Milestone chart: 13 to 18 months

Medically reviewed by Rachel Tomlinson, RP, Registered Psychologist

Written by Sabrina Rogers-Anderson | 22 Aug 2023

Photo credit: Andrea Gomez for BabyCenter

From first steps to warm hugs, there’s a lot to look forward to at this stage.

Your child will probably	Your child might	How to support their development
Child's age: 13 months to 15 months
Stand up without help	Take some steps on their own	Encourage moving and exploring while staying close, so they feel safe
Shake and bang objects together	Build and knock down small towers of blocks	Give them open-ended toys (blocks, balls, pegs and empty containers) for unstructured play (Houser et al 2016).
Hold a crayon	Scribble with a crayon	Set a small amount of dedicated time aside to play with your child
Self-feed finger foods	Able to hold a spoon and may start self-feeding with support	Let your child have a go even if they make a mess
Show affection	Hug you	Give them lots of hugs, kisses and positive attention
Show empathy (such as looking sad if someone is crying)	Play alongside other children	Engage in pretend play, and name and model different emotions
Say a few real words when they’re babbling, as well as naming their parents	Name familiar objects	Name and talk about everyday objects with them
Point to body parts or familiar objects when you name them	Follow simple instructions that come with gestures to act them out, such as ("Please give me the spoon" and pointing)	Ask them questions and reinforce their responses ("Yes, that’s your ball")
Child's age: 16 months to 18 months
Walk on their own	Run, climb furniture or walk up stairs holding the railing or your hand	Stay close by to give them confidence while they explore
Enjoy games like finding hidden objects	Engage in pretend play (such as "talking" into a phone)	Give your child your full attention when you’re playing with them
Use a pencil to scribble, may use a spoon to self-feed, and hold a cup to drink (messily!)	Pick up very small objects (such as pebbles and coins)	Encourage them to practice feeding themselves and drinking from a cup
Be very attached to you and experience separation anxiety	Feel self-conscious or embarrassed when people look at them	Create a quick and consistent goodbye ritual to manage separation anxiety
Play side by side with other children	Start taking an interest in other children’s games	Model and gently encourage turn-taking and sharing (even though they won’t grasp these concepts until age three)
Say more than 3 words in addition to ‘mama’ and ‘dada’, (including "no" and "mine")	Name objects and actions	Read books and sing songs to help them develop their language skills
Recognise their own name	Follow instructions such as getting something from another room	Ask your child for "help" around the house and talk to them as you go about your day

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(Pregnancy, Birth & Baby 2021, Raising Children 2020, Raising Children 2022, Raising Children 2022-2)

It’s important to remember that these are general guidelines and every child develops at their own pace. If you have any concerns about your child’s development, talk to your child health nurse or doctor without delay.

Find out more about toys for 18 month old toddlers

Go to the next chart: 19 to 24 months

Go the previous chart: 7 to 12 months

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Sources

BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organisations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

Houser NE, Roach L, Stone MR, Turner J, Kirk SFL. Let the Children Play: Scoping Review on the Implementation and Use of Loose Parts for Promoting Physical Activity Participation. AIMS Public Health. 2016 Sep 26;3(4):781-799. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2016.4.781. PMID: 29546195; PMCID: PMC5690405.

Pregnancy, Birth & Baby. 2021. Development milestones - your child 12 to 18 months. Pregnancy, Birth & Baby. www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.auOpens a new window [Accessed August 2023]

Raising Children. 2020. Sharing and learning to share. Raising Children Network. www.raisingchildren.net.auOpens a new window [Accessed August 2023]

Raising Children. 2022. 12-15 months: toddler development. Raising Children Network. www.raisingchildren.net.auOpens a new window [Accessed August 2023]

Raising Children. 2022-2. 15-18 months: toddler development. Raising Children Network. www.raisingchildren.net.auOpens a new window [Accessed August 2023]

Also referred to during the writing of this article:AAP. 2022. Evidence-informed Milestones for Developmental Surveillance Tools American Academy of Pediatrics. [accessed August 2023]

Sabrina Rogers-Anderson

Sabrina Rogers-Anderson has been a freelance writer for 25 years. Her work has been published in magazines and on websites around the world and she's the author of two books.

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Milestone chart: 13 to 18 months

Your 24-month-old's development

Your 21-month-old's development

Your 23-month-old's development

Your toddler's development (33 to 34 months)

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