Toddlers communicate in so many ways.

They all develop at their own rate.

Your child may be faster or slower at talking and listening than others.

Here’s a guide for what you can expect.

By 1 year, babies can usually:

• Respond to their name.
• Make and copy sounds.
• Say words like “Dada” and “Muma”.

By 18 months, toddlers can usually:

• Understand up to 50 words.
• Follow simple instructions – such as “throw the ball”.
• Point to familiar objects when you ask them – such as “where is the cup?”
• Say 6-20 words. Some will be easier to understand than others.

By 2 years, toddlers can usually:

• Point to body parts and pictures in books when you name them.
• Say “no” when they don’t want something.
• Put two words together – such as “bye teddy” or “no ball”.
• Start to use “mine” and “my”.
• Say more than 50 single words.

For more on what to expect or to find talking ideas, visit Let’s Talk.

If you have any concerns about your toddler, talk to your local child health nurse or family doctor.

Once toddlers begin to move it’s hard to slow them down!

They all develop at their own rate.

Your child may be faster or slower at walking, climbing of grabbing items than others.

Here’s a guide for what you can expect.

By 1 year, babies can usually:

• Pull themselves up to stand, holding onto furniture.
• Sit without support.
• Crawl.
• Point at and poke objects with their thumb or finger.

By 18 months, toddlers can usually:

• Walk with or without support.
• Move their body to music while standing still.
• Make marks with a pencil or crayon held in their fist.
• Drink from a cup.

By 2 years, toddlers can usually:

• Move around a space and begin to climb onto a chair or other furniture.
• Use fingers to pick up and eat food.
• Squat to pick up an object.

If you have any concerns about your toddler, talk to your local child health nurse or family doctor.

Toddlers can interact with you in so many ways.

They all develop at their own rate too.

Your child may be faster or slower than others at engaging with the world around them.

Here’s a guide for what you can expect.

By 1 year, babies can usually:

• Recognise familiar people and stretch out their arms to be picked up.
• Show anxiety or be unsure around strangers.
• Notice other babies or young child.

By 18 months, toddlers can usually:

• Be curious and energetic, but like a familiar adult around for reassurance.
• Start to play alongside other children.

By 2 years, toddlers can usually:

• Start cooperating with others when playing.
• Use physical aggression when frustrated or angry.
• Find it difficult to wait or take turns

If you have any concerns about your toddler, talk to your local child health nurse or family doctor.

Toddlers can experience some big emotions.

They all develop at their own rate.

Your child may be faster or slower at expressing and dealing with emotions than others.

Here’s a guide for what you can expect.

By 1 year, babies can usually:

• Be happy to see faces they know.
• Want to be near a parent or carer.
• Actively explore their surroundings.

By 18 months, toddlers can usually:

• Seek comfort when upset or afraid.
• ‘Lose control’ when tired or frustrated.

By 2 years, toddlers can usually:

• Show some anxiety when separating from familiar people in their lives.
• Look to a parent or carer for how to act around strangers.

If you have any concerns about your toddler, talk to your local child health nurse or family doctor.

Toddlers are always learning.

They develop at their own rate.

Your child may be faster or slower at learning new things than others.

Here’s a guide for what you can expect.

By 1 year, babies can usually:

• Enjoy toys, making noise with objects and scrunching paper.
• Explore objects by looking at them and putting them in their mouth.
• Understand some words and requests.

By 18 months, toddlers can usually:

• Repeat actions that lead to an interesting result – such as banging a spoon on a pan.
• Recognise themselves in a photo or mirror.

By 2 years, toddlers can usually:

• Call themself by their name.
• Use “I”, “mine” and “I do it myself”.
• Pretend to do the household activities they see you do.
• Stack and knock items over.

If you have any concerns about your toddler, talk to your local child health nurse or family doctor.