Search
Close this search box.

Your Toddler’s Growth

You will find useful information needed to pamper your toddler’s need.

Children develop at different rates, and that’s completely fine, but here is a rough breakdown of what to expect in your toddler’s early development and a few tips for how you can encourage it.

12th Month

Physical features & gross motor skills

What most 12 months old children do at this age?

  • Be 3 times the birth weight
  • Grow to a height of 50% over birth length
  • Have one to eight teeth
  • Stands by his or herself
  • Walk alone or when holding one hand
  • Sit down without help
  • Bang two blocks together
  • Turn through the pages of a book by flipping many pages at a time
  • Picks up a small object using the tip of the thumb and index finger
  • Sleep 8 – 10 hours a night and take one to two naps

Sensory & cognitive development

What most 12 months old babies do at this age?

  • Begins pretend play (such as pretending to drink from a cup)
  • Responds to his or her name
  • Can say Mama and at least one or two other words
  • Understands simple commands
  • Tries to imitate animal sounds
  • Connects names with objects
  • Participates in getting dressed like raising their arms
  • Plays simple back and forth games, for example with a ball
  • Points to objects with index finger
  • Waves bye
  • May develop attachment to a toy or object
  • Experiences separation anxiety and may cling to parents

Social

How can you encourage your 12 months old baby’s cognitive development, by playing?

  • Provide picture books
  • Provide different stimuli, such as going to the mall or zoo
  • Play ball
  • Build vocabulary by reading and naming people and objects in the environment
  • Teach hot and cold through play
  • Provide large toys that can be pushed to encourage walking
  • Sing songs
  • Have a play date with a child of a similar age
  • Avoid television time until age 2
  • A transitional object may help with separation anxiety

18th Month

Physical features & gross motor skills

What most 18 months old babies do at this age?

  • Is growing at a slower rate and has less of an appetite compared to months before
  • Is able to control the muscles used to urinate and have bowel movements but may not be ready to use the toilet themself
  • Runs stiffly and falls often
  • Is able to get onto small chairs without help
  • Walks up stairs while holding on with one hand
  • Can build a tower of two to four blocks
  • Can use a spoon and cup with help to feed himself
  • Imitates scribbling
  • Can turn two or three pages of a book at a time

Sensory & cognitive development

What most 18 months old babies do at this age?

  • Shows affection
  • Has separation anxiety
  • Listens to a story or looks at pictures
  • Can say 10 or more words when asked
  • Kisses parents with lips puckered
  • Identifies one or more parts of the body
  • Understands and is able to point to and identify common objects
  • Often imitates
  • Is able to take off some clothing items, such as gloves, hats, and socks
  • Begins to feel a sense of ownership, identifying people and objects by saying “my”

Social

How can you encourage your 18 months old baby’s cognitive development, by playing?

  • Encourage and provide the necessary space for physical activity
  • Provide safe copies of adult tools and equipment for the child to play with
  • Allow the child to help around the house and participate in the family’s daily responsibilities
  • Encourage play that involves building and creativity
  • Read to the child
  • Encourage play dates with children of the same age
  • Avoid television time before age 2
  • Play simple games together, such as puzzles and shape sorting
  • A transitional object may help separation anxiety

2 Years

Physical features & gross motor skills

What most 2 years old toddlers do at this age?

  • Able to turn a door knob
  • Can browse through a book one page at a time
  • Can build a tower of 6 to 7 cubes
  • Can kick a ball without losing balance
  • Can pick up objects while standing, without losing balance
  • Can run with better coordination
  • May be ready for toilet training
  • Should have the first 16 teeth (the actual number of teeth can vary widely)
  • At 24 months, they are about half their final adult height

Sensory & cognitive development

What most 2 years old toddlers do at this age?

  • Able to put on simple clothes without help & are often better at removing clothes than putting them on
  • Able to communicate needs such as thirst, hunger, need to use the restroom
  • Can organize phrases of 2 – 3 words
  • Understand 2-step command like “give me the ball and then get your shoes”
  • An increased attention span
  • Vision fully developed
  • Vocabulary has increased to about 50 – 300 words (healthy children’s vocabulary can vary widely)

Social

How can you encourage your 2 years old toddler’s cognitive development, by playing?

  • Allow the child to help around the house and participate in the daily family responsibilities.
  • Encourage and provide the necessary space for physical activity.
  • Encourage play that involves building and creativity.
  • Provide safe copies of adult tools and equipment. Many children like to mimic activities such as cutting the grass or sweeping the floor.
  • Read to your child.
  • Try to avoid watching television at this age.
  • Control both the content and quantity of television viewing. Limit television viewing to fewer than 3 hours per day, and preferably 1 hour or less. Avoid programming with violent content. Redirect the child to reading or play activities.
  • Control the type of games played.

Note

Remember that children develop at different rates & if you have concerns about your child’s development, contact a medical professional.

Further Reading

Between 12 and 24 months old, toddlers develop in fascinating, exciting and surprising ways.

Between the ages of 2 and 3 years old, your toddler will develop important skills and show you more of their unique personality.

Important notice

By clicking on the "Continue" button, you can learn more about infant nutrition. If you choose to continue, you agree that Danone is supplying this information at your individual request for information purposes.

Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants: it is best adapted to their specific needs. A healthy and balanced diet of the mother is important for the preparation and continuation of breastfeeding. Mixed breastfeeding can interfere with breastfeeding and reduce milk production. It’s hard to reverse the choice of not breastfeeding. If an infant formula is used for a non-breastfed baby, it is important to carefully observe the instructions for preparation and use and to follow the advice of the medical profession. Incorrect use could pose a risk to the child’s health. Socio-economic implications must be considered in the use of infant formula. After 6 months, in addition to breastmilk, water is the only essential drink. Do not hesitate to consult your health care professional if you need advice on feeding your baby.