This article discusses the development of children aged 18-24 months. At this age, toddlers are even more active in their movements and are always curious to climb higher (sofas, chairs, slides at the playground) and explore new things. It’s important to encourage their explorations while always keeping safety in mind and not leaving them unsupervised. Toddlers will increasingly try to assert their independence, and it is crucial to support this drive.
- From 18-24 months, children acquire more words, phrases, and short sentences every day. They become more interesting conversationalists and can express many of their desires verbally. During this period, it is especially important to teach children to articulate their needs to form a new logical connection: “when I express my desires in words, I can get what I want.” Previously, children couldn’t speak and used crying to express their wants. Now, as speech actively develops, it is vital not to miss this moment and teach children to use words to communicate their desires. The earlier a child learns to do this, the easier it will be for you in the future since unspoken desires are hard to understand and fulfill, leading to tantrums.
- During this period, mothers need to enhance their “negotiation” skills with their children, as tantrums are an integral part of a child’s development and need to be managed effectively. Understanding these processes can make this period more comfortable for both parents and children.
- As the child grows older, more activities for their development become available. In this article, you will find tips on activities for children, as well as recommendations on which developmental toys are important and necessary for the 18-24 months age range. As with our previous articles for ages 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and 12-18 months, we will discuss these tips separately for each of the 7 essential skill areas.
Activities for fine motor skills
Playing with Lego Duplo
Playing with Lego remains relevant for children aged 18-24 months. This activity promotes the development of visual-motor coordination and creative abilities. As children grow older, their interest in Lego increases because it becomes easier and quicker for them to connect the blocks. Additionally, their imagination is more developed: they can build more unusual and complex structures or imagine something more unique from the simplest structures.
Sticker Books
There are many different types of sticker books (fairy tale characters, animals, food, clothing, etc.):
- stickers need to be placed on a “shadow” that is pre-drawn in a specific spot.
- stickers can be placed freely on the page.
Start by showing the child how to peel a sticker and place it on paper to understand how it works. Explain the concept of the “sticky” side and show how to hold the sticker carefully with their fingers to place it correctly.
Such activities with stickers improve fine motor skills and stimulate creativity.
Lacing Games
Lacing games remain very relevant. These games, besides developing fine motor skills and visual coordination, are among the most beneficial for speech development. In previous articles, we showed examples of large lacing boards and ones with small holes. In the article on development for ages 12-18 months, we detailed how to play with such lacing toys.
Playing with a Wooden Beads Sequencing Toy Set
This universal toy helps develop fine motor skills, visual coordination, hand movement, logic, and concentration. These blocks can also be used for lacing games (the holes allow for both large and small laces).
Shapes can be sorted by type (square and circle) and color. A more advanced option is to use schematic cards to assemble a specific sequence of shapes on each stick.
Drawing
Drawing with chalk, markers, pencils, watercolors, and finger paints develops fine motor skills, improves hand control and coordination, and of course, stimulates imagination. It’s important to practice drawing with all these materials, as the hand and wrist work differently depending on what the child is using to draw.
- For chalk and markers, use double-sided boards, or draw with markers on paper and with chalk on playgrounds.
- Draw with pencils, watercolors, and finger paints on paper.
Playdough or modeling dough games
Playing with playdough greatly develops fine motor skills and consequently speech. You can also add various molding tools, shapes, and rolling pins. Pressing shapes and working with a rolling pin provide additional hand strength training. Squeezing playdough helps develop hand strength and finger dexterity.
Initially, don’t expect the child to create any crafts (especially at this age); it’s important for them to simply squeeze the material and exercise their hands and fingers.
Sit next to the child and show them how to squeeze the playdough and form different shapes that can then be assembled into a bear, a cat, or something else. If the child sees such examples, they will eventually learn to create their own shapes. The key here is the process of molding, which develops motor skills.
Playing with Puzzles
Puzzles with large pieces and simple images help improve fine motor coordination and problem-solving skills.
