Movement Milestones for Your 15-Month-Old
Your little baby’s not so little anymore. Suddenly they’re a moving, grooving toddler! At 15 months old, your child is developing new motor skills. Whether walking or crawling, they’re probably moving all over the place. And that’s great news, because exploring is how kids learn and grow. Learn which movements you may see at this age and how you can encourage your toddler’s development.
In this article:
15-month-old milestones
Now that your little one’s a toddler, you may be seeing new behaviors and wondering what’s next. Here are some 15-month-old movement milestones to look for:
- Imitating how to do things. At 15 months, children start to mimic actions they see others doing. This may include turning the pages of a book, holding a cup or playing with a toy car.
- Clapping. Speaking of imitating, kids at this age might imitate your excitement by clapping. Encourage your toddler to reach this milestone by clapping and playing games like patty-cake.
- Stacking objects on top of each other. Encourage this behavior by playing with blocks, showing them how to stack them. Around this age, your toddler may start building towers 2 or 3 blocks high.
- Walking. You may see your toddler taking a few steps on their own, if they aren’t already.
These are exciting first steps—literally! Celebrate your child’s growth by clapping, using a cheerful voice and singing. This tells your toddler they’re doing a great job and encourages them to keep trying new things.
How to encourage toddler movement milestones
There are several ways you can help your child meet their movement milestones. Try these:
- Create space. Create safe spaces in your home where your child can play—and where you can easily supervise them.
- Head outdoors. Take your toddler outside so they can explore and discover new things. Point and describe what you’re seeing. “That’s a really big tree over there. Let’s go look!”
- Show support. Your toddler may feel lots of different emotions as they reach new milestones. Frustration, discomfort and excitement are all normal. Support your child as they process their feelings. Remember, you can never spoil a child by showing love and responding to their needs.
Safety tips for toddler parents and caregivers
As your toddler starts to crawl and walk more easily, keep these safety tips in mind:
- Keep furniture safe and secure. Now that your toddler is becoming mobile enough to reach and pull up onto household furniture, it’s important to keep children safe by anchoring furniture and TVs to the wall.
- Always watch your toddler on elevated surfaces. When your child is on any elevated surface, such as a bed, couch or changing table, always watch them to prevent them from rolling or falling off.
- Practice water safety. Drowning can happen in as little as 30 seconds. When playing near water, keep kids within arm’s reach!
- Follow gun safety rules for families. Kids are naturally curious. As your toddler moves around, they will discover new things and want to explore them. That’s why it’s important to practice safe gun storage.
- Check out more home safety tips for parents and caregivers.
Ready to learn about what comes next? Read our article on milestones for your 18-month-old.
Note: If you’re concerned about your child meeting their milestones, talk with their pediatrician.
