A Parent’s Guide to the Growth and Development of Toddlers

When it comes to toddlers, they live with a strong urge to play, explore, and try new things. Wanting to touch, smell, and taste everything around them is how they explore and learn. This is how a toddler develops healthily. During a toddler’s growth and development stage, you may also see them developing strong relations with you and other people around them. You can see the development of some of the basic skills like:

• Making friends
• Developing problem-solving skills, motivation to learn, and self-confidence
• Ability to control their impulses and emotions

While these skills take time to develop fully, you will see signs of these skills developing early from your child’s toddler years. So what are the common milestones you can find your toddler successfully stepping into?

Common Milestones to Measure the Growth and Development of Toddlers

 
Your toddler’s growth and development are categorised into physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. Take a look at each developmental milestone:

1. Physical Development in Toddlers

You can see some basic physical development in toddlers during different phases of their toddler stage. Divided in the young and older toddler stages, below are some physical developments you may see in your toddler:

• Young Toddlers (12 to 18 months)

  At the age of 12 to 18 months, you can see physical development in your toddler. This is the age where they are considered young toddlers, and below are the milestones you can see them crossing:

  • Stands up by themselves
  • Feeds themselves by picking up food and drinking from the cup on their own
  • Tries to walk by holding your hands and then on their own
  • Climbs up and down the stairs with growing confidence
  • Starts showing clear favourites (and dislikes) when it comes to food
  • Attempts to throw a ball, though aim and distance may still need work
  • Stacks 2 to 4 blocks to build simple towers
  • Experiments with crayons, making early scribbles
  • Enjoys the newfound independence of taking off their own clothes

• Older Toddlers (18 months to 2 years)

  Between 18 months and two years old, your toddler is considered an older toddler. Below are some physical development milestones you can see in them:

  • Starts running, often with excitement (and a few tumbles)
  • Walks up and down the stairs with a little support
  • Loves riding on push toys and exploring movement
  • Kicks a ball while standing, though balance might still be wobbly
  • Figures out how to open doors, leading to new adventures (and mischief)
  • Climbs onto furniture and finds creative ways to get over it
  • Doodles and scribbles with growing curiosity
  • Tries eating with a spoon, but mealtime still gets pretty messy
  • Stacks 2-3 blocks, testing their building skills

• Older Toddlers (2 to 3 years)

  Once your toddler crosses this milestone, the following are some physical developments you can expect to see in them:

  • Pedals a tricycle for a short stretch before getting tired or distracted
  • Jumps off the ground with both feet, enjoying the thrill of little leaps
  • Draws rough circles and lines, getting better at controlled scribbles
  • Manages to balance on one foot, even if just for a few seconds
  • Starts gaining bladder and bowel control, but accidents are still part of the process
  • Tries to dress and undress, though some tasks still need a helping hand
  • Becomes more aware of their body’s needs, though timing can still be tricky

2. Social and Emotional Development in Toddlers

This is the age when your toddler starts showing the signs of terrible twos. You will also likely see them reach a new milestone in their social and emotional development where they have formed strong relationships with you and others around them. At this age, toddlers will also likely feel guilty about doing something wrong and start testing the limits of your patience and authority.

3. Cognitive and Communication Development in Toddlers

Another milestone that a toddler will reach is the development of their communication and cognitive skills. Again, divided into young and older toddler phases, below are the cognitive and communication milestones you will see:

• Young Toddlers (12 to 18 months)

  • Starts understanding that things still exist even when out of sight
  • Points to things to express curiosity or make requests
  • Enjoys searching for hidden or dropped objects, turning them into a little game
  • Follows simple instructions, though distractions are common
  • Learns new words each month, even if pronunciation isn’t always clear
  • Engages in early pretend play, like feeding a doll or mimicking daily routines
  • Loves listening to simple stories, flipping through picture books, and joining in on songs and rhymes
  • Recognises and points to familiar objects or body parts when asked
  • Waves ‘bye’ enthusiastically
  • Frequently says “No” and “Mine,” asserting independence

• Older Toddlers (18 months to 2 years)