If the child has previously worked with puzzles of 3-6 pieces, by 18-24 months, you can offer puzzles with 8+ pieces.
Velcro Books
Use Velcro books that include simple tasks allowing the child to attach and detach objects. This helps improve hand strength and coordination.
Activities for gross motor skills
To develop gross motor skills in toddlers aged 18-24 months, it’s important to provide a safe environment where they can move actively, as this is the age when they are eager to run and climb on various surfaces.
Safe environment:
- Use special locks to prevent children from opening cabinets containing dangerous items (sharp objects, breakables, household chemicals, medicines). Make sure to secure cabinets that could harm the child if opened suddenly.
- Ensure that the child has no access to outlets and electrical appliances.
- Install soft pads on the corners of furniture that are at the child’s height.
- Make sure the floor is not slippery and there are no slippery rugs.
Walking and Running Practice
For these activities, you just need to provide an environment for the child to move around. Now is the time to extend your outdoor walks, especially to playgrounds with various slides and stairs to climb. Always stay close to the child to be ready to support them while they play on the slide.
You can also play tag with the child to practice running, which engages many muscles.
Squatting and Lifting
Practice squats to strengthen the leg muscles. For example, place toys on the floor and encourage the child to squat and pick them up (demonstrate how to do it).
Ball Games
Using small, soft balls, you can come up with many fun activities for the child and the whole family:
- play soccer to practice kicking the ball.
- throw the ball forward and up with your hands.
- throw the ball into a basket or box to practice accuracy.
- make a circle with your hands and ask the child to aim for the “imaginary basket.”
- throw the ball further away and encourage the child to run and catch it.
Dancing
Turn on music and dance with the child. Dancing is suitable for any age 🙂 Now that the child is older, they will be especially interested in exploring the capabilities of their body through rhythmic movements.
Stair Walking Practice
If possible, practice stair walking with the child. Show them how to hold the handrail with one hand and your hand with the other while moving their feet. It’s important that stair walking is always supervised. If you’re not nearby, ensure there is a barrier to prevent access to stairs in your home.
Jumping Games
Practice jumping with both feet. This is a challenging skill for the child to master.
How to teach a child to jump:
- show the child how to jump by doing it yourself.
- use simple language to explain the activity. You can say something like, “Let’s jump together!” or “Jump like mommy/daddy!” The instruction should be short and sound positive. Show that it’s a fun activity.
- choose a safe and soft surface for jumping, such as a rug. This makes landing more comfortable for the child and reduces the risk of injury.
- hold the child’s hands to provide support and stability. Tell the child it’s important to lift both feet off the ground simultaneously.
- whenever the child tries to jump with both feet, reinforce their efforts with positive feedback. Clap, encourage, or use words of praise to let them know they’re doing well.
- practice regularly to reinforce the concept of jumping. Repetition helps children strengthen muscle memory and gain confidence.
Walking in Different Directions
Show the child how to walk backward and sideways using side steps.
Obstacle Course
Create an obstacle course using pillows and other household items. Encourage the child to crawl under, jump over, and navigate through the obstacles.
Light Exercise
Demonstrate some exercises and do them together. Stand opposite the child and do the following exercises (you can use music), and the child will start to mimic your movements:
- raising arms and legs (always announce which arm and leg to lift).
- arm swings.
- bending at the waist to touch the toes.
- jumping in place.
- spinning in place.
- stomping feet.
- touching various body parts alternately while naming them (hand, elbow, leg, shoulder, head, etc.).
This joint exercise will become a fun activity that strengthens your bond with your child.
Activities for sensory skills
Playing with Playdough or Modeling Clay
Playing with playdough or modeling clay, which have different textures, provides children with unique tactile experiences. This helps develop their tactile skills.
Additionally, actions such as kneading and squeezing playdough or clay provide important sensory information. They help children understand the concepts of pressure and resistance, and improve their awareness of their body and its movements in space.
