1 to 2 years old
Physical
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Walks, climbs and runs
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Takes two to three steps without support, legs wide and hands up for balance
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Crawls up steps
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Dances in place to music
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Climbs onto chair
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Kicks and throws a ball
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Feeds themselves
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Begins to run (hurried walk)
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Scribbles with pencil or crayon held in fist
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Turns pages of book, two or three pages at a time
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Rolls large ball, using both hands and arms
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Finger feeds efficiently
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Begins to walk alone in a ‘tottering way’, with frequent falls
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Squats to pick up an object
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Reverts to crawling if in a hurry
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Can drink from a cup
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Tries to use spoon/fork
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Social
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begins to cooperate when playing
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may play alongside other toddlers, doing wha they do but without seeming to interac(parallel play)
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curious and energetic, but depends on adult presence for reassurance
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Emotional
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may show anxiety when separating from significant people in their lives
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seeks comfort when upset or afraid
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takes cue from parent or principal carer regarding attitude to a stranger
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may ‘lose control’ of self when tired or frustrated
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assists another in distress by patting, making sympathetic noises or offering material objects
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Cognitive
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Repeats actions that lead to interesting/predictable results, e.g. bangs spoon on saucepan
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Points to objects when named
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Knows some body parts
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Points to body parts in a game
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Recognises self in photo or mirror
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Mimics household activities, e.g. bathing baby, sweeping floor
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Spends a lot of time exploring and manipulating objects, putting in mouth, shaking and banging them
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Stacks and knocks over items
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Selects games and puts them away
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Calls self by name, uses ‘I’, ‘mine’, ‘I do it myself’
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Will search for hidden toys
Language
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Comprehends and follows simple questions/commands
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Says first name
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Says many words (mostly naming words)
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Begins to use one to two word sentences, e.g. ”want milk”
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Enjoys rhymes and songs
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Source: Developmental milestones and the EYLF/NQS
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