Normal Development

• Begins to develop favorite toys/toy preference (18–24 months)

• Likes to choose between two objects (14–24 months)

• Recognizes the difference between themselves and other people (12–20 months)

• Starts fantasy/make-believe play (16–24 months)

• May be interested in potty training (16–24 months)

• Begins to sort shapes and colors (17–24 months)

What You Can Do

• Read simple books with your child every day. Stories that have familiar storylines are best.

• Make your own scrapbook of objects or people your toddler knows.

• Play a simple game of “find.” Place 3 familiar toys in front of a toddler and say, “Give me the_ .” See if your toddler tries to find what you’ve named and will hand it to you.

• Encourage your child to play dress-up. It is helpful to a full-length mirror on a wall they can access and a “pretend box” filled with dress-up clothes.

• Allow your child to make choices whenever possible (the red shirt or the blue one?)

• Play with puzzles

• Play with blocks

• Play with shape sorters

Our Advice

• Reminder: videos and TV are not great teachers. They can be fun but are not a substitute for you.

• Try not to make your child’s days too crowded—this can leave them feeling tired and overstimulated.

• Let your child be the boss of their play!

• Try to balance playground and home time. Your child is learning from both environments.

• Remember that your child is still very young—try not to expect them to be able to do things beyond what’s normal for their age.

Try not to compare yourself to other parents, or your child to other children. Every family is different!

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