Your Toddler’s Brain Development: The First 2,000 Days
Your child’s brain grows the most during the first 2,000 days (from birth to 5 years). During this time, how you care for your child has the biggest impact on how their brain develops. Others, like family members and caregivers, also play a role, but parents have the greatest influence.
A toddler brain thrives when a parent or main carer:
- Shows kindness and affection.
- Guides their child with love and sets limits when needed.
- Handles big emotions like tears or tantrums calmly and firmly, even when saying “no.”
Toddlers learn about the world through everyday activities like playing, eating, sleeping, and exploring. Outdoor play is especially great for development—letting your child see, touch, climb, and run helps their brain grow. Barefoot play, digging in the dirt, and learning about nature also help toddlers explore and build confidence.
What your child needs from you: Your toddler looks to you for support, safety, and encouragement as they grow. You can help by:
- Noticing what your child is doing throughout the day and responding to their needs.
- Celebrating their efforts when they’re trying something new.
- Giving them hugs and kind words when they’re upset or need comfort.
- Keeping them safe when they’re in danger or feeling unsure.
- Being their cheerleader when they’re playing or exploring independently.
- Offering a helping hand when needed.
Your attention and care help your child feel confident and excited to learn about the world. The love and connection you build now will have a lasting impact on their growth and development.
Types of Development in Toddlers
The following list is part of the 2-year-old child health check. It provides a short list of what most toddlers at 2 years of age are doing. Think about what your child can do and use the child health record (most parents get one from the hospital at birth) to look up the age of your child and milestones to see where your child is up to in their development. Keep in mind, that children develop at their own pace, and it’s normal for there to be a 3-month difference in when they reach each milestone.
If you have questions or concerns about your toddler's development, make an appointment with your child and family health nurse or doctor. They can guide you on what extra support your child may need and reassure you if everything is progressing well.
Example: Child development milestones at 2 years
Social/Emotional
- Notices when others are hurt or upset, like pausing or looking sad when someone is crying
- Looks at your face to see how to react in a new situation
Language/Communication
- Points to things in a book when you ask, like “where is the bear?”
- Says at least two words together, like “more milk”
- Points to at least two body parts when you ask them to show you
- Uses more gestures than just waving and pointing, like blowing a kiss or nodding yes
Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
- Holds something in one hand while using the other hand; for example, holding a container and taking the lid off
- Tries to use switches, knobs, or buttons on a toy
- Plays with more than one toy at the same time, like putting toy food on a toy plate
Movement/Physical Development Milestones
- Kicks a ball
- Runs Walks (not climbs) up a few stairs with or without help
- Eats with a spoon
Helpful Resources
Child Health Record Books for Keeping up With Child Development
It can be very helpful to regularly look at your child’s personal health record book. You can access this book in multiple languages. The child health record books have tips and ideas on your child’s development, play, safety and good health up to 5 years of age. You can find the NSW Blue Book here.
Baby Map - videos in multiple languages
Another simple and easy way to follow your child’s development milestones is by using the Baby Map videos. These short videos can help you know what milestones children 0 to 3 years are typically doing. These videos are provided in 11 different languages. Find the videos here.
Supporting Your Toddler’s Development Through the 8 Senses
Toddlers use their senses to learn about the world around them. Here are some ways you can help your child use all 8 senses to grow and develop:
- Touch: Help your toddler explore different textures, like rough, soft, squishy, or slippery items. You can use things like fabric, soil, or food (wet or dry). Both indoor and outdoor play gives plenty of opportunities to touch and explore.
- Taste: Let your toddler explore different tastes without pressure. Offering a mix of foods they like and new ones can help them try new flavours. Consider fun meals like a picnic with toys or family to make trying new foods enjoyable. Keep offering a variety of new tastes to help develop their taste buds to accept all tastes.
- Smell: Encourage your child to smell things by going on nature walks or smelling food, like mint leaves, lemons, or Vegemite. You can make a game of guessing smells to make it fun, ask them to close their eyes and put a smell near their nose and ask them to guess what the smell is. Toddlers often need a little encouragement to smell things.
- Sight: Toddlers are curious about colours, light, and shadows. You can help by showing them things like ants crawling or leaves swaying. Talk to them about eyes and how to protect them, like wearing sunglasses outside. The Cancer Council recommends that all children wear sunglasses when outdoors, which meet the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1067.1:2016 and fit closely to the face.
- Sound: Toddlers love hearing your voice. Read to them with enthusiasm and play with different sounds—whispering, singing, or using musical instruments. Experiment with different volumes and rhythms to make it fun - laugh and giggle with them.
- Balance (Vestibular): Help your toddler develop balance by walking on low beams, swinging, or playing with big balls. Encourage them to carry things like small plates or cups without spilling to build their balance.
- Body Awareness (Proprioception): Encourage your child to understand how their body moves by playing games. Things like hopping like a kangaroo, sliding down a slide, or carrying objects like food on a spoon. This helps with coordination and balance.
- Self-awareness (Interoception): Help your toddler recognise what they feel inside, like hunger, tiredness, thirst, temperature, or the need for rest. Use simple language to describe what they might be feeling. For example, you notice your toddler going to the fridge you could say “it looks like you are letting me know you are hungry, is that right?” Practice describing what you notice as this helps your child learn the words for what they are feeling in their bodies.
By supporting your toddler's development through these 8 senses, you’re helping them grow in a fun and healthy way!
When to Seek Support
If you’re concerned about your child’s development, it’s a good idea to seek advice from child and family health nurse or doctor. Signs to watch for include:
- Lack of interest in social interactions or limited eye contact
- Delays in reaching milestones, such as not speaking simple words by 18 months
- Difficulty moving or coordinating movements, such as trouble walking by 18 months
- Lack of response to familiar voices or sounds
Discussing any concerns with a healthcare professional can help determine if additional support is needed.
