18-month milestones: the CDC checklist, with activities for each one
18-month milestones, per CDC's checklist: 15 things most children (75% or more) do by 18 months, across four areas (5 social-emotional, 2 language, 2 cognitive and 6 movement). Use them to monitor, not to screen; below, each item lists the skills it relates to and activities that practise it.
Updated
CDC 18-month milestone checklist
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Social and emotional
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At 18 months, try Nature Tote Treasure Walk (10–20 min, 16–28 months)
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At 18 months, try Brush and Hands Wash-Up (3–8 min, 20–36 months)
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At 18 months, try Sticky Tab Page Turner (5–10 min, 14–24 months)
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At 18 months, try Toe-Tug Sock Off (2–5 min, 12–20 months)
Language and communication
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At 18 months, try Two-Hoop Nature Sort (8–15 min, 20–32 months)
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At 18 months, try Climb the Stairs to Teddy (3–8 min, 15–30 months)
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
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At 18 months, try Scarf Float Up-and-Down Song (3–8 min, 13–22 months)
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At 18 months, try Stir the Pot Like Me (5–15 min, 16–24 months)
Movement and physical development
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At 18 months, try Towel Speed-Bump Walk (4–10 min, 14–22 months)
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At 18 months, try Big Paper Brush Painting (5–15 min, 18–30 months)
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At 18 months, try Cheers! Open-Cup Clink (3–8 min, 16–24 months)
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At 18 months, try Blanket Picnic Finger Lunch (10–20 min, 12–22 months)
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At 18 months, try Stir the Big Pot (5–10 min, 17–28 months)
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At 18 months, try In and Out Basket Climb (5–10 min, 12–20 months)
A checklist is monitoring, not a screening test. If your child loses a skill they had, or something worries you, talk to your pediatrician; in the U.S. you can also contact your state's Early Intervention program directly, no referral needed.
The 18-month checklist at a glance
| Checklist | CDC “By 18 months”, paraphrased (source: CDC milestones by 18 months) |
|---|---|
| Items | 15: 5 social-emotional, 2 language, 2 cognitive and 6 movement |
| Library activities that practise them | 73 that fit 18 months (16 skills involved) |
| Previous checklist | 15 months, three months earlier (13 items) |
| Next checklist | 24 months, six months later (13 items) |
| AAP screening | 18 months is a screening age: the AAP recommends both a general developmental screening and an autism screening at the 18-month visit. |
| Born early | Use corrected age: born 8 weeks early, this list applies from 18 months and 8 weeks |
Language and communication milestones by 18 months
Two of the 15 items, built on first words, naming things and following one-step directions. Every one has a library activity that fits 18 months.
| Milestone | Skills it relates to | Activities that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| Attempts at least three words besides "mama" or "dada". | First words, Naming things | Finish-the-Song Pause (18-30 mo); Ready-Set-Go Car Ramp (16-26 mo); Knob Puzzle Peek and Name (15-30 mo) |
| Follows a one-step direction given in words alone, like handing you a toy when you only say "Give it to me." | Following one-step directions | Tote Bag Fetch Mission (17-28 mo); Grocery Tote Unpack (16-26 mo); Hoop Bus Walk (18-28 mo) |
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving) milestones by 18 months
Two of the 15 items, built on household helping, imitating actions and using objects the right way. Every one has a library activity that fits 18 months.
| Milestone | Skills it relates to | Activities that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| Imitates you doing household jobs, such as sweeping. | Household helping, Imitating actions | Stir the Big Pot (17-28 mo); Copy My Box Moves (13-20 mo); Stir the Pot Like Me (16-24 mo) |
| Plays with toys in a simple, purposeful way, like pushing a toy car along. | Using objects the right way | Real-Things Basket (12-18 mo); Unpack the Shopping Tote (20-28 mo); Teddy's Snack Time (12-20 mo) |
Movement and physical development milestones by 18 months
Six of the 15 items, built on walking on their own, scribbling and early drawing, drinking from an open cup, finger feeding, using a spoon and climbing on and off furniture. Every one has a library activity that fits 18 months.
| Milestone | Skills it relates to | Activities that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| Walks without holding on to a person or furniture. | Walking on their own | Towel Speed-Bump Walk (14-22 mo); Walk-to-Me Hallway Steps (12-16 mo); Push-the-Box Train (12-20 mo) |
| Makes scribbles with a crayon. | Scribbling and early drawing | Taped-Down First Scribbles (14-24 mo); Baking Sheet Finger Painting (15-24 mo); Water Painting Walls and Steps (14-24 mo) |
| Drinks from a cup with no lid, sometimes spilling. | Drinking from an open cup | Cheers! Open-Cup Clink (16-24 mo); Two-Hands Open Cup Sip (12-20 mo) |
| Eats finger foods without help. | Finger feeding | Blanket Picnic Finger Lunch (12-22 mo); Two-Choice Snack Pick (12-18 mo); Ice Tray Snack Picking (12-18 mo) |
| Tries to eat with a spoon. | Using a spoon | Basin Spoon Scoop (18-28 mo); Pre-Loaded Spoon Hand-Off (13-20 mo); Stir the Big Pot (17-28 mo) |
| Climbs onto and down from a couch or chair without help. | Climbing on and off furniture | Cushion Mountain Climb (12-22 mo); Sofa Climb, Feet-First Down (13-22 mo); In and Out Basket Climb (12-20 mo) |
Activities for the 18-month milestones
39 activities from the library, picked for these 15 items and for 18 months. One item has no matching activity: wanders a short way from you but looks back to check that you are still close.
