19-month milestones: what is emerging next
19-month milestones: CDC has no checklist for 19 months, so the 18-month checklist (15 items) still applies; between two ages CDC says to use the earlier one. The 24-month checklist comes in five months; below are its 13 items with activities that fit a 19-month-old.
Updated
CDC 18-month milestone checklist
At 19 months use the 18-month checklist (CDC: use the earlier checklist between ages); next checklist at 24 months.
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Social and emotional
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At 19 months, try Nature Tote Treasure Walk (10–20 min, 16–28 months)
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At 19 months, try Brush and Hands Wash-Up (3–8 min, 20–36 months)
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At 19 months, try Where's the Dog? Book Hunt (5–12 min, 18–30 months)
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At 19 months, try Toe-Tug Sock Off (2–5 min, 12–20 months)
Language and communication
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At 19 months, try Finish-the-Song Pause (3–8 min, 18–30 months)
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At 19 months, try Hoop Bus Walk (5–12 min, 18–28 months)
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
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At 19 months, try Sock Pair Detective (5–10 min, 22–34 months)
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At 19 months, try Two of a Kind Kitchen Match (5–8 min, 14–24 months)
Movement and physical development
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At 19 months, try Squat-and-Collect Bucket Walk (5–10 min, 13–20 months)
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At 19 months, try Water Painting Walls and Steps (5–12 min, 14–24 months)
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At 19 months, try Cheers! Open-Cup Clink (3–8 min, 16–24 months)
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At 19 months, try One for You, One for Me Snack (5–10 min, 15–27 months)
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At 19 months, try Stir the Big Pot (5–10 min, 17–28 months)
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At 19 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.
19 months at a glance
| CDC checklist for 19 months | None (CDC's checklists in this range: 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 36 months) |
|---|---|
| Checklist that applies now | 18 months (15 items), reached one month ago |
| Next checklist | 24 months (13 items), in five months |
| Where this month sits | In-between month 1 of 5 from 18 to 24 months |
| Library activities that fit 19 months | 137 (age band overlapping 17-22 months) |
| Skills building at 19 months | 65 of the 67 everyday skills on this site |
| Born early | Corrected age applies: born 8 weeks early, 19 months is about 17 mo 1 wk corrected |
Which checklist applies at 19 months
The 18-month checklist has just passed, and CDC has nothing new for 19 months: between two checklist ages CDC says to use the earlier one, so a 19-month-old is still compared with the 18-month list. That stays true for five in-between months, until the 24-month list starts in five months.
The 24-month list has 13 items (2 social-emotional, 4 language, 3 cognitive and 4 movement). They are not expected at 19 months; they show what is emerging next. Thirteen of them have an activity below that fits this month.
24-month milestones to watch for at 19 months
Each 24-month item with an activity for a 19-month-old, and how the activity's age band relates to 19 months:
| By 24 months (CDC) | Area | Try at 19 months |
|---|---|---|
| Reacts when someone is hurt or upset, for example stopping or looking sad when another person cries. | social-emotional | Gentle Hands for Teddy (an easy win, band ended at 18 mo) |
| Looks at your face to work out how to react when something is new. | social-emotional | Feelings Faces in Board Books (a stretch, band starts at 21 mo) |
| Points to the right picture in a book when you ask something like "Where is the dog?" | language | Lap Book Point and Pause (late in its 12-20 mo band) |
| Joins at least two words together, like "more juice". | language | Cardboard Garage Parking Talk (a stretch, band starts at 21 mo) |
| Shows you two or more body parts when you ask, such as nose or tummy. | language | Nose-to-Nose Mirror Game (mid-band, 15-26 mo) |
| Uses gestures beyond waving and pointing, such as nodding for yes or blowing a kiss. | language | Photo Wall Hello Kisses (late in its 12-20 mo band) |
| Holds an object steady in one hand while working with the other, like gripping a container and pulling off its lid. | cognitive | Bubble Jar Twist and Blow (a stretch, band starts at 22 mo) |
| Tries to work the buttons, knobs or switches on a toy. | cognitive | Tap Test: Pot, Box or Towel (mid-band, 14-22 mo) |
| Combines two toys in play, such as setting pretend food on a toy plate. | cognitive | Stir the Pretend Soup (mid-band, 14-24 mo) |
| Gives a ball a kick. | movement | Kick It Back to Me (a stretch, band starts at 22 mo) |
| Runs, not only walks. | movement | Ready-Set-Go Chalk Dash (new in its 19-31 mo band) |
| Walks up a few stairs, rather than climbing on hands and knees, with or without help. | movement | Curb Step-Ups on Walks (a stretch, band starts at 20 mo) |
| Feeds themselves with a spoon. | movement | Pre-Loaded Spoon Hand-Off (late in its 13-20 mo band) |
Activities toward the 24-month milestones
13 activities picked for 19 months, by CDC area. In Gentle Hands for Teddy, for example, watch for this sign of progress: strokes or pats the toy with an open hand after your model.
