Toddler Development Washington DC

Your toddler is starting to become an independent little person.  He will be full of curiosity and his language skills are building up rapidly. At this age your toddlers' imagination is really taking off and he will enjoy playing with role playing toys and objects.

Motor Development

• Learning to stack 3-4 blocks into a tower - loves to topple it over!
• Slowly creeps backwards down stairs
• Starting to carry around a favorite teddy or doll
• Jumping up and down in place (feet may or may not leave the ground at first!)
• Kicks a ball without tumbling over!
• Can almost  walk on top of a line on the ground
• Can confidently get down from an adult sized chair
• Can push and pull toys around while walking
• Learning how to put a square shape in a foam board
• May be able to take off loose socks and shoes
• When they run it looks rather stiff - has trouble maneuvering around corners and objects
• Loves the feeling of being pushed on swings
• Learning how to unscrew lids on jars
• Enjoys filling and dumping objects into containers
• Towards 24 months your toddler will show an interest in putting shapes such as circles, squares and triangles into a shape foam board puzzle
• Will enjoy playdough
• By 24 months of age your toddler will seem to want to run everywhere!
• Climbs into car seat on her own
• Your toddler will love using all her new coordination skills by moving her body to the rhythm of music

Intellectual and Language Development

• Language continues to develop and your toddler may now ask for some things by name. For example, cookie or milk.
• Will be able to point to 3 body parts or more (hair, eyes, nose)
• Enjoys naming objects
• Points to pictures in books (ie: in response to "where is the ball"?)
• Starts referring to herself by name
• Sings or perhaps "vocalizes" is a better word - to music!
• Follows 3 simple actions to do with an object such as a ball. "show me the ball", "roll the ball". or "bring the ball"
• Understands many more words than they can speak
• By 22 months a toddler can recognize when a book is upside down and can turn pages one at a time
• By 18-20 months your toddler will begin to combine the use of simple words (ball up)
• By 24 months your toddler can say or respond to about 20 words

  Social and Emotional Development 

• Enjoys hugging familiar grownups 
• Will love going on walks outside whenever they're invited 
• Will play on her own if an adult is close by 
• Can help with picking up and putting away toys 
• Wraps up a baby doll or stuffed toy in a blanket and put them to bed 
• Your toddler will love playing along side another child ( not necessarily with another a child) 
• May put shoes on at around 22 months of age (probably on the wrong feet though!) 
• May show a strong desire to dress herself. Although he won't know the difference between front and back 
• Emerging fears of things such as thunder, lightening, and the dark. A great time to put a night light in the room 
• May take a while to warm up to people she doesn't know well 
• Expresses love for parents by kissing and hugging them (gorgeous!) 
• Enjoys following siblings and copying them