Begins to Run (20-24 Months)
Approximately 6 months after their first steps, toddlers develop a more mature walking style. They keep their feet closer together and move more smoothly, eventually experimenting with short runs. Although children don’t run well until the third year, most are able to move with great efficiency by their second birthdays. This increase in speed brings new […]
Masters the Skill of Unassisted Walking (18-24 Months)
Most babies start walking unassisted sometime between 12 and 18 months; mastering this skill is the major physical milestone of their second year. Although their early attempts look very different from mature walking (they plant their feet wide apart and lurch from side to side), they pick up speed with practice, eventually learning to walk smoothly […]
May Begin to Show Hand Preference but May Not Fully Decide for Several More Years (17-33 Months)
Most infants show no clear hand preference (left- or right-handedness) for years. Instead, many seem to alternate between favoring the right hand and the left hand, using the left hand for several months, then the right, and then both equally for a time. By age 2, some have established a clear hand preference, although many […]
Can Turn Over Containers to Pour Out Contents (16-24 Months)
Although it’s easy to see improvements in large motor skills, one-year-olds also improve their ability to use their hands and fingers, allowing them to examine objects and attempt new movements with greater precision. At this age, toddlers enjoy turning over containers to pour out their contents, building towers of blocks and knocking them down, turning pages, […]
Can Scribble with a Crayon (16-20 Months)
Throughout their second year, children become more skilled with their hands. This includes being able to hold crayons and scribble with them using increasingly complex movements. Although they are able to do more and more as they develop, it is difficult for most two- to three-year-olds to draw within the lines of a coloring book. […]
Can Walk Up and Down Stairs Holding On to Support (15-24 Months)
Approximately 6 months after their first steps, most toddlers adopt a much more mature walking style, keeping their feet closer together and moving more smoothly. With support, many are now capable of walking up and down stairs. If alone, however, toddlers are still at risk for falling down stairs, so safety gates blocking off unsupervised stairways […]
Capable of Copying Simple Horizontal and Vertical Lines and Building Towers (14-24 Months)
By the end of the second year, children are gaining more and more control over simple movements and integrating these skills into increasingly complex actions. For example, children progress from disorganized scribbling with crayons to more controlled actions like copying simple lines. At this age, many children can also build towers of five or more […]
Uses Thumb and Forefinger to Explore Objects and Turn Knobs and Dials, etc. (12-20 Months)
Toward the end of the first year, babies become more skilled at using their thumbs and forefingers to investigate objects. Using a pincer grasp to pick up small objects and turn and twist items enables children to handle dials, knobs, and small moving objects like balls or bugs. References Halverson, H. M. (1931). An experimental […]
Physical: Overview (12-24 Months)
In their second year, children’s sensory abilities reach full maturity, and their first wobbly steps progress to efficient walking, standing on tiptoe, and running. Many children also begin showing hand preference, but children may not be left- or right-handed until much later. They also learn to build small towers with blocks, scribble with crayons, and […]