Milestones: 16-19 months: physical development
Between the ages of 16 and 19 months, babies continue to hone the skills they first started acquiring a few months earlier — walking then running, picking up objects, and climbing onto chairs and other furniture (make sure you’ve toddler-proofed your home). Don’t worry if your child doesn’t hit all the physical milestones listed here just yet. Every toddler is different and some develop their coordination skills faster than others.
By 16-19 months, most toddlers can:
- Walk, and usually run, although their gaits will not yet resemble that of an older child. They will still fall down frequently, so discourage them from running with objects in their hands.
- Drink from a cup or eat with a spoon or fork (not necessarily without making a mess).
- Remove, or at least attempt to remove, at least a few items of clothing by themselves (socks, pants or shirts, and diapers).
- Stack one block on top of another.
- Push, pull, pick up, drop, and rearrange toys.
By 16-19 months, some toddlers try to:
- Walk up stairs, but have trouble coming down when facing forward (be sure to install reliable safety gates).
- Escape from their cribs by climbing over the sides, which is a sign that it may be time to switch to a toddler bed.
By 16-19 months, a few toddlers can:
- Do roll-over somersaults or try to stand on their heads with arms and legs out for support (think yoga’s Down Dog).
- Clamber on top of table, desks, bookshelves, countertops and cabinets, and (sometimes) even figure out how to climb back down again.
- Successfully open unlocked doors.
- Jump, getting both feet simultaneously off the floor.
More in milestones:
- 16-19 Months: Emotional Development
- 16-19 Months: Cognitive Development
- Why developmental milestones will make you crazy
Takeaways
- Between 16-19 months, toddlers begin to walk with more confidence and purpose.
- This is the age when toddlers start learning to use cups, spoons and forks.
- Kids usually transition to a toddler bed between their first and second birthdays.
Wow! My 15-month-old son has already mostly mastered more than half this list! 🙂 He has met all the normal milestones for his age group, so I was looking ahead a bit, but it seems like he’s a little ahead of the pack in some areas! 🙂 Another proud mommy moment!