While playing with playdough or clay, various senses are simultaneously engaged, including touch, sight, and sometimes smell, especially if scented playdough or clay is used. This multi-sensory interaction allows the brain to create a comprehensive understanding of the external world.
This play not only develops sensory skills but also enhances fine motor skills and cognitive abilities.
To play, offer the child soft playdough or clay they can knead, roll, and shape. Using a variety of molds and modeling tools adds interest and variety to the play process.
Sand Play
At 18-24 months, sandbox play at playgrounds remains very relevant. This activity helps develop tactile sensations and improve fine motor skills. You can use various molds to shape wet sand into different forms. Additionally, children enjoy simply digging in the sand with their hands or searching for interesting objects.
Finger Painting
Finger painting involves touching the paint and manipulating it with fingers, allowing toddlers to explore different textures. Children can feel the smoothness and thickness of the paint and observe the different effects created by mixing colors, which aids in developing tactile skills.
To start, squeeze small amounts of different colored paints onto a sheet of paper, creating several colorful spots in various areas. Show the child how to press on the paint and move their finger to leave marks on the paper. Then, encourage the child to try it themselves. This activity is usually very enjoyable for children as they see how they can create something new and immediately observe the results of their creativity.
Taste and Smell Tastings
- Taste tastings
Choose three different fruits or berries, such as apple slices, banana pieces, and kiwi chunks, and place them on a plate. Explain to the child what each fruit is called. Offer the child to try each fruit one by one, and while they taste them, describe the flavor. You can also taste the fruits together with the child to more accurately describe your sensations. Tell them how juicy and sweet the apple is, and then explain that the banana is sweet and much softer than the apple. This way, the child, tasting the same things as you, will better understand their taste sensations, learning what is sweet, sour, and so on.
These tastings can be done not only with fruits but also with vegetables and other foods.
Closer to two years old, when the child can name words like “banana,” “apple,” etc., you can offer them to guess what they are eating with their eyes closed. First, demonstrate this yourself: you close your eyes, the child puts a piece of apple in your mouth, and you then guess what you’re eating. If the child is interested in this activity, suggest they try it too.
- Smell tastings
You can offer smell tastings in a similar way. For example, the smell of coffee, cinnamon, tea (especially if there are different kinds of tea). Start by opening a jar of coffee and letting the child smell it. Say, “This is coffee.” Then, a few days later, open the jar of coffee again, let the child smell it, and ask, “What is this smell?”
Chalk Drawing
Chalk drawing provides simultaneous visual and tactile stimulation. Indoors, you can use a special chalkboard, while outdoors, chalks are great for drawing on asphalt or concrete.
Bath Time
Bath time is a great sensory experience and is usually very enjoyable for children. The key is never to leave the child unattended in the bath.
Outdoor Walks
Outdoor walks always enrich children with sensory experiences. It’s important to spend time outside, talking to the child and explaining what is happening around them. At this age, children often show interest in certain things, such as flowers, butterflies, bugs, or leaves. Talk to the child about what interests them, specifying the name of the flower, its color, and other details. Describe the surrounding objects, mentioning their material, size, shape, color, and purpose.
Thus, each walk becomes a kind of activity that develops the child’s tactile sensations, hearing, sight, and smell. Moreover, such conversations contribute to the development of passive memory in the child.
Listening to nature sounds, such as birds singing or leaves rustling, also improves auditory perception.
Activities for cognitive development
Playing with Simple Puzzles
Puzzles with large pieces and simple pictures help develop fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities.
If the child has previously worked with puzzles of 3-6 pieces, at 18-24 months, you can offer puzzles with 8 or more pieces.
Sorting Games
You can use safe household items and various toys for sorting:
- a playset of kitchen utensils is ideal for learning to sort by color and type of utensil.
- a set of fruits and vegetables for sorting by color, as well as separating fruits from vegetables.
