Your toddler's developmental milestones at 2 years
Everything you need to know about your growing 2-year-old.
By the age of 2, your toddler is talking, walking, climbing, jumping, running and bustling with energy. Your child now has a growing vocabulary and acquires new words on a regular basis. She/he can sort shapes and colours and may even show an interest in potty training. As your little one grows more independent, she/he may show signs of defiance as she/he begins to push boundaries and explore the world around her/him.
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Social and emotional milestones at 2 years
Some of the ways you’ll see your little one learning to connect with the people around him at 2 years:
- Likes to copy adults and other children.
- Gets excited when he’s with other children.
- He is more independent, even more defiant.
Tips for parents
- Find opportunities to engage in play and conversations with your toddler. Playtime could be as simple as rolling a ball back and forth, handing you their toys or helping you with safe activities like folding clothes with your supervision. These types of activities can help develop pro-social behaviours by fostering a sense of belonging and collaboration with others.
Language and communication milestones at 2 years
How your toddler is expressing her needs:
- Says short sentences with two to four words.
- Points to things when they are named.
- Knows familiar body parts.
- Recognizes familiar people.
- Repeats words she has overheard and follows simple instructions.
Tips for parents
- When taking her for a walk, tell her the names of things you see.
Brain development milestones at 2 years
How your child’s brain is growing:
- Starts to sort shapes and colours.
- Can find things hidden under multiple layers.
- Completes sentences in familiar books.
- Plays simple make-believe games.
- Builds towers with four or more blocks.
- Can follow two-step instructions.
- May start to develop a dominant hand.
Tips for parents
- Encourage him to go looking around the room for objects you hide and give him hints.
Movement and physical development milestones at 2 years
How she’ll move through her environment:
- Can run, kick a ball and throw a ball overhead.
- Is starting to run.
- Climbs up and down from furniture without assistance.
- Makes or copies straight lines and circles.
Tips for parents
- Create little fine-motor skills challenges for your toddler, like asking her to turn the page of a book.
Food and nutrition milestones at 2 years
What mealtimes look like at 2 years:
- Chews with full jaw movements.
- Uses utensils with some spills.
Tips for parents
- Be calm and accepting. Give your child positive attention when he does eat, but don’t make it a problem when he doesn’t eat. Just take the food away, cover it, and offer it to him again a bit later.
Things to look out for
While all children develop differently, you should speak to your paediatrician if your 2-year-old:
- Doesn’t know how to use common objects.
- Doesn’t use two-word phrases.
- Doesn’t copy actions or repeat words.
- Doesn’t follow basic directions.
- Can’t walk steadily.
- Loses skills she once had.
