If you watch your toddler play by himself or interact with his friends, you’ll quickly realize that play takes many wonderful forms. Your child might spend all day building block towers or feeding his favorite stuffed animal while his cousin races around the backyard for hours. Trying out different ways to play can help your toddler develop new skills -- and have fun at the same time.

Active play helps your child’s body control and movement
As your toddler gains more control over his body, he’ll test the ways he can move. The result: a child who is jumping, climbing, swinging, and bouncing all over the place. The nonstop movement may tire you out, but it’s actually an important part of his development. Active play not only helps build a healthy body, it also strengthens critical thinking skills as he learns about size and shape (“Can I fit through this tunnel?”) and direction (“I can jump up and down!”).

Create a safe environment for active play by removing sharp or dangerous objects and providing toys to encourage movement, such as pillows to jump on or boxes to crawl through.

Creative, imaginative play is key to cognitive development
As your toddler’s imagination develops, you’ll notice that his play becomes more creative. His favorite blankie is also a cape, his blocks turn into zooming cars, and a cardboard box transforms into a castle. This imaginary play isn’t just cute to watch, it’s also key to your child’s development: It helps build problem-solving skills and language development.

Encourage your toddler to engage in imaginary play by supplying him with plenty of toys that will spark creative scenarios. These could include dress-up clothing, soft animals, and everyday objects, such as a wooden spoon (a wand!) or plastic cups (a row of little houses!).

Playing with others means learning valuable social skills
While solo play is a key part of your toddler’s development, play that involves peers or siblings is also crucial. Playing with other kids helps foster the social skills he'll need to navigate preschool and kindergarten in the years ahead. These skills may include sharing, resolving conflicts, and empathizing. Try to arrange playdates each week to give your toddler the opportunity to engage with other children his age.

While active, creative, and social games are all important, any and all playtime will be beneficial to your toddler. Just be sure not to skimp on the fun!

Once your baby turns 1, it’s full steam ahead into the spirited, adventure-packed toddler years of baby development. Now the real fun begins!

No longer is your little one so helpless, fussy, and needy. Now she may seem downright fearless at times, but it’s all part of the toddler stage, a very exciting part of baby development. Check out some of the pros and cons of the initial stage of toddlerhood (12 to 15 months) for a preview of what’s to come.

Pro: Aw, she sounds just like … me!
One thing that begins to happen after your baby turns 1 year old is that she starts to imitate the sounds around her. Many a funny mommy-blunder occurs in this stage, when you discover that anything you say can and will be repeated -- often at inopportune times! Imitation plays an important role in learning and is a large part of play at this stage. Prepare to witness the most darling renditions of hair brushing, cell phone jabbering, cooking, and “reading” her favorite book to her doll. Get your camera ready!

Con: There she goes
In terms of reaching milestones, your toddler will likely be walking alone at this time period. While it’s exciting to see your child put one foot in front of the other all by herself, be prepared for a whole new level of watchfulness. You’ll likely be getting a lot more exercise, too, as you race around to keep up with your energetic toddler.

Pro: Peek-a-boo amps up
By now, your toddler understands object permanence -- that when objects disappear, they’re not gone, only hidden -- which sets the stage for the game of hide-and-seek. Not only will your toddler tire herself out hiding (in cutely obvious household spaces), she’ll also be able to hunt for hidden objects. Try hiding her favorite ball or stuffed animal, and marvel at her tireless willingness to call a search party. Let the games begin!

Con: What consequences?
Your fearless wonder will now take new risks. But don’t be shocked when bravery turns abruptly into tears. While your toddler is starting to understand the world better, she still lacks grown-up judgment and a sense of consequences. She’ll engage you in a constant tug-of-war for more independence and then cling to you the second she trips and falls, her ball rolls into the street, or a door slams on her fingers.

There is more that your child can do and is willing to try at this stage, but she still needs you to be her rock, comfort, and guide. Supervise carefully to ensure her safety.

Pro: Chatty Cathy in the house
Prepare to move beyond baby talk. Once your child reaches the 1-year mark, she’ll start to understand more of what you say -- and there’s less need for that high-pitched, singsong voice you used when she was an infant. You might be surprised to see her toddle toward the table when you ask, “Where’s your sippy cup?”

She’ll also start communicating more clearly. Many toddlers master at least 50 words by the time they turn 2 years old. Still, all children are unique and develop in their own ways. Girls tend to develop language skills more quickly than boys.

Con: Don’t leave me!
Believe it or not, separating from your child temporarily may be tougher on you than on your toddler at this point. Around this time, your toddler will become slightly more independent and can get excited about the idea of playing with friends. You might see some residual separation anxiety -- a natural byproduct of having one foot in the baby world and one foot in the toddler world. But it shouldn’t last long. Give your little one a quick hug and kiss, and assure her you’ll be back. In time, she’ll barely remember to wave before running off to play.

