How your child is developing
At this age, children continue to make great progress in physical development. By the time they're three, they should be confident and capable walkers and runners. Falls and bumps may happen every day, but this won't put them off.
Language and communication continue to improve, and toddlers should be having real conversations by the age of two and a half or three. They're also starting to have better control of pencils, paintbrushes and crayons.
At some stage, you'll see your child beginning to play with other children and not just alongside them. You may see the start of some real friendships, although these may be short-lived and fickle.
This is also the start of pretend play, in which your child can practise new identities and dream up imaginative scenarios.
What you can do
Encourage your child's sociability and friendships by arranging short playdates with other children. Don't expect too much at this age, though. Two-year-olds can become annoyed with other children, and sharing toys can be hard for them.
You might find the children become aggressive towards each other, often over disputed ownership or taking turns. This is normal, although you'll need to stop any hitting and hurting.
Try to involve your child in household jobs. Sorting socks from the laundry is a game that helps with early maths. From the age two and a half or so, most toddlers understand the concept of things matching.
Fun and games
Your toddler learns about 50 words a month between the age of two and three, so make the most of their language skills.
Animal noises - your child can learn the different sounds animals make and answer the question "What does the [animal] say?" with the right roar, growl or squeak. They can also ask you to take your turn. A variation of this game is to take turns making an animal noise and asking the other person to identify the animal.
Children this age love to sing and don't mind if you're off-key - a CD or tape of nursery rhymes at home or in the car will remind you of any tunes you've forgotten
Actions songs - develop a range of songs that match actions to words, such as 'Here we go round the mulberry bush', and 'This is the way we brush our teeth'.
"What next?" - when reading a storybook your child knows well, ask if they can tell you what is going to happen before you turn the page.
"Wrong again!" - point to your child's toes and say "Look at your fingers!" or point at your nose and say "Here's my ear." When your toddler recognises you've made a mistake, they can say "Wrong again!" and explain why. Then they can make a deliberate mistake and you can do the response.
Toys to buy
Equipment to support and help your child's increased control and concentration:
- Blackboard and easel, plus chalk - this can also be used as an easel by attaching a sheet of paper with a bulldog clip
- Playdough, cutters and rollers - buy or make your own dough
- Paints and paintbrushes - buy thick powder paints you can dilute as required
- Chunky bricks that fit together and pull apart easily
- Child's keyboard for the computer – it fits into your computer's USB port or fits over your adult keyboard so toddlers can learn the first steps to keyboard control playing games designed for their age group (child-friendly software is a growing market)
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