Age-Wise Movement/Physical Milestones of Toddlers

By Tian C - Updated: January 9, 2019

Your baby’s first steps are one of the most memorable events in your life as parents. As a guardian, it is very important for you to keep a track of your child’s physical development and movements. Here is an age-wise list of your toddler’s physical /movement milestones. This will help you to check your toddler’s progress.

Age One

By age one, your child, now officially a toddler, will begin to try moving on her own. She will be able to pull herself up into a sitting position with minimal or no assistance. She can crawl on the ground pushing her body forward with hands and feet. She will be able to stand albeit unsteadily, holding on to furniture. She may be able to stand on her own for a few seconds without support. She may even be able to take a couple of steps. Your one-year-old toddler will start to discover her fingers and their use. She may try to imitate you holding a pencil. During play time, you may notice that she may hold two toys and bang them together to produce sounds. She can remove and put things into a container.

Age Two

Your toddler has now officially entered the terrible twos. She would have most likely started to crawl about everywhere, and even have started to test the boundaries of her physical capacity. By age two, your child would have begun to walk without help from you. You will find that she is able to do multiple movements like pulling along a toy while walking, eating with her fingers or spoon while swinging her legs. She will be able to balance and carry lots of toys in her hands while walking. She will start to experiment with running. She will begin to use her toes to stand on tip toes to reach for something, or even to take a peek at something. In the playground, you will notice that she will now be able to kick a ball. Your child will start going up and down the stairs holding on the railing. You will find that your child will also start using her fingers. She might try to hold a pencil and start scribbling. She might use her fingers to grip a cup. Your child may start to put things in her mouth using her fingers, and also try to stack up things like a set of building blocks.

Age Three

By the age of three years, your toddler will most likely have outgrown the’ terrible twos’ and entered into the magical world of ‘make believe’. She will want to explore new ways to use her body. Your child should be able to climb up and down surfaces (at her height) easily with confidence, and without help. She can run easily without faltering for long bursts and can even pedal her tricycle without difficulty. She will be able to go up and down the stairs keeping one foot after the other on each step. In the play ground, she will be able to kick a ball with force as well as hop on one foot and catch the ball most times. She will be able to copy specific shapes as an attempt to draw a human with two arms and legs; in addition, she will be able to write alphabets in upper case.

Remember that these are the general developmental guidelines. Each baby is different, and you need not get alarmed. Consult your paediatrician and get him to assess your child’s progress during each visit.

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