Health and Physical Development
Younger Toddlers (8 to 21 months)
Components and Developmental Indicators
Younger Toddlers (8 to 21 months)
Components and Developmental Indicators
Developmental Indicators
HPD Goal-1: Children develop healthy eating habits.
Try new foods.
Feed self with some assistance.
Communicate when hungry, thirsty, or has had enough.
Eat enough to meet nutritional needs, although amount or type of food may vary over time (eat a lot at one meal and little at the next, show interest in many foods but no interest in others).
Eat a variety of small pieces of age-appropriate table foods.
Distinguish between food and non-food items.
HPD Goal-2: Children engage in active physical play indoors and outdoors.
Show they enjoy active play and seek to be physically active (choose to play often on climber, laugh and squeal while moving).
Anticipate and ask for outdoor play (point at door and say, “Out”, sometimes preferring to stay outside).
Engage in regular and sustained movement (push toys around play area, go up and down, slide over and over).
Develop strength and stamina when using large muscles and participate in physical activity for longer periods of time.
HPD Goal-3: Children develop healthy sleeping habits.
Developmental Indicators
HPD Goal-4: Children engage in play and movement to develop the large muscle control and abilities needed to explore and move in their environment.
Develop strength, balance, and coordination by repeating movements (pull up and sit down, bend and straighten, squat to pick something up from the floor).
Coordinate arm and leg movements to explore, climb, push, pull, and achieve goals (push a stroller, use riding toys, crawl up steps).
HPD Goal-5: Children engage in play and experiences to develop muscle control and hand-eye coordination to manipulate objects and work with tools.
Use hands and eyes together for more complex actions (put together and take apart toys, feed themselves finger foods, fill containers).
Use hands to explore and manipulate objects (pick up and examine, stack two or three large blocks, pick up or roll a ball, and turn pages in board books).
Use simple tools (spoon for feeding hammer with pegs, crayon for scribbling).
Developmental Indicators
HPD Goal-6: Children develop personal hygiene and self-care skills.
Cooperate and help with care routines and cleanup (mouth-care, hand-washing, diapering, dressing, bathing).
Drink from a cup and feed themselves with their fingers or a spoon.
HPD Goal-7: Children use safe behaviors and personal safety practices with support from adults.
Watch for adult reactions to unfamiliar things or situations that might be dangerous.
Show some caution about unfamiliar and/or unsafe situations.
Respond to simple warnings that prevent harm. (“Stop!” “Hot!” “Wait!”)