Child Development: 19 - 36 Months

At this age, toddlers are developing independence and gaining a strong sense of self-identity. More and more, they insist on working on tasks by themselves and having control over their environment. They have a growing interest in books, art, toys, and other activities. They are better at communicating and understanding the world around them.

Take a look at the categories below to learn different ways you can help your child develop in response to different behaviors.

How Children Grow and Stay Healthy

Toddlers 19-36 months old are growing and developing every day. Watch the video and check out the chart below to learn ways you can support their growth and development.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    
		Children This Age May:
Pedal a tricycle, climb ladders, or walk backwards a few feet.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Play games that require physical actions, like rolling, throwing, and kicking balls or chasing.

      Children This Age May:
Use thumb, index, and middle fingers to draw or write with a crayon, marker, or pencil.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide art materials like large crayons, markers, and paintbrushes or use play dough and clay to help the toddler develop squeezing, rolling, patting, and pounding skills with their hands.

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Children This Age May: Pedal a tricycle, climb ladders, or walk backwards a few feet.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Play games that require physical actions, like rolling, throwing, and kicking balls or chasing.
Children This Age May: Use thumb, index, and middle fingers to draw or write with a crayon, marker, or pencil.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide art materials like large crayons, markers, and paintbrushes or use play dough and clay to help the toddler develop squeezing, rolling, patting, and pounding skills with their hands.

How Children Learn to Interact with Other People

During this time frame, toddlers will interact more, connecting with other children in ways they hadn’t before. Watch the video and take a look at the chart below for tips on how to support this stage of development.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    
		Children This Age May:
Play with others by building a tall tower of blocks with one or two other children or handing a peer a block when building.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide opportunities to play with other children in a variety of settings.

Model how to act and suggest words to help them learn to share.

      Children This Age May:
Move in and out of pretend play roles or tell other children what they should do in their roles.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide time and toys that encourage imagination by playing specific roles (e.g., cooking and eating).

Play pretend games and draw in children who aren’t involved. (e.g.,“Would you like to ride on our train, Robert?”)

Read about diverse families and people.

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Children This Age May: Play with others by building a tall tower of blocks with one or two other children or handing a peer a block when building.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide opportunities to play with other children in a variety of settings. Model how to act and suggest words to help them learn to share.
Children This Age May: Move in and out of pretend play roles or tell other children what they should do in their roles.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide time and toys that encourage imagination by playing specific roles (e.g., cooking and eating). Play pretend games and draw in children who aren’t involved. (e.g.,“Would you like to ride on our train, Robert?”) Read about diverse families and people.

How Children Learn to Express Their Feelings and Emotions

Toddlers 19-36 months old are continuing to learn how to show their feelings and emotions. Watch the video and check out the tips below will help you understand what to expect and how to support their development.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    
		Children This Age May:
Begin to make comparisons between themselves and other children. For example, they may communicate that “_____ is a boy/girl like me.”
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Recognize their ability to identify their own characteristics, such as size, hair color, or gender.

Provide opportunities to interact with other children of diverse cultures, ethnicities, and abilities.

      Children This Age May:
Insist on zipping up a jacket or communicate, “Do it myself!” when a parent tries to help.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Allow them time to do things for themselves and acknowledge the actions using words of encouragement.
    
      Children This Age May:
Use words to describe feelings; for example, “I don’t like that.”

Act out different emotions during pretend play by “crying” when pretending to be sad and “cooing” when pretending to be happy.

How You Can Help Them Develop:
Share and discuss books and pictures of people showing emotions and help the toddler identify feelings as they happen.

Sing songs about different feelings (e.g., “If you are happy and you know it”).

      Children This Age May:
Show a substitute teacher or new babysitter that they like a back rub during naptime by patting their own back while lying on the mat.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Allow them to meet their own physical needs with comforting objects or actions (e.g., sucking their thumb).

Provide them with a sense of control by providing a choice of acceptable options (e.g., “You can have water or milk.”).

      Children This Age May:
Begin to share.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Acknowledge when they try to share (e.g., “You decided to play with another doll when Maya took yours. That was a nice choice.”)

