Normal Development
- Can feed themselves with a spoon (14+ months)
- Turns the pages of a book (14+ months)
- Scribbles on paper with a crayon or pencil (16–20 months)
- Drinks from a regular cup without help or spilling (16+ months)
- Uses thumb and pointer finger to explore objects, turn knobs and dials, etc. (10–20 months)
- Can draw simple lines (18+ months)
- Stacks 3+ blocks (14–24 months)
- Turns over containers to pour out contents (16–24 months)
- May begin to show a preference for using their right or left hand, but may not fully decide for several more years (16–33 months)
- Likes to explore and examine objects (16–24 months)
What You Can Do
- When reading, let your child turn the pages of the book
- Give your child paper and crayons
- Draw shapes together
- Play with sidewalk chalk
- Do finger painting
- Teach your child to do simple finger games such as “itsy bitsy spider”
- Play games of filling up and dumping
- Play with blocks
- Play with large size legos that are not choking hazards
- Do small knob puzzles
Our Advice
- Remember to be on the lookout for choking hazards
- Allow your child to practice drawing and writing—even when it’s messy!
Try not to compare yourself to other parents, or your child to other children. Every family is different!