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- 16 - Month - Old | Milestones, Play & Mealtimes
16 months old
2 min
Toddlers of this age…
- Are quickly improving their dexterity, especially when it comes to handling objects and pressing buttons
- Are into everything - so double-check your safety locks and keep household substances well out of reach
- Will enjoy looking at books with you; you may even find they remember the story of their favourites
- Love finger rhyme games, like “Ten Little Fingers”
- Develop at different rates. Some will be walking, some talking, and others will take their own sweet time to reach those milestones - don’t worry, it all happens eventually!
Learning through play
Toddlers are programmed to learn, and they don’t need lots of toys to do so. They learn all the time from everything they do, see and hear.
They can get lots of play from simple everyday items such as plastic ice cream tubs - putting things in and emptying them again, taking the lid on and off, or bashing the box with a wooden spoon for a good noise. Inexpensive toys such as nesting beakers are very popular and versatile - they’re great bath toys. Push-alongs, such as cars and trucks, can be played with by crawlers and toddlers alike. And if your little one is already walking, a trolley to push, with bricks that can be put in the trolley, taken out, stacked up and knocked down, will give hours of fun - although they won’t yet be able to manoeuvre it very well and will get stuck in corners!
Getting out and about
Whether your little one is crawling, toddling or running (or emptying your cupboards or climbing on the sofa to get the phone!), he or she is always on the go, so it will give both of you a break to go out for a walk with the baby in the buggy. The local library is a good place - lots of books to pull out of their boxes and lots of space to move around in! Some libraries also hold baby and toddler singing and ‘reading’ sessions. Or visit friends with babies and let your little ones create chaos together!
If you're back at work, it's a great idea to do the shopping online so that you and your partner have more time at the weekend to play and cuddle with your little one, and for simple pleasures like reading and singing together.
Mealtime menus
It doesn’t matter whether your toddler’s main meal is at lunchtime or teatime – the important thing is to offer a variety of foods across the day. For example, if they’ve had fruit with lunch, you could offer yogurt after their evening meal for balance.
On those especially busy days when cooking feels like a stretch, a ready-prepared toddler meal can be a helpful fallback. Look for options that are nutritionally balanced and include plenty of vegetables to support healthy eating habits.
