Twelve to Eighteen Months
During this period your baby:
• Bends over and picks up an object
• Stands alone • Enjoys gazing at his reflection
• Drinks from a cup • Plays "peekaboo" • Finger feeds
• Toddles well • Initiates games • Walks backward
• Can draw a line • Adopts "no" as his favorite word
• Walks up stairs • "Helps" around the house
• Puts his fingers to his mouth and says "shhh"
• Uses a handful of words regularly • Enjoys pretend games
• Likes riding • Dances to music • Throws ball overhand
• Shows signs of toilet training readiness
Try these development stimulators:
Floor time
Hit the floor together, crawling around each other and over and under an “obstacle course” you devise. Great time for teaching the meaning of words such as over, under, around and behind.
Look for the unexpected
Babies at this stage delight in surprise, so they’ll thrill to the jack in the box or the squeeze toy. It’s further reinforcement that they can make things happen.
Taking turns
Sharing is a huge milestone for babies to learn. Start the lessons with simple back and forth ball rolling, talking all the while about your turn and my turn. Better yet, get another child involved, too. Pass an object around the circle for another version of the skill.
More hide ‘n seek
Put an object further out of sight – say in a cupboard. Your baby’s learning that objects exist even when she doesn’t see them.
Fill ‘em up
Full and empty are important concepts, and you can help him learn them with lots of hands-on activities. Fill up a bag – and then empty it out. Empty your pockets or a toy suitcase. Pouring activities are great, too.
Purse pursuit
Mom's purse is always one of the most intriguing items in the house. Your toddler loves to empty and fill things and to imitate you. Give him a purse or book bag made for a toddler. It should be easy to open and close. Fill it with real-life items such as an old wallet, plastic keys, a piece of paper, a crayon, a hairbrush. Pretend you're going out. What do you need in your purse? Say, "Don't forget your keys! Don't forget your purse!" Then "come home," empty it out, and start all over again.
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During this period your baby:
• Bends over and picks up an object
• Stands alone • Enjoys gazing at his reflection
• Drinks from a cup • Plays "peekaboo" • Finger feeds
• Toddles well • Initiates games • Walks backward
• Can draw a line • Adopts "no" as his favorite word
• Walks up stairs • "Helps" around the house
• Puts his fingers to his mouth and says "shhh"
• Uses a handful of words regularly • Enjoys pretend games
• Likes riding • Dances to music • Throws ball overhand
• Shows signs of toilet training readiness
Try these development stimulators:
Floor time
Hit the floor together, crawling around each other and over and under an “obstacle course” you devise. Great time for teaching the meaning of words such as over, under, around and behind.
Look for the unexpected
Babies at this stage delight in surprise, so they’ll thrill to the jack in the box or the squeeze toy. It’s further reinforcement that they can make things happen.
Taking turns
Sharing is a huge milestone for babies to learn. Start the lessons with simple back and forth ball rolling, talking all the while about your turn and my turn. Better yet, get another child involved, too. Pass an object around the circle for another version of the skill.
More hide ‘n seek
Put an object further out of sight – say in a cupboard. Your baby’s learning that objects exist even when she doesn’t see them.
Fill ‘em up
Full and empty are important concepts, and you can help him learn them with lots of hands-on activities. Fill up a bag – and then empty it out. Empty your pockets or a toy suitcase. Pouring activities are great, too.
Purse pursuit
Mom's purse is always one of the most intriguing items in the house. Your toddler loves to empty and fill things and to imitate you. Give him a purse or book bag made for a toddler. It should be easy to open and close. Fill it with real-life items such as an old wallet, plastic keys, a piece of paper, a crayon, a hairbrush. Pretend you're going out. What do you need in your purse? Say, "Don't forget your keys! Don't forget your purse!" Then "come home," empty it out, and start all over again.
Send to a Friend