- toys, blocks, or household items (like plastic food containers) for sorting by size. Sorting objects from smallest to largest or vice versa. Stacking cups, previously discussed for younger ages, are now great for sorting by size, and if you have a colorful set, for sorting by color too.
Color Recognition Activities
Play games that involve recognizing and naming colors. You can:
- use colored building blocks, crayons, pencils, paints, and colored toys (kitchen playsets, sets of vegetables and fruits, cups).
- name the colors every time you dress your child, for example, “We’re putting on a white shirt now.”
- point out the colors around you during walks: from the color of trees to the colors of cars passing by or parked in the yard.
Counting Games
At this age, you can start introducing the concept of counting using everyday objects. You can count fingers, family members, toys, clothing items, and anything that can be counted.
Counting steps while walking up or down the stairs is also a great way to learn counting.
Memory Games
Start with simple memory games, such as placing a few items on the table, letting the child observe them, naming them, and then covering them with an opaque cloth. Ask the child to remember these items.
Playing with Lego Duplo
Playing with Lego Duplo, previously mentioned for developing fine motor skills, is also crucial for cognitive development, particularly in problem-solving skills. Building complex structures from Lego Duplo blocks helps the child understand cause-and-effect relationships and learn through trial and error, thus forming the foundations of logical thinking.
Reading Books
Reading books enhances attention span (a critical aspect of cognitive development) and enriches vocabulary. Use books with colorful illustrations, and while looking at them, ask the child questions about what they see.
At this age, alphabet books with letters and large pictures corresponding to words are suitable. Use books with rhymes for each letter. Read a rhyme, then say a few words (3-5 will suffice) that start with that letter.
For example, for the letter A (say it loudly and clearly, and ask the child to repeat after you). “What words do we know that start with A? – Apple, apricot, ananas, alphabet, shark.” After each word, pause to allow the child to repeat the word after you.
- If the child enjoys repeating, you can repeat each word several times. You say the word – the child repeats it, then you repeat it again, and the child repeats it once more.
- If the child doesn’t want to repeat the words, don’t worry. These words will still be memorized passively, and the child will be able to repeat them later.
Books with flaps are still very relevant at this age, where opening a flap reveals a logical picture or text with interesting facts, etc. There are many thematic books like this, such as “Who lives where?”, “Who eats what?”, “Daily activities”, “Opposites”, etc.
Another excellent book choice for 18-24 months is a “Wimmelbook“, where the pages are filled with elements to search for together with the child. Describe what you see in the picture, giving characteristics of what you find. This expands vocabulary, helping the child learn to form logical sentences and describe what they see.
Imitation Games
Encourage your child to mimic simple movements, such as clapping hands, waving arms, squeezing and opening fists, raising arms, etc. As mentioned earlier, you can ask the child to jump or step over obstacles, raising their legs.
Imitation is a significant cognitive skill that aids in learning and social development.
Role-Playing Games
Engage in role-playing games:
- With dolls or plush toys. A large doll or a plush teddy bear works well. In the article on child development at 10-12 months, detailed methods for playing these games are provided.
- With kitchen playsets and fruit and vegetable sets. These sets remain relevant and become even more interesting for the child now. Especially if you offer a real plastic kitchen container and, for example, a large wooden salad spoon. The child can add “ingredients” to the container and imitate cooking dinner. Children feel more confident and grown-up using real kitchen utensils.
Flash Card Games
Playing with educational cards enriches vocabulary and improves visual memory in children. At 18-24 months, these games become more complex, moving to a “what is this?” format (for cards the child has seen in previous months and already knows).
Show the child cards one by one and ask, “What is this?” and the child will name what they see. If the child finds it hard to say, name it yourself and ask them to repeat it. If the child easily names everything they see on the cards, make the game more challenging by asking additional questions. For example, “What color is it?”, “Where does it live?”, “Is it a fruit or a vegetable?”