Social-emotional at 19 months
Language at 19 months
Cognitive at 19 months
Movement at 19 months
What changes in the activity plan at 19 months
The family plan offers an activity from 3 months before its age band until 2 months after it. At 19 months, eight activities join (band starting at 22 months), five bands start right at 19 months and one activity leaves (band ended at 16 months):
- Joins the plan: Teddy Is Sad: Comfort Game, for 22-32 mo: a stuffed animal pretends to bump its knee and cry, and your child notices the sad toy and comforts it with a hug, a pat or a blanket.
- Joins the plan: Tall Tower, Short Tower, for 22-32 mo: 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'.
- Joins the plan: Nature Jar Lid Twist, for 22-32 mo: your child twists open a plastic jar holding a pinecone or big leaf found outside, practising two hands working together and the turning motion lids need.
- Band starts at 19 months: Side-by-Side Sandbox Scoops (19-30 mo), two toddlers dig and pour side by side in a sandbox, each with their own bucket and scoop, while an adult narrates and steps in only when needed.
- Band starts at 19 months: Scarf Copycat Dance (19-28 mo), to a song, you and your child each wave a scarf; you change one move at a time (high, low, fast, slow) and your child copies, then leads.
- Band starts at 19 months: Sticky Note Body Spots (19-30 mo), press a sticky note onto your child's knee, hand or shoulder, name the spot together and let them peel it off, then swap roles in the mirror.
- Leaves the plan: Walk-to-Me Hallway Steps, whose 12-16 mo band ended three months ago.
Skills commonly building at 19 months
65 everyday skills on this site have 19 months inside their age window. Six of them, with where 19 months falls and their usual timing:
- Cause and effect, mid-window (12-30 months): Trying to use switches, knobs or buttons on a toy is a CDC 24-month milestone.
- Imitating actions, mid-window (12-30 months): Copying other children while playing is a CDC 15-month milestone, and copying you doing chores, such as sweeping, is a CDC 18-month milestone.
- Using objects the right way, mid-window (12-24 months): Trying to use things the right way, such as a phone, cup or book, is a CDC 15-month milestone; playing with toys in a simple way, like pushing a toy car, is a CDC 18-month milestone.
- Pointing to pictures, early in its window (14-30 months): Pointing to things in a book when you ask, like "Where is the bear?", is a CDC 24-month milestone.
- Tidying up, early in its window (14-36 months): Following simple routines when told, such as helping to pick up toys when you say it is clean-up time, is a CDC 30-month milestone.
- Jumping, just starting (18-36 months): Jumping off the ground with both feet is a CDC 30-month milestone.
When to talk to your pediatrician at 19 months
Talk to your pediatrician if a 19-month-old loses a skill they used to have, if 18-month items such as “walks without holding on to a person or furniture” or “eats finger foods without help” are still missing at 19 months, or if anything else worries you. From 19 months, the next AAP-recommended checks are an autism screening at 24 months (five months away) and a general developmental screening at 30 months (eleven months away).
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 19 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 19 months by the calendar, that changes which checklist fits:
| Born | Corrected age at 19 mo | Checklist to use | 24-month list from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks early | 18 mo | 18-month | 24 mo (correction stops) |
| 8 weeks early | 17 mo 1 wk | 15-month | 24 mo (correction stops) |
| 12 weeks early | 16 mo 1 wk | 15-month | 24 mo (correction stops) |
| 16 weeks early | 15 mo 1 wk | 15-month | 24 mo (correction stops) |
Frequently asked questions
How much should a 19-month-old talk?
CDC gives no list for 19 months. The 18-month checklist says: attempts at least three words besides "mama" or "dada". By 24 months it adds: joins at least two words together, like "more juice" and uses gestures beyond waving and pointing, such as nodding for yes or blowing a kiss.
Which activities help a 19-month-old toward the 24-month milestones?
This page picks 13 library activities that fit 19 months, one or two per 24-month item, for example Tap Test: Pot, Box or Towel, Lap Book Point and Pause and Kick It Back to Me. Short, playful repeats work better than drills.
Is there a CDC milestone checklist for 19 months?
No. In the 12-36 month range CDC has checklists at 12, 15, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months. At 19 months use the 18-month checklist (CDC: between two ages, use the earlier one); the 24-month checklist follows in five months.
What if my 19-month-old has not reached these milestones?
The 24-month items are not due at 19 months. If 18-month items are missing, if a skill is lost or if you are worried, talk to your pediatrician now. From 19 months, the next AAP-recommended checks are an autism screening at 24 months (five months away) and a general developmental screening at 30 months (eleven months away). In the U.S. you can also call your state's Early Intervention program without a referral.
My 19-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 17 months, 1 week corrected at 19 months, so the 15-month checklist applies.
Related
Milestones month by month
Plan for 19 months
Born early
Skills building at 19 months
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.