Talk with the toddler about rules, limits, and choices and why they are important.

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Children This Age May: Begin to make comparisons between themselves and other children. For example, they may communicate that “_____ is a boy/girl like me.”	How You Can Help Them Develop: Recognize their ability to identify their own characteristics, such as size, hair color, or gender. Provide opportunities to interact with other children of diverse cultures, ethnicities, and abilities.
Children This Age May: Insist on zipping up a jacket or communicate, “Do it myself!” when a parent tries to help.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Allow them time to do things for themselves and acknowledge the actions using words of encouragement.
Children This Age May: Use words to describe feelings; for example, “I don’t like that.” Act out different emotions during pretend play by “crying” when pretending to be sad and “cooing” when pretending to be happy.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Share and discuss books and pictures of people showing emotions and help the toddler identify feelings as they happen. Sing songs about different feelings (e.g., “If you are happy and you know it”).
Children This Age May: Show a substitute teacher or new babysitter that they like a back rub during naptime by patting their own back while lying on the mat.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Allow them to meet their own physical needs with comforting objects or actions (e.g., sucking their thumb). Provide them with a sense of control by providing a choice of acceptable options (e.g., “You can have water or milk.”).
Children This Age May: Begin to share.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Acknowledge when they try to share (e.g., “You decided to play with another doll when Maya took yours. That was a nice choice.”) Talk with the toddler about rules, limits, and choices and why they are important.

How Children Learn to Communicate and Develop Skills to Read

From 19-36 months, you will see changes in the way your toddler communicates with you as their list of words grows. Watch the video below and read the chart to understand how to better support your toddler’s developing communication skills.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    
		Consideration for Adults:
Know the names of most objects in their typical environment.

Show understanding of words such as “no,” “not,” and “don’t,” like when an adult says, “There’s no more milk,” or “Those don’t go there.”

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
State simple requests and acknowledge the toddler’s responses and actions.

Use hand motions and other body movements when singing or telling stories.

Talk about what you are doing (e.g., “I am going to wash off this table and then we can sit down and eat.”).

		Consideration for Adults:
Use a total of 300–1000 words.

* NOTE: Children who speak more than one language may mix words from different languages in the same sentence.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Allow them to participate when telling, singing, or reciting stories and songs.

* NOTE: You can help when they mix words from different languages by repeating what they say using all words in the same language.

		Consideration for Adults:
Ask and answer simple questions, such as “What’s that?” and “Where did it go?”

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Ask questions, acknowledge how they are adding to the conversation, and then build on that by offering additional questions and information. (For example, if they ask “What’s that?” Answer, “It’s a car. What color is the car?”)

Resist the temptation to rush or interrupt them as they think of how to say something or answer a question.

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Consideration for Adults: Know the names of most objects in their typical environment. Show understanding of words such as “no,” “not,” and “don’t,” like when an adult says, “There’s no more milk,” or “Those don’t go there.”	How You Can Help Them Develop: State simple requests and acknowledge the toddler’s responses and actions. Use hand motions and other body movements when singing or telling stories. Talk about what you are doing (e.g., “I am going to wash off this table and then we can sit down and eat.”).
Consideration for Adults: Use a total of 300–1000 words. * NOTE: Children who speak more than one language may mix words from different languages in the same sentence.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Allow them to participate when telling, singing, or reciting stories and songs. * NOTE: You can help when they mix words from different languages by repeating what they say using all words in the same language.
Consideration for Adults: Ask and answer simple questions, such as “What’s that?” and “Where did it go?”	How You Can Help Them Develop: Ask questions, acknowledge how they are adding to the conversation, and then build on that by offering additional questions and information. (For example, if they ask “What’s that?” Answer, “It’s a car. What color is the car?”) Resist the temptation to rush or interrupt them as they think of how to say something or answer a question.

How Children Learn to Think

The developing brain of a 19-36 month old is continuing to learn how to think and take in new information around them. Watch the video and check out the tips below that can help you support that growth.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    
		Consideration for Adults:
Make a prediction about what will happen next in the story when asked, “What do you think will happen next?”

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Help the toddler understand how her actions affect others (e.g., “Jasmine is sad because you pushed her. How can we make her feel better?”).

