How babies develop in the 16th month

Appointments and activities – What’s coming up in the 16th month?

Dentist: There is no perfect time for the first dentist appointment. The oral care is, however, very important from the very beginning. If you haven’t taken your child to the dentist yet, now is the right time. Bring your child along when you have a check-up appointment yourself. That way they can explore the practice a bit and the little ones can see what happens – namely nothing bad. Perhaps the dentist may even playfully examine the teeth and can give you good tips on caring for baby teeth.
Playing in the sandbox: The little ones not only like to mess around with their food. In the sandbox they can also dig, shovel and knead to their heart’s content. A visit to the playground is therefore just right for your toddler. On the climbing frame they can satisfy their urge to move and in the sandbox they can dig and experiment. In nice weather, with a little water you can make proper mud – don’t be afraid of dirty clothes!

Independent walking: The first independent steps are not uncommon in this developmental phase! Where previously a support or a helping hand was needed, your child may now take the first steps all by themselves. Regular practice is needed now. Your baby will also want to find out what it’s like to walk on different surfaces – perhaps on the lawn in the garden instead of on the carpet in the living room.
Balance: Your child can now control their body much better and hold their balance more skillfully. For example, while walking (ideally still holding your helping hand) they can turn to look behind them without losing their balance.
Creativity and play: In the 16th month, the baby not only likes to stack tall towers with blocks or enjoys sorting and shape-matching toys, it also likes to create its own works of art with pen and paper and scribbles imaginative designs.
Language development: Your baby now has a larger active vocabulary – and the vocabulary of words it at least understands but does not yet use itself is even larger. The toddler can already say its own name and recognizes more and more objects.

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