The toddler years are some of the most challenging for parents as children becoming increasingly more independent, more mobile and more interested in learning about the world around them. Toddlers show an increasing degree of self confidence as they are introduced to new experiences, visit unfamiliar places and interact with other people. From the age of two to around the age of four a toddler will reach many developmental milestones and will exhibit personality traits that may last a lifetime. Toddlers will surprisingly learn the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, animals, sounds and more at a rate that will often surprise first time parents. Most toddlers will exhibit a curiosity to explore and will increasingly display a desire to play and learn from other children. Parents should have their toddlers engaging in new activities and different social situations. At the same time, a toddler will experience bumps and bruises and it takes a great deal of effort by the parents to make sure the child avoids dangerous situations where he or she can get seriously hurt. The toddler phase starts with the so called terrible twos and lasts until the child reaches school age; these years are often some of the most exciting and memorable for parents.

Newborn -> Infant -> Toddler. the toddler age is one of the best times for being a parent of a baby girl or baby boy. The baby is certainly not grown-up yet, but he is certainly past that initial year of rapid development which is truly the most challenging time for the baby and the parents. Now that your baby girl or baby boy has reached the development milestone of being a toddler the next few years in this phase is going to be all about exploring, understanding and interacting with this world around them.

Toddlers will benefit from new experiences as they learn about the world around them. Taking your child to hands on museums like an interactive science museum is a great, inexpensive way to provide a new learning atmosphere for your toddler.

A toddler should be displaying advances in gross and fine motor skills. The pincer grip was something that was developed around 10 – 12 months of age and should be a well mastered skill by the toddler age. Counting numbers out loud is development that takes place during the early toddler years and an abacus is a great way to teach your toddler to count.

Playing games with your toddler is a great way to bond and help the child learn new things. Being creative and playing different types of games and combining toys and stuff from around the house can add variety. For example, finding toys and household items that match the letters of the alphabet can help a toddler learn new words and better understand the alphabet at the same time.