According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), toddlers are children between the ages of 1 and 3 years old. The toddler age range is generally considered to begin around the age of one and lasts through about three years old, or when they enter preschool. During this time, toddlers experience significant physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes. Some developmental milestones for toddlers include:
- Walking independently
- Increased motor skills, including stacking, throwing, self-feeding, and coloring (scribbling)
- Slowed physical growth; going from one pound per month as an infant to four to six pounds per year as a toddler
- Cognitive development, such as recognizing familiar people and objects, forming simple phrases and sentences, and following simple instructions and directions
Its important to note that every child develops at their own pace, and while many kids reach some (not necessarily all) of these milestones around 12 months of age, there’s no set timeline for the toddler stage. Some children may show toddler-like behavior earlier or later than others, and that’s okay.