Busy Board Games
An excellent busy board option would be a busy house like this. As we mentioned earlier, due to the variety of elements on such a house, it will be relevant up to 3 years of age.
Communicative activities
At the age of 18-24 months, a child understands almost everything that is said, especially when it involves familiar situations. They can already speak in sentences of two or three words, which may include nouns, verbs, adjectives, or pronouns. Some children may show faster speech progress and use more words in a sentence.
An important indicator of normal speech development is the child’s ability to ask questions (what? where? why?).
To develop speech, communicate with your child as much as possible. During communication, the child builds their vocabulary. Also, pay attention to how your child communicates: do they actively participate in dialogue, attract your attention with gestures, and use new syllables in speech?
It is important to create situations where the child needs to speak: don’t guess their desires at first glance; ask them to express in words what they want to do or get. Initially, this might be challenging, but if done regularly, it will become easier every day and truly help the child to start talking more.
Remember that developing fine motor skills is also essential for speech development. Read more about how speech development and fine motor skills are connected and use the activities described above.
Activities for speech development for children aged 18-24 months:
- Talk to your child throughout the day. At this age, the child can already answer some questions. For example:
How was your day?
What did you do?
How was your mood?
What did you like the most today?
What did you eat today?
What do you want to play with?
Where do you want to walk?
If the child finds it difficult to answer, ask guiding questions, offering options, so the child can respond with at least one word. For example: “Do you want to walk in the park or at the playground today?”
- Speak clearly, using correct speech sounds.
- Respond promptly. When your child talks to you, always respond immediately. At this age, it can often be challenging to understand what the child said—so ask again until you understand. Never ignore the child if you don’t understand them the first time. This strengthens the understanding that communication leads to a reaction or response.
- Describe daily activities. While performing everyday tasks, describe what you are doing. Also, comment on what your child is doing. This makes it easier for the child to remember and understand their actions to then express them in words.
- Point out and name objects your child interacts with. Also, verbalize actions and ask the child to repeat phrases, such as “we’re going for a walk,” “putting on a red shirt,” etc.
- Sing songs and rhymes. It is easier for children to remember rhymed sentences. Listening to songs and rhymes helps children develop their passive memory.
- Continue reading regularly to your child. Choose age-appropriate books with simple text and colorful pictures. Describe what you see in the pictures. Ask questions about the story and encourage the child to point to objects and respond to your prompts.
- Encourage your child to imitate animal sounds. Meow-meow, woof-woof, etc. Make the sounds yourself, then wait for the child to mimic you.
- Listen actively. When your child makes sounds or gestures, respond attentively. Show the child that you are interested in what they are saying, which will encourage more communication.
- Play with cards to expand vocabulary.
Emotional intelligence
At this age, you will inevitably encounter children’s tantrums. It is important to understand that this is a natural process and that tantrums are completely normal. In the section on emotional intelligence, we will focus a lot on this to help you understand how best to react to children’s tantrums, making the process easier for both you and your child.
If you react correctly to a tantrum, you can become even closer to your child afterward, and the child will gradually learn to understand their emotions and eventually be able to control them in the future.
What is a child’s tantrum?
First, let’s understand what a child’s tantrum is.
A child’s tantrum is a strong, uncontrollable emotional reaction. It arises from the inability to cope with emotional tension, which results from being unable to fulfill a desire.
The child has a desire. Naturally, energy arises to achieve it (for example, reaching something on the table). But when it turns out that it cannot be achieved—the child can’t reach it or it is something prohibited—a tantrum occurs as a natural way to release this unfulfilled energy.
It is important to realize that during a tantrum, the child suffers because they cannot control their emotions and do not understand what is happening. A child cannot simply stop a tantrum because the ability to control emotions develops between the ages of 4 and 7. Therefore, phrases like “Calm down!” will not be effective and may even worsen the situation.
Types of tantrums
Psychophysiological Tantrum: This occurs due to the inability to handle emotional stress. These tantrums are normal up to the age of 6. If parents do not react with adult tantrums but help the child cope with this state, such tantrums will subside after 6 years (they may occur once every few months).
