Toddler Milestones

Toddler milestones are behaviors or abilities that most children can do between their first and third birthdays. Parents and healthcare providers — like pediatricians — can look for these signs to track your child’s development.

Tracking what your child can do can help detect specific needs and medical conditions early, often when they’re easier to treat. Your child’s pediatrician will ask you about them at well-child visits, and you can also bring them up if you have concerns or questions.

Experts group child developmental milestones into four areas:

• Motor: Movement and coordination — like crawling, walking and picking things up with their hands — and control of body movements
• Cognitive: Thinking, learning and problem-solving skills
• Language and communication: Understanding others and expressing themselves through speech, writing or gestures
• Social and emotional: Managing emotions, developing relationships and interacting with others

Toddler milestone abilities by age

Children have five developmental stages. A toddler is in the second stage, between ages 1 and 3. They’ve generally finished baby development milestones. And once they pass the toddler milestones, they’ll transition to the preschool stage.

About 3 in 4 children can do the activities listed below. But toddlers grow and learn at their own pace. Not all toddlers will master all the skills listed before their third birthday.

15-month-old milestones

Most 15-month-old children can:

• Stand and take a few steps without help
• Use their fingers to pick up food to feed themselves
• Clap their hands to show excitement
• Show you objects they like
• Copy simple actions of other children during play
• Show affection with hugs, kisses or cuddling (to a toy or to you)
• Try to say one or two simple words besides “mama” or “dada”
• Look at familiar objects when you name them
• Follow directions that include both words and gestures (like giving you something when you ask for it and holding your hand out)
• Point to objects to ask for them or to ask you for help
• Try to use objects or tools correctly, like a book or a cup

18-month-old milestones

At 18 months old, most children can:

• Explore a short distance from you but check back to make sure you’re nearby
• Point to show you things they find interesting
• Sit with you long enough to look at a few pages in a book
• Participate in being dressed, like holding out their arm for you to put a sleeve on
• Try to use three or more words besides “mama” and “dada”
• Imitate household tasks like sweeping or wiping surfaces
• Follow simple directions given with words only
• Play with toys the way their designers intended, like pushing a toy car
• Walk without needing support from an object or person
• Scribble with a crayon
• Drink from a cup without a lid with occasional spills
• Pick up food and feed themselves using their fingers
• Try to feed themselves using a spoon or fork, but it may be messy
• Climb on furniture like a chair or sofa without needing help
• Walk up steps one step at a time while holding your hand

2-year-old milestones

Most 2-year-old children can:

• Recognize and respond to others’ emotions, like taking a moment or looking sad when they see someone crying
• Look to see your emotions when you react to a situation
• Point to items in a book when asked
• Say two-word phrases
• Point to at least two body parts when asked, like their hands or feet
• Use gestures to communicate, aside from simple ones like pointing or waving
• Use both hands at the same time (like holding and grabbing)
• Use their fingers more precisely, like to work buttons, switches or knobs on a toy
• Play with multiple toys at once
• Run
• Use their feet to kick while playing, like kicking a ball
• Eat with a spoon or fork, and not be as messy
• Walk down steps one step at a time, holding your hand

30-month-old milestones

By 30 months old, most children can:

• Play alongside other children
• Say things to get your attention to watch them play
• Follow simple, established routines, like cleaning up their toys or getting ready for bed
• Have a vocabulary of about 50 words
• Use sentences made of at least two words
• Name things you point at, like in a book
• Use tools to solve simple problems, like using a stool to get to something normally out of reach
• Follow two-step instructions, like putting something down and coming to sit next to you
• Identify at least one color when asked to point to it
• Use their hands to manipulate objects, like turning a doorknob or opening the lid on a container
• Jump off the ground with both feet
• Take off some clothes, like an open jacket, without help
• Turn book pages one by one while you read to them

What if my child can’t do some of these yet?

Not all toddlers reach every milestone at the same time, and that’s okay. Children grow and develop at their own pace. If you have any concerns about what your child can or can’t do, talk to their pediatrician or other provider. They can screen for medical conditions or developmental delays and let you know what steps, if any, are needed.