  • Points to pictures and body parts when asked, showing recognition skills
  • Completes simple wooden puzzles with patience and curiosity
  • Turns book pages eagerly, sometimes skipping a few in excitement
  • Starts putting two words together to form short phrases
  • Understands far more words than they can actually say
  • Enjoys playful activities like ‘hide-and-seek’ and classic rhymes like ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’
  • Loves music, often swaying, clapping, or bouncing along to the beat

• Older Toddlers (2 to 3 years)

  • Constantly asks, “what’s that?” to soak up new words like a little sponge
  • Believes toys and objects might be alive, adding magic to their playtime
  • Follows simple two-step instructions though sometimes gets distracted halfway through
  • Sorts objects by colour and size, showing early problem-solving skills
  • Picks up new words every week and loves imitating animal sounds
  • Strings together 2- to 3-word sentences to express thoughts and needs
  • Understands basic spatial words like ‘in,’ ‘on,’ and ‘under’
  • Starts grasping the concept of ‘one’ and ‘two’
  • Is understood about 50-75% of the time, even if some words are a bit jumbled
  • Recognises and responds to their own name with confidence

How to Contribute to Your Toddler’s Development

 
Seeing your toddler grow is an overwhelming experience. But they aren’t growing on their own. Even you have a huge hand behind their growth. Here are some ways you can contribute to your toddler’s development to ensure they successfully complete all their growing milestones:

1. Take Care of Their Safety

First things first, ensure your house is childproofed for your little wanderer to explore things out. At this stage, your toddler is going to be at the peak of curiosity and their new-found independence is only going to motivate them to move around more. You do not want them to fall into danger while trying to feed their curious brains. Below are some tips to keep in mind:

• Supervise your child when they are around a pool or other water bodies
• Place plug covers on unused electrical outlets
• Keep all of the hazardous appliances and things out of their reach
• Do not leave your child unattended inside a vehicle

2. Give Them Proper Nutrition

Your little one is growing fast, and the right nutrition plays a crucial role in their development. At this stage, they typically need around 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day, along with at least 13 grams of protein. But do not stress about counting every calorie. If your child is steadily gaining weight and hitting their height milestones, you are on the right track.

Focus on a balanced, whole-food diet that supports their growth. Also, make sure to include dairy and protein sources like meat, fish, or vegetarian alternatives to meet their nutritional needs.

3. Encourage Physical Activities

Focusing on your toddler’s development also includes giving them plenty of playtime. This is how their brain and body grow. Below are some fun activities that you can give them to encourage mental and physical development during their toddlerhood:

• Dancing on music
• Stacking blocks
• Sketching or painting
• Pretend play
• Hide and seek
• Playing with clay

4. Form a Bedtime Routine

By the time your little one turns three, a solid bedtime routine should be in place. At this age, they typically need 10 to 12 hours of sleep at night, plus a 1 to 3-hour daytime nap to stay well-rested.

Be consistent with their bedtime routine. Set a regular sleep schedule and stick to it, no matter what. This helps prevent sleep deprivation and those cranky, overtired moments during the day. A well-rested child is a happy, energetic one who is enthusiastic and open to learning new things!

Conclusion

 
If your child isn’t hitting these toddler milestones exactly as listed, don’t worry! Every child is different. Some may develop early, while others may cross milestones a bit later than most kids. This is fine. If you still have concerns, consult your paediatrician for a much-guided approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the growth and development pattern of a toddler?

Between their first and second birthday, toddlers usually gain around 1.5 to 2.5 kg and grow about 10 to 12 cm. After that, growth slows down, but their strength and coordination improve significantly between ages two and five.

2. What skills do toddlers develop?

Toddlers pick up essential skills in thinking, movement, social interactions, and communication. They get better at running, walking, and using their hands for small tasks, learn new words quickly, and start solving simple problems. Emotionally, they express feelings more clearly and begin to share, take turns, and do small tasks on their own, like dressing and basic hygiene.

3. What are the different learning styles of toddlers?

Toddlers learn in different ways. Some respond best to visuals, others to sounds, touch, or movement. Many kids use a mix of these styles. Understanding how your child learns can help you support their development better.