Responds to what you say when in a busy or noisy environment if you get their attention first
Your child has been able to recognise familiar sounds since they were born, and they might have noticed and looked towards the direction of a sound. They might have found it more difficult to identify specific sounds or words in a busy or noisy environment but now are beginning to do this as long as you gain their attention first.
Knows where their body starts and ends so bumps into stationary objects less often
Your child has become more confident as they move around different spaces. When they first started to walk and run you might have noticed they lost their balance when moving through small spaces or when running. Now, they are more aware of their body and have developed their balance so that they can adjust movements and will bump into objects less often.
Turns pages in a book with appropriate force so can now usually turn paper pages without tearing them
Your child has probably been interested in looking at books for a while and might have been turning pages. Now their proprioception is developing, and this means that as well as having more awareness of their body they are also more able to control the force they use for different tasks. You might notice that they turn pages more smoothly and can turn paper pages without tearing them.
Copies a three block bridge
Your child will have been exploring blocks and you may have seen them build towers using a variety of building resources. They may have been connecting some of them together and pulling them apart again. They may have started to take more of an interest in how to further develop the skills they have gained with their fine motor skills, in order to create new structures.
Can stand on one foot for a few seconds and then hop
By now your toddler will have been building on and extending the basic skills they learned when they were younger. They may have now extended their skills in standing by reaching and stretching. They will also have been exploring moving using one leg at a time in activities such as climbing and running.
Can confidently climb up a small ladder at a playground
Your toddler will have been experimenting with many gross motor movements and they are most likely able to manage climbing the stairs all by themselves. You may notice that they still need some help to get back downstairs. Climbing is an activity that can be very appealing for young children and you may find them trying to climb all over furniture, along rails, onto windowsills and out of the bath.
Walks around, climbs over or under obstacles when moving around
Your toddler has been experimenting with moving since they were in the womb, however their movements are now considerably more advanced and controlled. It might not seem like that long ago that they were being supported to crawl and walk, whereas now they are gaining a lot of confidence in moving around independently. By now your toddler is growing and learning rapidly and as their curiosity into their world grows, their developing skills in movement present them with more opportunities to explore. [1]
Squats to pick up objects when standing or walking
It's possible that your baby has begun to move around, they may have been crawling for some time and are quite possibly walking independently. They will have acquired the skills to be able to sit without support and furthermore, when your baby has been playing with toys you may have seen your child crouching or kneeling. When they play with floor toys, they sometimes sit on their legs to make it easier to reach the items.
Remembers significant events or experiences from weeks or months ago
Your child will have been able to remember things that are part of a routine and people they see regularly. You might have noticed that they have started to remember things that happened a bit longer ago and now they will remember things that are important to them from weeks or months ago.