Pro: Growth control
Whereas your 1-year-old probably gained about 4 pounds every 2 to 4 months during infancy, her weight gain during her entire second year will be more like 3 to 5 pounds total. You’ll also see your toddler shed some of her baby fat as she develops muscles and becomes more active.

Con: Stubborn as an ox
You knew this was coming. At age 1, your baby will start to experiment more with directing the show. She won’t hesitate to scream no at the top of her lungs and shake her head fiercely. She may even drag her feet and kick and scream -- the classic toddler tantrum.

Try to stay calm while your child tries on her new freedom. You might miss your sweet, helpless cuddle bug at times, but know she is making strides in who she is. (In fact, her character and personality are developing right in front of your very eyes!) If all else fails, always remember: It’s just a stage.

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Between 15 and 18 months, your toddler will make large leaps as he takes in the sights and sounds around him. A careful observer, he’ll study things closely, imitate people around him, and eventually understand that a separation from you isn’t forever. His intense curiosity about the world coupled with his developing motor skills creates potential hazards, so be sure to keep your house toddler-proof.

At this age, your toddler will alternate between fierce independence and clingy behavior. His extreme self-centeredness makes it hard for him to accept anything but the spotlight. Sharing is a foreign concept, and possessiveness over toys is common. But rest assured, your toddler is constantly learning. Here’s what you can do to encourage your child’s healthy development:

Watch your own behavior

Imitation is a major part of learning and behavior. At this age, your toddler is a master imitator, who is learning by mimicking what you do. Be careful of what you say and do since he’s apt to repeat it. Now is a good time to start spelling out what you don’t want his ears to hear!

Create short separations

Some toddlers still experience separation anxiety at this age, but are slowly becoming less anxious about being apart from their parents. Over time, brief separations may actually help your toddler become more independent. Always let your toddler know you are going out -- never sneak out -- and tell him that you’ll be back. Knowing you’ll return puts his mind at ease.  

Allow special toys

Many toddlers this age are very possessive about what belongs to them. Because your child may be territorial, it can help to set aside some special toys that are just his and are off-limits to others. Having these toys will help him feel more in control of his world.

Ban physical attacks

Toddlers this age don’t know how to control their angry impulses and are apt to lash out at other kids by hitting them. Control the combativeness by interfering and firmly stating, “Don’t hit.” Then redirect the play to something positive.

Applaud what you like

When toddlers this age do something special, they’re apt to pause and look to see if you notice. If you do, make sure to shower your toddler with praise. Your enthusiastic support will encourage your child to keep learning -- and to let you know what he’s learned!

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A typical 12-month-old toddler will have already acquired lots of mental skills, or cognitive milestones. And between his 12^th and 23^rd months, he’ll be picking up more and more.

By the time your toddler turns one, he may have reached many early childhood development milestones, including:

• Responding to his name
• Understanding a handful of words
• The ability to murmur a few of his own simple words, such as “mama” and “papa”
• Pointing to objects
• The ability to wave good-bye
• An attempt to imitate animal sounds

You can keep your active toddler engaged in the world around him through certain types of play, such as reading picture books to reinforce names of objects and taking him to the zoo or park to experience something new. Engaging activities such as these will help him reach cognitive milestones throughout his second year.

Around this time, your toddler will probably also begin to be able to:

• Realize that objects exist even when he can’t see them
• Find things in pictures when asked
• Follow easy directions
• Demonstrate an understanding of colors and shapes
• Show an increase in his memory skills

In order to strengthen these skills as your child grows, pick games that encourage him to use his memory, like a matching game, and be sure to schedule lots of playdates for him so he can work on his social skills as well.

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Locations: Indoor or outdoor

Promotes: Social development

Before toddlers can play with other children, they need to learn to play beside them. This skill is called “parallel play.”

How to play
Parallel play occurs when two toddlers play alongside each other. At first glance, it may not appear like they are interacting. But if you look a bit more closely, you might notice that if one picks up a block, the other is likely to mimic the action.

Tricks and advice
If you’ve scheduled a playdate for your toddler, don’t be dismayed if he doesn’t seem to be playing directly with the other child. He’s doing exactly what he needs to be doing to learn about getting along with others. Be sure to supervise the activity and keep plenty of toys available. Keep the playdate time to a maximum of one hour or so, since kids at this age tend to have short attention spans.

Learning and growing
Parallel play is often a first step in your toddler developing strong social relationships outside the family. It generally begins right around the time your toddler starts mimicking others’ behaviors, such as feeding his dolls or talking on the phone. Order will become important to your child during this time frame as well, so don’t be surprised if you find your toddler playing by lining up his toys in order or only wanting to color with certain crayons at a time.

It’s important to keep in mind that at this age a toddler is not yet skilled at interacting socially with other children, and playing alongside peers will be how he learns to take on more sociable tasks, like sharing, leading, and following.

What you'll need
A selection of toys that may encourage interactive play, such as blocks or stuffed animals.

Photo by ???????? Janko Ferlič on Unsplash