Provide opportunities for them to watch and practice cause and effect (e.g., pushing and pulling toys, rolling items down a hill).

		Consideration for Adults:
Put all the soft stuffed animals in one pile and all the hard plastic toy animals in another pile and label the piles “soft animals” and “hard animals.”

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Encourage sorting and matching by pointing out the similarities and differences. For example, you can say, “This piece is blue. Let’s find another piece that is blue.”

		Consideration for Adults:
Play make-believe. This may look like the child stirring “cake batter” while holding an imaginary spoon.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide opportunities to play pretend with simple make-believe toys, such as dolls, stuffed animals, dishes, and blocks.

Encourage imagination by joining them. For example, play make-believe with them, take on a role, and follow their directions.

		Consideration for Adults:
Start and follow through with some personal care routines like drinking from a cup without spilling much or helping set the table for lunch.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide tools, like a stool at the sink or a coat hook within reach, to allow them to begin to do things themselves.

Show them how to do it and assist when needed.

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Consideration for Adults: Make a prediction about what will happen next in the story when asked, “What do you think will happen next?”	How You Can Help Them Develop: Help the toddler understand how her actions affect others (e.g., “Jasmine is sad because you pushed her. How can we make her feel better?”). Provide opportunities for them to watch and practice cause and effect (e.g., pushing and pulling toys, rolling items down a hill).
Consideration for Adults: Put all the soft stuffed animals in one pile and all the hard plastic toy animals in another pile and label the piles “soft animals” and “hard animals.”	How You Can Help Them Develop: Encourage sorting and matching by pointing out the similarities and differences. For example, you can say, “This piece is blue. Let’s find another piece that is blue.”
Consideration for Adults: Play make-believe. This may look like the child stirring “cake batter” while holding an imaginary spoon.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide opportunities to play pretend with simple make-believe toys, such as dolls, stuffed animals, dishes, and blocks. Encourage imagination by joining them. For example, play make-believe with them, take on a role, and follow their directions.
Consideration for Adults: Start and follow through with some personal care routines like drinking from a cup without spilling much or helping set the table for lunch.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide tools, like a stool at the sink or a coat hook within reach, to allow them to begin to do things themselves. Show them how to do it and assist when needed.

How Children Learn to Learn

Toddlers 19-36 months old are still “learning to learn.” Read the tips below to help support their learning.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    
		Children This Age May:
Place the triangle piece into the puzzle without first needing to try it in the round or square space.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Wait until they show the need for help before helping.

Help only as much as needed and talk aloud about how you or they solved a problem.

		Children This Age May:
Recall an event in the past, such as the time a family member came to school and made a snack.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide photos and picture books of past family events, commonly seen animals, or things of interest to them.

		Children This Age May:
Pound the play dough with a hammer while talking with a peer.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Allow adequate time for them to explore and get involved in activities.

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Children This Age May: Place the triangle piece into the puzzle without first needing to try it in the round or square space.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Wait until they show the need for help before helping. Help only as much as needed and talk aloud about how you or they solved a problem.
Children This Age May: Recall an event in the past, such as the time a family member came to school and made a snack.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide photos and picture books of past family events, commonly seen animals, or things of interest to them.
Children This Age May: Pound the play dough with a hammer while talking with a peer.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Allow adequate time for them to explore and get involved in activities.

Check out the video below to hear more about the parent / caregiver experience of children 19-36 months.

View the CO Early Learning and Development Guidelines 19 - 36 Months Tip Sheet for more information on milestones and behaviors for children this age.

The Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines

Are you interested in learning about the expectations for your child's development based on their age? The Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines describe the path of children’s learning and development from birth to 8 years old. Broken down by age and major milestones, the guidelines are a sort of map, helping parents and caregivers navigate their child's early years. Experts from across Colorado developed these guidelines to create a shared understanding and a coordinated approach to learning and development.

Curious about what your little one is thinking at this age? Wondering what you can do to help them thrive and reach their developmental milestones? Check out the guidelines using the link below.

Browse the Guidelines

Download the Guidelines Document

Spanish version