18 months old Milestone

Climbing, kicking and singing… here’s what to expect.

The majority of children will achieve these development milestones by the time they turn 18 months. All children develop at different rates. Some children are slower than others (developmentally delayed) but catch up with time. Other children, however, may have an underlying problem that causes their development to be delayed, and they may not catch up.

Download Checklist

Evaluate your child with this checklist

It is important for these children to get as much treatment (early intervention) as possible. So if you are concerned about any aspect of your child’s development, see your child health nurse or doctor for help as soon as you can. If in doubt, it is better to have your concerns checked than to ‘wait and see’.

Gross Motor

  • Stand holding on, walk holding on
  • Bend or crouch to pick up an object
  • Climb ledge or up steps
  • Push a pram / push cart
  • Walk backwards a few steps
  • Kick ball

Fine Motor

  • Stack 2-3 blocks into a tower
  • Scribble with a pencil on paper

Talking & Understanding

  • Try to sing
  • Say 4-8 clear words
  • Babble long sentences with some clear words
  • Point to named pictures
  • Follow single instructions

Social

  • Start to show sense of self by saying works like ‘no’, 'mine'
  • Play games with other people
  • Manage to drink from a cup (half-full)
  • Enjoy sitting looking at books
  • Points to body parts, clothing and objects

Intellectual

  • Search for objects not only where they were last seen, but also in other places
  • Play correctly with toys, such as pushing car around, making an airplane fly
  • Toy play is random – just banging, dropping, etc.
  • Complete simple puzzles, like placing one or two shapes in holes

Youthrive is providing this as general information only and it should not be relied upon as professional or medical advice. You should seek professional and medical advice for particular health concerns or manifestations. Our best efforts have been used to ensure this information is considered correct and current in accordance with accepted best practice in Queensland as at the date of production.

Originally produced by Child Development Network.