Activities For 18 Month Olds: Tips & Ideas

When a baby becomes a toddler, the life of the parents can get a bit more challenging. Children at 18 months of age are usually starting to walk by themselves without assistance from the parents.

This means that they become much more energetic than before and they require the performance of entertaining activities which will keep them occupied while at the same time having fun, regardless of whether these activities are performed indoors or outdoors.

At 18 months of age, children are able to walk on their own and they require the development of different skills.

Parents can help their 18 month olds to engage in fun activities while at the same time focusing on improving their creativity, balance as well as problem-solving skills. Good activities for toddlers can be hand printing, walking in a straight line and solving puzzles.

Boosting Your 18 Month Olds’ Creativity with the Art of Handprint

Among some of the most creative activities that can be done with 18 month olds is hand printing because it is easy for your toddler to understand how it is done. Before you do this activity with your 18 month old, make sure you are using colors that are not toxic for your child.

It is often recommended that instead of using real paint, to ensure the safety of your toddler you can use food coloring. Children at 18 months of age tend to eat everything they find and they put their fingers in their mouth so you always have to pay close attention.

This activity is proven to be very fun for 18 month olds because they can play with different colors and designs.

Besides that, they are fascinated when they see their hand print on a piece of paper. Because of this, it is even more interesting for the 18 month olds if their parents are also participating in the activity.

Experimenting with different colors as well as creating pieces of art by using their hands, boosts the creativity of 18 month olds because they are able to see and touch what they have accomplished with their own hands.

Also Read: List of Baby Swings for Small Spaces.

Improving the Balance of Your 18 Month Old

Even though children at 18 months of age are usually known to walk by themselves, they still require improvement of their balance and stability in order to be able to walk on their own in a safe manner.

For this reason, you can draw a straight line on the floor and try to follow it together with your 18 month old. In this way, you can be close to your toddler and spend time together while also practicing straight walking.

After some time of practicing straight walking has passed, you can lead the way to show your 18 month old how it should be done and let them follow you. If they still need additional support, make sure you are always close to them in order to prevent falling.

The muscles of 18 month olds are not easily controlled and the improvement of balance requires practice. Walking in a straight line is a great activity for your 18 month old to practice as well as for you to determine how stable your toddler really is.

Developing a Sense of Memory and Problem-Solving Skills

Recognizing shapes and designs usually starts at 18 months of age for children. At this age, they become more competent to memorize pictures in their head and many people believe that 18 month olds have the ability to successfully complete puzzles.

The problem-solving skills of your toddler should be developed from an early age in order to improve their short-term memory.

By solving puzzles, the brain of an 18 month old is able to develop in a proper way and their way of thinking can significantly improve.

By 18 months of age, the recognition of shapes is very common among children which is why they are able to complete simple puzzles.

If your 18 month old needs help with solving the puzzle, you as a parent can demonstrate how it should be done and let your toddler figure it out on their own.

It is not recommended for parents to expect that their 18 month old will solve a puzzle very quickly and with no struggle at all.

Children of this age are able to think on their own, memorize shapes as well as connecting shapes, but the development of different skills comes gradually as they grow older.

Also Read: Are Trampolines Safe for a 24 Month Old.

Frequently Asked Questions

Also Read: Will Water Wipes Expire?

Final Words

Besides using simple words, toddlers at 18 months of age also have the ability to perform activities of different kinds such as walking, solving simple problems as well as recognizing different shapes.

The development process of children does not improve over night so it is important to be patient with your 18 month old. These stages of development are very interesting because parents are able to witness their little ones growing up and functioning on their own.