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Toddler milestones

You are so proud of your toddler: your little one is learning something new every day! You live from milestone to milestone, and they help develop at a rapid pace. Your toddler is developing more and more of a mind of its own and is making its own plans. Your toddler will reach many milestones in terms of movement, but also in terms of talking, playing and learning. Learn all about the mental development leaps in our Wonder Weeks app.

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Developmental
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Physical milestones of your toddler

Physical milestones of your toddler

Some kids take their first steps before their first birthday, but most children learn to walk between 14 and 18 months. Often, there is a span of several months between your child’s first wobbly steps and its ability to walk securely and independently.

Your toddler’s first wobbly steps are a big milestone, but the moment they can walk really well, briskly without a hand is another milestone. From the age of 18 months on, your toddler can even turn their walking steps into a running motion!

Speech milestones for your toddler

Speech milestones for your toddler

Your toddler will understand you better and also try to say more themselves. Your toddler – unconsciously – learns to rely more and more on their tongue and lips. You won’t understand most of it, but slowly you will recognize more words. A toddler will usually say “no” more often than “yes”. In the beginning, it’s because “no” is a simpler word and shaking “no” is more fun than nodding “yes”. But in the long run, saying “no” is an expression of independence.

Your toddler’s developmental milestones

Big leaps in mental development

In the toddler phase, your child grows rapidly. In addition to learning to walk, run and talk, you will also notice that your toddler’s behavior is developing. Your toddler may become introverted and suffer from separation anxiety. The loneliness phase, for example, will peak between 8 and 18 months. If your toddler suddenly becomes introverted, this may seem like a step backwards in development for parents, but it’s actually a big step forward. After your toddler has taken leap 9 in their mental development (at almost 15 months), it may begin to throw tantrums. This often has to do with your toddler being frustrated because they want to do certain things, but can’t yet do them all by themselves. A tantrum isn’t always fun, but it’s part of the game.

As your toddler starts talking more and more, their self-awareness increases. Your toddler will also start to think more and more about certain things and actions. From the age of 16 months on, your toddler will be able to express their feelings better. Your little ones can express pleasure, sympathy and interest in new experiences. They can also protest if something happens that they don’t like. But at this age, they can accept boundaries. It may be a bit of a struggle, but your toddler is now able to understand that certain things are off limits or impossible. Learn about your toddler’s leaps in mental development in our Wonder Weeks app.

Which milestones does your toddler achieve in terms of learning?

Between the ages of 12 and 18 months, your toddler will learn how to use some basic things on their own. For example, lifting a spoon to their mouth. They want to eat more by themselves. Sometimes they succeed, but often the food ends up on the floor… or in the air! Drinking on their own from a regular cup will also get better. Your child learns to point out body parts and learns which sound belongs to which animal.

Your toddler will also reach many milestones in terms of playing

The older your toddler is, the more often you will notice them playing with their peers. Previously, children mainly played on their own, and when they were with other children, they played next to each other. But now your toddler will start sharing their toys and playing together more. Although sharing toys can also be very difficult for some toddlers. A toddler’s motor skills are in full development. You will notice that they will act with increasing manual dexterity. Throwing a ball or kicking is a fun game. Do you want to find out what games you can play with your toddler to support their new skills? Download the app and see which games you can play in each leap.