Developmental Milestones at 18 months and 24 months

18 months

  • Moves away from you while making sure you are close by
  • Points to show something interesting
  • Puts hands out for you to wash them
  • Looks at a few pages in a book with you
  • Start helping you in dressing by pushing arms through sleeves/ lifting foot up when putting bottoms on.
  • Tries to say 3 or more words other than “mama” or “dada”
  • Follows one-step directions without the help of any gestures.
  • Copies adults/ parents doing chores or works
  • Plays with toys in a simple way (pushing a toy car)
  • Enjoys nursery rhymes
  • Recognises body parts
  • Walks without holding on to support
  • Can walk upstairs with adult’s support
  • Start scribbling
  • Drink from a cup without a lid (may spill at times)
  • Feeding him/herself with fingers
  • Tries to use a spoon
  • Turn pages of a book

24 months

  • Notice others are hurt or upset
  • Looks at your face to see how to react to a new situation
  • Starts pretend play and role play
  • Points to things in a book and ask questions “Where is the car?”
  • Says at least two words together, e.g. “more milk”
  • Points at least two body parts when you ask him/her to show you
  • Uses more gestures other than waving and pointing (blowing kisses/ nodding)
  • Start calling well-known objects
  • Holds something in one hand while using the other hand
  • Plays with more than one toy at the same time
  • Tries to use switches/ knobs/buttons on a toy
  • Runs with good stability
  • Walks up a few stairs independently.
  • Hops with both feet leaving the floor at the same time
  • Tries to kick a ball
  • Start holding crayon with thumb and the first two/three fingers
  • Start strings beads or small objects onto a string
  • Eats with a spoon

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Bjorklund, D. F. (2022). Children′ s thinking: Cognitive development and individual differences. Sage publications.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). CDC’s Developmental Milestones. doi: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html/.

HealthHub. (n.d.). Is My Child Development Normally?. DOI: https://www.healthhub.sg/

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SBCC. (2022). Developmental milestone checklist. doi: https://www.sbcc.sg/developmental-milestone-checklist/.