Talks well enough for strangers to understand her most of the time | |
| Carries on aconversation using two to three sentences | |
| Works toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts | |
| Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people | |
| Does puzzles with three or four pieces | |
| Turns book pages one at a time | |
| Builds towers of more than six blocks | |
| Screws and unscrews jar lids or turns door handles | |
| Pedals a tricycle | |
| Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step |
Tips for parents
Help your child learn by reading, playing, exploring, and talking together.
- Set aside time each day to talk and play.
- Read books together.
- Point to pictures in books and ask her to name the objects. Do the same with body parts and objects around you.
- Finish words that your toddler starts. For example, when he says, “baba,” say “Yes, that’s your bottle.”
- Play matching games like shape sorting and simple puzzles.
- Encourage your child's growing independence by letting him help with dressing himself and feeding himself.
- Create predictable routines so she will know what to expect each day. For example, follow the same steps for bedtime (bath, brush teeth, read book, lights out).
Source: "Developmental Milestones," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/; "Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/parents/essentials/consequences/index.html; "Toddler," Healthy Children, www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/default.aspx