Communicative Tantrum: This is used as a means of communication. When the child was younger and couldn’t speak, crying and shouting were the only ways to express their desires. At that age, it was normal. Now, at 18-24 months, the child has more and more words and can technically communicate many desires to parents (at least with one word). Therefore, from this period, it is crucial for parents to teach the child to express their desires with words. When the child cries, tell them that you do not understand what they want and they need to say it with words. Only when they say it with words, does it fulfill the desire. This forms a new logical chain: when I scream and cry, I do not get what I want; when I express my desires with words, I can get what I want. The child will understand that demanding something with screams and cries is ineffective and will gradually switch to a different form of communication, through words.
At 18-24 months, communicative tantrums will be quite frequent. If at this age the child is taught to communicate differently, over time, such tantrums will be much less frequent.
How to handle children’s tantrums?
The best way to handle a child’s tantrum is to remain calm, understand the nature of what is happening with the child, and know that it is normal.
Step 1
Calm Yourself Down
What you can tell yourself to calm down during a child’s tantrum:
- You are an adult, you can handle this.
- Children’s tantrums are normal and inevitable.
- The tantrum is something the child cannot control. It happens not because the child deliberately wants to annoy you.
- The child feels worse and finds it harder than you do right now.
- No, you should not do what the child says (if it involves something prohibited that led to the tantrum).
- The tantrum will not last forever; it will end. Both of you can learn to deal with this.
What you can do:
- count to 10.
- take a few deep breaths.
- your method.
Often, the situation during a tantrum is worsened by the presence of bystanders, like people in a store or on the street, neighbors on the playground, etc. At such moments, mothers may behave inappropriately because they are concerned about how they look in front of others during the child’s tantrum. They might recall how their parents often reacted—yelling, getting irritated, or intimidating. Unfortunately, many people think this is a normal reaction to a child’s tantrum. At this time, the mother might feel that calmly talking to the child doesn’t help (especially with everyone watching), and she starts yelling at the child or forcefully tries to drag the child away from the public place (which usually only leads to a bigger tantrum).
Remember, what bystanders think doesn’t matter; what matters is what your child thinks of you in this situation and whether you help your child deal with these emotions. Remember that the child, no matter how much they might want to, simply cannot stop the tantrum. Therefore, yelling is definitely not the way to handle it. When the tantrum is in the so-called phase of uncontrolled flight, the only option is to be nearby (if possible, hug the child) and show empathy.
If someone tries to “help” you, simply say, “Thank you, we can handle it ourselves.”
Step 2
Break contact with the irritant (if possible)
As you remember, a tantrum is a strong, uncontrollable emotional reaction. And an emotion is always a reaction to an irritant. For example, the child wants something they can’t have. To make the tantrum pass faster, break contact with the irritant. Physically move the child to a place where they can’t see what they want but can’t have.
If this tantrum is manipulative and the child is using it to interact with you, it might be arranged for an audience. In this case, the irritant will be other people. So, if possible, move away with the child to where there are no onlookers.
Step 3
Contain the child’s emotions
The main idea of containing emotions is that when the child encounters emotions they can’t cope with, parents should share the child’s emotions, thereby reducing emotional tension.
For children aged 18-24 months, the following methods of containing emotions are relevant:
- Empathy
Show your child that you understand and sympathize with their emotions. This helps the child feel supported and calmed. For example:
I understand that you are very upset right now, and I sympathize with you. I am here; I am with you. - Validation of emotions
Parents should confirm and accept their child’s emotions, even if they are difficult or uncomfortable, helping the child understand that their feelings are normal and important. For example:
It seems you are angry right now, and that’s okay. You can be angry.
Step 4
Stay close to the child until the tantrum ends
During this time, you can hug the child, stroke their head or back (if possible, as the child might resist). Tell the child you love them.
