Activities for a 23-Month-Old

Featured activities for a 23-month-old

One activity from each domain, chosen for 23 months: 1 activity in the library starts at exactly 23 months. Other months feature different activities.

Why these fit at 23 months

• Stir the Pot Like Me

  While you cook, your child gets their own pot and wooden spoon on the floor and copies your stirring, lid lifting and tasting, practicing imitation of real chores. Why now: 23 months sits mid-band (16-24 months). Model "stir" while you play; if it is too hard, sit beside them and stir your own pot with the same kind of spoon, side by side, instead of cooking at the counter.

• Ready-Set-Go Car Ramp

  Hold a toy car at the top of a simple ramp, say "Ready, set..." and wait, so your child gets a reason to call "Go!" before it rolls. Why now: 23 months sits mid-band (16-26 months). Model "Ready, set, go!" while you play; if it is too hard, say the whole "Ready, set, go!" yourself and let the car roll every time, so your child learns the pattern first.

• Curb Step-Ups on Walks

  On everyday walks, the child steps up onto and down from low curbs, garden edging and single steps, practicing stair-like steps and balance in real places. Why now: 23 months sits mid-band (20-30 months). Model "up" while you play; if it is too hard, use a step no higher than their ankle and hold both of their hands.

• Clothespin-Knob Box Puzzle

  You cut two big shapes from a box lid and clip a clothespin on each as a handle, making a homemade knob puzzle your child lifts out and fits back. Why now: its band (23-32 months) starts at exactly 23 months. Model "circle" while you play; if it is too hard, start with only the circle, which fits whichever way it is turned.

• Cushion Ramp Car Turns

  You and your child take turns sending toy cars down a sloped cushion, waiting and watching for the other person's car, practicing turn-taking and cause and effect. Why now: 23 months sits mid-band (18-28 months). Model "my turn" while you play; if it is too hard, give your child a car of their own to hold during your turn, so the waiting has something in their hands.

• Teddy's Fork Picnic

  Your child spears chunks of play dough with a blunt toddler fork to "feed" a teddy at a pretend picnic, practising the fork stab away from the pressure of a real meal. Why now: 23 months sits mid-band (20-36 months). Model "fork" while you play; if it is too hard, make the chunks bigger and softer so the fork goes in with a gentle push.

• Sleepy Fingers Wind-Down Rhyme

  A slow finger rhyme in which fingers wiggle, creep and curl up asleep; your child copies the actions as your voice gets softer before bed. Why now: 23 months sits mid-band (16-28 months). Model "wiggle" while you play; if it is too hard, gently hold their hand and do the actions with their fingers while you say the words.

• Tall Tower, Short Tower

  You and your toddler build two towers side by side, one tall and one short, then compare, add blocks and knock them down while naming 'tall' and 'short'. Why now: its 22-32-month band started 1 month ago, so it is still fresh. Model "tall" while you play; if it is too hard, build one tower together and say 'taller' each time a block goes on.

Activities for a 23-month-old by domain

Counted by each activity's main domain: 17 fine motor, 14 gross motor, 14 social-emotional, 13 early concepts, 11 pretend and creative, 11 practical life, 10 language and 8 cognitive.

No-prep menu for a 23-month-old

On a chaotic day pick any two. 31 of the 98 activities that fit at 23 months need nothing set up and last 10 minutes or less; here are 6.

• Bubble Jar Twist and Blow (5-10 min, indoors or out): materials: a small bottle of bubble liquid with a screw lid and wand and a towel for drips; it practices twisting lids and knobs.
• Sticky Note Peel-and-Collect (3-8 min, indoors): materials: 5-8 sticky notes and a plastic food container; it practices tearing and peeling.
• Rainstorm on a Baking Sheet (3-8 min, indoors): materials: a metal baking sheet, turned upside down; it practices making music.
• Scarf Copycat Dance (5-10 min, indoors or out): materials: two lightweight scarves and your voice or a favorite song; it practices imitating actions.
• Window Watch Talk (3-8 min, indoors): materials: a window with something to watch (street, yard, birds, rain); it practices pointing to show.
• Pot Drum Echo Turns (4-8 min, indoors): materials: 2 small pots or plastic bowls, upturned and 2 wooden spoons; it practices taking turns.

What is emerging at 23 months

Between checklist ages CDC uses the earlier one, so at 23 months the 18-month checklist (15 milestones) still applies, 5 months after it. The next checklist comes at 24 months, 1 month away; 4 of its items, each with a matching activity:

• Holds an object steady in one hand while working with the other, like gripping a container and pulling off its lid. At 23 months you can practice it with Bubble Jar Twist and Blow (5-10 min).
• Joins at least two words together, like "more juice". At 23 months you can practice it with Family Photo Action Talk (5-10 min).
• Tries to work the buttons, knobs or switches on a toy. At 23 months you can practice it with Crayon Leaf Rubbings (5-12 min).
• Walks up a few stairs, rather than climbing on hands and knees, with or without help. At 23 months you can practice it with Climb the Stairs to Teddy (3-8 min).

Indoor and outdoor play at 23 months

A 7-day sample week for a 23-month-old

Two short focus activities a day, rotating domains the way our evidence-based program does, plus one practical-life moment and a few words to model. Everything else is free play, meals, outdoor time, books and sleep.

Growing into next: 24 to 26 months

47 activities start in the next 3 months. Offer them once and watch; if they do not click yet, put them away for a few weeks.

• Animal Moves Action Song: from 24 months (1 ahead), pretend and creative, practices action songs.
• Box Drum Copy-the-Beat: from 24 months (1 ahead), pretend and creative, practices making music.
• Copy-My-Bridge Block Build: from 24 months (1 ahead), fine motor, practices stacking blocks.
• Copy My Crayon Line: from 24 months (1 ahead), fine motor, practices scribbling and early drawing.
• Cozy Cushion Calm Corner: from 24 months (1 ahead), social-emotional, practices calming with help.

More for 23 months