Toddler development: in a nutshell

Development is a journey, not a race. Your toddler will probably develop in fits and starts. One week, your child might proudly learn to kick a ball and name three body parts. Then nothing happens for a while. The development process soon kick-starts again.

What your toddler might be doing

Below is a guide to some of the important milestones for children aged 1-3. For more detailed information, see the monthly milestones on our Toddlers Development page.

By 12 months, toddlers can:

• pull up to standing position
• get into a sitting position
• cruise (move from place to place, always holding on)
• clap hands (play pat-a-cake) and wave bye-bye
• indicate wants in ways other than crying
• respond to their own names most of the time
• look where you point when you say, ‘Look at the …’
• say dada and mama appropriately
• say at least one word
• point to things they want
• babble with changes in tone and pitch of voice
• take turns ‘talking’ with you.

By 18 months, toddlers can:

• use two words (by 16½ months)
• drink from a cup
• point to body parts
• point to interesting objects to ‘share’ them with you
• bring things to show you
• point to objects so you will name them.

By two years, toddlers can:

• take off an article of clothing
• 'feed’ a doll
• build a tower of four cubes 
• identify two items in a picture by pointing (by 23½ months).

By 2½ years, toddlers can:

• use 50 words or more
• combine words (by about 25 months)
• follow a two-step command without gestures (by 25 months)
• use pronouns like I, me and mine
• use at least 50 words and understand even more
• combine words (by about 25 months) like ‘Daddy go’ or ‘All gone’
• follow a two-step command without gestures (by 25 months).

By three years, toddlers can:

• identify four pictures by naming
• wash and dry hands (just more than three years of age)
• identify a friend by naming
• throw a ball overhand
• speak and be understood half the time
• carry on a conversation of two or three sentences
• use prepositions (by, to, in, on top of).

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  By Raising Children Network

  Toddler development is a gradual journey, not a race. All children develop at different rates.

  General milestones for toddler development

  • 12 months: toddlers can sit and stand by themselves, move around if holding on to a support, clap hands, and communicate without crying.
  • 18 months: they can use two words and drink from a cup.
  • 2 years: they can remove an article of clothing, ‘feed’ a doll, build a tower of four cubes, and identify two items in a picture by pointing.
  • 2½ years: they can use 50 words or more, combine words, and follow a two-step command without gestures.
  • 3 years: they can identify four pictures by naming, wash and dry their hands, identify a friend by name, throw a ball underhand, and have a conversation of two or three sentences.

  This article is an extract only. For more information, visit raisingchildren.net.au/development/toddlers_development.html.

  Sourced from the Raising Children Network's comprehensive and quality-assured Australian parenting website www.raisingchildren.net.au.