Step 5
Talk after the tantrum
After the tantrum ends, calmly explain to the child what happened and why. You can start the conversation like this:
- I understand that you were very upset (or angry) because I didn’t allow… (and then explain the reason for the prohibition).
- Then, suggest ways to handle the situation differently next time.
At 18-24 months, during such a conversation after a tantrum, you will mostly be the one talking, and the child will agree with you, as they can’t yet express such thoughts independently. If they don’t agree, look for another explanation that the child will agree with.
When the child is older, you will be able to discuss the situation, reasons, and think together about how to react to similar situations in the future.
Such conversations are the best prevention to reduce the number of tantrums in the future.
Above, we discussed actions to help manage a child’s tantrum when it is already in the uncontrolled flight phase. Before this phase, there is a preparation and acceleration phase—and if you learn to recognize these phases, it can help reduce the number of tantrums. To learn to recognize this, it is important to analyze each tantrum (which happens in the conversation afterward) and understand its causes.
Activities for emotional development
Here is a list of activities for a fun and beneficial time:
- Hide and seek games.
- Emotion imitation. Use exaggerated gestures and facial expressions to demonstrate various emotions and encourage your child to imitate you. This approach helps the child learn to recognize and express different feelings.
- Talk to your child after a tantrum (as discussed above). While the child may not yet be able to articulate all the reasons for their tantrum, you can explain how you saw it from your perspective, and the child may agree with what you said. During this conversation, you can understand the cause of the tantrum, acknowledge and accept the child’s emotions, and suggest alternatives for future situations. This helps the child gradually learn to control their emotions.
At this age, it is too early to expect the child to behave differently during the next tantrum. However, this information will be retained, and over time, new reactions to various situations will emerge.
- Read emotion-focused books. Look through illustrated books where characters display different emotions and discuss them with your child. Together, try to understand and discuss what you think the character is feeling.
- Name emotions. When your child experiences different feelings, name them out loud. Say, for example, “You look very happy,” or “It seems you are a bit upset,” or “It looks like you are angry.” This helps children connect words with their emotions.
It’s important to stay calm in response to so-called negative emotions, such as anger, and not yell at the child. Explain calmly what is happening. Remember, it’s a stressful situation for them too, as they do not yet understand their feelings, and the uncertainty causes more anxiety.
- Emotion flash cards. Use cards with pictures of different emotions, such as happy, sad, or irritated faces. Show them to your child and discuss what feelings each face expresses. Demonstrate the emotion corresponding to the image on the card and let the child try to replicate it.
- Role-playing games. Play role-playing games with dolls or stuffed animals. Create scenarios for taking care of the toys, which will help your child develop empathy and social skills.
- Hug your child as often as possible. Provide plenty of physical affection and hugs. Physical attachment is a fundamental aspect of emotional development and helps establish a strong bond between you and your child.
- Celebrate your child’s achievements. Celebrate your child’s new accomplishments. Positive feedback and praise will enhance their interest in the activity. Additionally, moments of shared joy strengthen your relationship.
Activities for imagination and creativity
Drawing
Provide art supplies, offer a variety of materials such as paints, crayons, markers, chalk, watercolors, and plenty of paper. This allows your child to express their creativity through drawing and painting.
- Demonstrate creating different shapes: Show your child how to create simple geometric shapes. Don’t worry about your artistic skills—focus on the creative process. Start with basic shapes like circles, squares, and triangles, and show how to draw different lines: straight, smooth, or wavy. Your child will try to imitate what they see, and you can even guide their hand to help with the first strokes. Begin with large shapes, gradually adding details to create more complex images, like turning a circle into a sun with rays or drawing a simple face.
- Create hand and fingerprints: Use paints to make hand and finger prints on paper. This helps develop fine motor skills and lets your child see the unique patterns they can create. You can also outline their hand on a sheet of paper using markers or pencils.
