How do babies develop? Months Sixteen to Eighteen

At sixteen months babies are usually getting quite active and want to play more interactive games that use their brains, such as pointing at body parts or pictures when asked by their parents to identify a particular thing. They will also be stepping up to more physical challenges, such as opening and closing doors and going up and down the stairs (backwards).

They will probably start to imitate common gesture their parents make - such as putting their finger to their lips and saying, shhhh!

Although they won't be able to follow the plot, toddlers enjoy looking at picture books and being read to, and they like to choose the story book - and they don't get tired of reading the same story over and over again, until it falls out of favour for a different one.

At 17 months most babies talk more clearly and use a handful of words regularly. They might be able to take off their dress or top and they can learn quite easily how to brush their teeth. Babies at this time understand more and they want to try new things, like feeding a doll or kicking a ball forward. They can recognise and sort toys by colour, shape or size. It is a good time to work on manners using words like “please” or “thank you”.

The 18 month old baby is very active. They like to dance to music, push and turn buttons and knobs or climb all over furniture. You may be able to teach your baby how to use a potty, but don't worry if it takes a little longer.
Most babies already have their favourite toys but quite often they also develop some habits which help them to calm and relax, for example sucking their thumb. However, usually all babies outgrow these things so parents shouldn’t worry too much.

Personalised Baby Gifts have a range of products to help with toddlers development, including jigsaw puzzles and plastic cups.