Social-emotional practice
Language practice
Cognitive practice
Movement practice
- Towel Speed-Bump Walk
- Walk-to-Me Hallway Steps
- Push-the-Box Train
- Taped-Down First Scribbles
- Baking Sheet Finger Painting
- Water Painting Walls and Steps
- Cheers! Open-Cup Clink
- Two-Hands Open Cup Sip
- Blanket Picnic Finger Lunch
- Two-Choice Snack Pick
- Ice Tray Snack Picking
- Basin Spoon Scoop
- Pre-Loaded Spoon Hand-Off
- Stir the Big Pot
- Cushion Mountain Climb
- Sofa Climb, Feet-First Down
- In and Out Basket Climb
Skills on the 18-month list
- Pointing to show
- Hand washing
- Turning pages
- Helping with dressing
- First words
- Naming things
- Following one-step directions
- Household helping
- Imitating actions
- Using objects the right way
- Walking on their own
- Scribbling and early drawing
- Drinking from an open cup
- Finger feeding
- Using a spoon
- Climbing on and off furniture
What you can do at 18 months
Everyday ideas in the spirit of CDC's “what you can do” tips for the 18-month checklist:
- Put words to feelings in real moments ("You're angry, the tower fell") and help your child calm down before talking it over.
- Expect big feelings and tantrums at this age; a calm, predictable response helps more than a long explanation.
- Ask simple questions while you read, like "Where's the duck?", and celebrate any answer, a point included.
- Name body parts during baths, dressing and diaper changes.
- Tape down a big sheet of paper, offer a jumbo crayon and let your child make marks without asking for a picture.
- Let your child help put toys back in a bin or wipe the table with a damp cloth.
- Now and then give a short direction without pointing ("Bring me your shoes") and help only if it is needed.
- Give more attention to the behavior you want to see, and say what you liked about it.
What changed since 15 months
The 15-month checklist had 13 items and the 18-month one has 15: social-emotional stays at five, language goes from four to two, cognitive stays at two and movement goes from two to six. Skills that appear on a checklist for the first time at 18 months: hand washing, turning pages, helping with dressing, naming things, following one-step directions, household helping, scribbling and early drawing, using a spoon and climbing on and off furniture.
When to talk to your pediatrician at 18 months
Talk to your pediatrician if an 18-month-old loses a skill they used to have, if 18-month items such as “plays with toys in a simple, purposeful way, like pushing a toy car along” or “drinks from a cup with no lid, sometimes spilling” are still missing around this age, or if anything else worries you. 18 months is a screening age: the AAP recommends both a general developmental screening and an autism screening at the 18-month visit.
CDC milestones are things most children (75% or more) can do by that age; the checklists are for monitoring and are not a standardized screening tool. In the U.S. you can contact your state's Early Intervention program for children under 3 yourself; no doctor's referral is needed.
Born early? Corrected age at 18 months
CDC suggests using corrected age (age minus the weeks born early) for a child born more than 3 weeks early, and the AAP advises it for the first 2 years. At 18 months by the calendar, that changes which checklist fits:
| Born | Corrected age at 18 mo | Checklist to use | 18-month list from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks early | 17 mo | 15-month | 18 mo + 4 wk (about 18.9 mo) |
| 8 weeks early | 16 mo 1 wk | 15-month | 18 mo + 8 wk (about 19.8 mo) |
| 12 weeks early | 15 mo 1 wk | 15-month | 18 mo + 12 wk (about 20.8 mo) |
| 16 weeks early | 14 mo 1 wk | 12-month | 18 mo + 16 wk (about 21.7 mo) |
Frequently asked questions
What are the 18-month milestones?
CDC's 18-month checklist has 15 items: 5 social-emotional, 2 language, 2 cognitive and 6 movement. Examples: walks without holding on to a person or furniture, eats finger foods without help and wanders a short way from you but looks back to check that you are still close. Most children (75% or more) do these by 18 months.
How much should an 18-month-old talk?
The 18-month checklist says: attempts at least three words besides "mama" or "dada". Those are the talking items on the checklist; by 24 months it lists: joins at least two words together, like "more juice".
What if my child has not reached the 18-month milestones?
Talk to your pediatrician if items are missing, if your child loses a skill or if you are worried; you do not have to wait. 18 months is a screening age: the AAP recommends both a general developmental screening and an autism screening at the 18-month visit. In the U.S. you can also contact your state's Early Intervention program directly, without a referral.
Is the 18-month checklist a screening test?
No. The CDC checklist is for monitoring: it lists what most children do by 18 months. The AAP recommends developmental screening at 9, 18 and 30 months and autism screening at 18 and 24 months.
My 18-month-old was born early: which age do I use?
Use corrected age until 24 months if your child was born more than 3 weeks early (CDC; the AAP advises corrected age for the first 2 years). For example, a child born 8 weeks early is about 16 months, 1 week corrected at 18 months, so the 15-month checklist applies.
Related
Milestones month by month
Plan for 18 months
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.
Social-emotional milestones by 18 months
Five of the 15 items, built on pointing to show, hand washing, turning pages and helping with dressing. Four have a library activity that fits 18 months.