- Try textured drawing: Let your child explore different textures by placing various materials (like a leaf) on paper and drawing over them to leave unique prints.
- Draw outdoors: Take chalk and head outside to draw on the sidewalk or pavement. This not only entertains but also allows your child to interact with the environment.
- Use water drawing books: These are ideal for this age, as they are safe and allow for mess-free drawing.
- Consider various coloring books: Use both water-based and traditional coloring books that can be colored with pencils.
Play with modeling clay or playdough
Modeling with clay and play dough is an excellent way to develop fine motor skills and stimulate imagination in children aged 18-24 months. This activity not only keeps children engaged but also teaches them how to create various objects with their hands. Encouragement and attentive attention to the child’s creations will help build their confidence and support their desire to continue the creative process.
- Animal figures: Help your child sculpt animal figures. This is not only fun but also teaches them to recognize shapes and colors.
- Use different molds: Provide cookie cutters of various shapes so your child can create figures from clay or dough. This is an easy way to make neat and interesting shapes.
- Try sculpting with tools: Offer simple tools like rolling pins, child-safe knives, and molds. Using tools helps improve motor skills and allows for more experimentation with texture and form.
Storytelling
Tell simple stories using colorful and expressive language. Props like toys or dolls can make stories more engaging. Encourage your child to participate by inventing characters and scenarios.
Music and Dance
Dancing develops a sense of rhythm and coordination, allowing your child to express themselves through movement.
At this age, when a child can already stand confidently and dance without support, dance sessions become particularly engaging.
- Dance together with your little one to bring joy and pleasure to both of you. Play your child’s favorite music and have a dance party right at home. Improvisation and freedom of movement support creativity and physical development.
- Playing musical instruments or with musical toys allows children to experiment with creating their own melodies, which is an important aspect in developing their creative abilities. Create simple musical instruments from everyday materials together with your child. For example, empty boxes and plastic bottles can become drums, and bottles filled with rice or beans can become shakers.
- Sing children’s songs or lullabies together with your child. Singing helps develop musical ear and memory, and also promotes emotional bonding between you and your child.
Role-playing games
Encourage role-playing games with dolls, figurines, soft toys, toy kitchen sets, cars, etc. At the age of 18-24 months, almost any toy can be used for role-playing games.
Imagination games
Using imagination can be a wonderful way to spend time together with your child, even without toys.
- Sit next to your little one and engage your imagination: pretend your hands are a car steering wheel and embark on an exciting journey without leaving the couch.
- You can also mimic the sounds and movements of a train, imitate robots, or mimic various animals using voice and gestures.
- Use pillows, blankets, and furniture to create cozy corners or secret hideouts for building a home. This not only stimulates imagination but also teaches spatial thinking.
- Invite your child on a magical journey. You can visit jungles, oceans, or even outer space, describing what you see, hear, and feel.
These simple games show children the power of imagination and make a significant contribution to their development, while also strengthening your emotional bond.
Reading books
Read picture books with colorful illustrations to stimulate visual imagination.
Lego games
Encourage your child’s creativity by letting them play with LEGO Duplo. Show how a few blocks can turn into a house, castle, or any other object, emphasizing that the possibilities are only limited by imagination. This allows the child to see endless possibilities for transforming simple blocks into unique creations.
Encourage any manifestations of your child’s imagination, especially when they show you what they have created and what it is called. Support their interest by praising their efforts: “Oh, you built a tower? Wonderful! You’re doing great!” Such an approach will not only inspire the child for further creative explorations but also boost their confidence in their own abilities.
Outdoor adventures
Explore your backyard, playground, or local park. Collect leaves, rocks, or sticks and use them to create crafts or simply let your imagination run wild in a natural setting.
Shadow play
Use a flashlight to create shadows on the wall. You can create figures using your hands or use toys for this purpose. Encourage the child to create figures with their hands and explore the concept of shadows. Show the child how the size of the shadow changes as you move closer to or farther from the flashlight.
