Further Reading

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.  

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. 

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] 

Your toddler has been working hard to become more proficient with their walking and their movements are much more rhythmical and coordinated now that they have achieved more control over their large motor muscles. You may have noticed that your toddler is experimenting with changing direction and might be increasing their speed when 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. 

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. 

Your child might have shown some awareness of numbers and counting for a little while, perhaps imitating the rhythm and intonation of counting. As they become more aware that words can be used to represent different things, they might begin to use number names as they play.

Your child will have been using objects to represent other objects and might also have shown some awareness of the difference between toy objects and real objects. This recognition of the difference between objects is a first step towards developing an understanding of symbolic representation.  

Your baby is interested in the people around them, and as their memory develops and they have a wider range of experiences you might notice them recreating familiar situations when playing with soft toys or dolls. This play is the first step towards pretend and fantasy play and supports your baby to explore familiar situations and think about the things they have noticed.  

Your baby’s curiosity is growing and manifesting itself in a wider range of ways.  Their fascination for people and interaction is continuing to grow and evolve.