Development Tips: 19 to 24 Months

  • Encourage your child to creep backwards down the stairs.
  • Hold your child’s hand while coming down the stairs. Encourage climbing stairs while holding the rail.
  • Demonstrate to your child jumping off the floor with both feet. Try jumping off a box or bottom step in front of him.
  • Practice kicking an unmoving ball.
  • Place a line on the floor and practice walking on the line.
  • Practice stacking small blocks.
  • Utilize toys that have parts that fit together (i.e., pop-beads, peg boards, stacking rings, nesting cups).
  • Play “Simon Says” with your child using easily seen motions (i.e., hands over head, clapping, stomping, swing arms).
  • Place objects in a shoe box. Then, give a matching object and ask him to find the same object in the box.
  • Ask your child to do 2 related instructions (i.e., pick up the block and put it in the cup).
  • Place 5 objects in front of the child and ask him to give you “what you name”.
  • Encourage your child to use more than 2 words at a time. When he asks for something such as milk, as him if he wants “more milk please”.
  • Encourage your child to use “me,” “you,” and “I.”
  • Assist your child in pulling pants up or down. Encourage dressing.
  • Give your child opportunities to drink from a straw.
  • Encourage your child to imitate common household activities.