PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF
THE TODDLER!
AGES: 1-3
Unit 3- Toddlers
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
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Genes determine height which influences weight
(heredity)
However, the environment (diet, exercise, health, and
even emotions) affect a person’s weight more than genes
Because of these factors, toddlers grow at different rates
YEARS ONE AND TWO
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Body growth begins to slow after the first year
Babies grow about half as much in height during
the second year as compared with the first year
Most babies triple their birth weight in a year,
then gain only ¼ that amount during the second
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Some babies grow a little faster than these norms
because they may be “catching up” to norms after a
premature birth of first year illness.
AFTER YEAR TWO
Growing a slower but steadier rate
 Tend to gain 2-3 inches and about 6 pounds per
year throughout childhood
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This rate of growth continues for girls until age 11
and 13 for boys
OTHER BODY CHANGES
At 24 months, the head is ¼ of the total height.
An adult’s head is 1/10th of his or her height.
 The child’s body-build type will become apparent
during the toddler years
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BONES AND TEETH
Bones are becoming harder
 The degree of ossification is not the same
throughout the body
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Due to the cartilage, the toddler’s bones are more
flexible and less likely to break than an adult’s.
 However, the softer bones are more prone to disease
or deformation
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Shortly after 2 years, a child has the full set of
deciduous teeth (baby teeth!!).
THE BRAIN
Brain is 4/5 of its adult weight
 The brain is closer to maturity than any other
organ.
 The other body organs continue to mature, but
they do so at a slower rate than the brain.
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This is an example of the head-to-foot principle–
development is completed from the brain down the
spine!
FAT AND MUSCLE TISSUE
Fat deposits under the skin decrease rapidly
between 9 and 30 months.
 The chubby baby becomes a slender child!
 Muscle development (the lengthening and
thickening of muscles) is slow during the toddler
stage.
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MOTOR
DEVELOPMENT
LARGE-MUSCLE
DEVELOPMENT
Refers to the development of the trunk, arm and
leg muscles
 The following movements depend mainly on the
large muscles:
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Crawling
 Walking
 Jumping
 Running
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WALKING
Begins within two to three months before or after
first birthday
 Girls tend to walk before boys
 Babies learn to walk in their own time and way.
To do so, they need:
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Warm adult support
 Positive reaction to attempts
 Safe Area
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Pushing a baby to walk early… will not help!
BEGINNING WALKERS
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Stand with their feet wide apart (gives them a
wider base of support)
Turn their feet outward and slightly flex their
knees
Some children walk on tiptoes because they have
not learned to lower their heels yet
Arms are often held up or out (they do not swing
alternatively with foot movement)
WALKING AT TWO YEARS
A child’s walk may look like a run, but it is not a
run
 Toddlers take about 170 steps a minute
 Their stride is half the length of an adult’s stride
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THAT’S WHY THIS HAPPENS! 
Can you imagine doubling your steps, taking 170
steps per minute, and having someone hold on to
your hand above your head?
 No wonder walking tires young children before
adults
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WALKING AT TWO YEARS
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Toddlers rarely go around small obstacles on the
floor such as a toy or book, they simply walk over
it= which increases their chances of falling
Toddlers must watch their foot placement while
walking until almost age 3
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(They must watch every step the same way you
would if you were walking on stones across a creek)
Being distracted is another reason toddlers fall
RUNNING
Begins around age 2
 Toddlers can not start or stop quickly
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JUMPING
Stepping off low objects about 18 months is the
way children learn to jump!
 At two years, children can jump off low objects
with two feet
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CLIMBING
Begin climbing as soon as they can crawl or creep
 Between 15 and 18 months, babies will climb
onto furniture
 They will walk up and down stairs with help
 Going up stairs is easier for them then going
down
 Toddlers do not change feet while climbing until
after their second birthday
 A courageous baby is more likely to try climbing
than a timid baby
 A toddler’s environment also encourages or
discourage climbing
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THROWING AND CATCHING
Infants begin throwing by accident because they
forget to hold onto an object while swinging their
arms
 They enjoy seeing the object move and hearing
the sound it makes when it lands
 Then, babies start to throw on purpose
 Planned throwing begins around age 1
 Children under age 3 are not skillful throwers
 When they “catch” an object, they squat and pick
it up, until about age 2
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SMALL-MUSCLE
DEVELOPMENT
Refers to the development of small muscles,
especially those in the hands and fingers
 The movements that depend on these muscles
are called fine-motor skills. Fine motor skills
depend upon a child’s level of eye-hand
coordination!
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Eye-hand coordination = the ability to coordinate
what a person sees with the way the person
moves his or her hand
By the end of the first year, babies can hold
objects between the thumb and index finger
 Between 12 and 18 months, toddlers can hold
spoons in their firsts.
 They can feed themselves and drink from cups
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By 15 months, they can fill and empty containers
 They can also make marks on paper by holding a
pencil or crayon in their fists
 They can also:
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Remove a hat and socks
Insert rather large objects into holes
Turn pages of a book (several at a time)
Begin to fit objects together
Build a tower of two to three soft blocks
Between 18 months and 2 years, fine motor skills
improve even more!
 They can:
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String large beads on cords
 They can turn the pages of books one at a time
 They can open doors by turning knobs
 They can hit pegs with a hammer
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By age 2, most show a definite hand preference
 95% of all children are right-handed and use
their right hand for most activities
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MOVIN’ AND GROOVIN’