24-30 Months: Toddlers in Motion -- Observation Record

How does the toddler move with increasing control and skill?

Toddlers practice walking, running, turning, and jumping, gaining coordination as they do. Their skills often depend on the opportunities they have to use play equipment and engage in active play.

The toddler might do one or more of the following:

• Make riding progress–make a riding toy go by using her feet on the ground first, then gradually learning to use the pedals.
• Walk on the lines–try to walk only on the cracks in the concrete sidewalk.
• Use her brakes–stop and start running at will.
• Follow the leader–do what the person in front does, in a simple obstacle course.
• Jump, jump, jump–call for you to watch her as she jumps once, twice, and then gallops away.

How does this toddler move around? (Include dates.)

How does the toddler use her fingers, hands, and eyes to accomplish a variety of tasks?

As toddlers practice skills with many kinds of materials, they gain increased eye-hand coordination and the ability to do more complicated tasks. They repeat familiar activities over and over, and eagerly try a variety of new art materials and manipulatives.

The toddler might do one or more of the following:

• Tell a story–Turn the pages of a book one at a time.
• Work those pieces–push together and pull apart connecting blocks or large plastic beads that pop together end to end.
• Get a grip–use her thumb and fingers (instead of a full-fist grasp) to hold markers and crayons.
• Move her fingers–do the hand motions for finger plays such as Two Little Blackbirds or Open, Shut Them.
• Turn that cap–use a twisting wrist motion to take off the cover on the paste jar or the marker caps.

In what ways does this toddler use her fingers, hands, and eyes to do things? (Include dates.)

How does the toddler participate in self-help activities?

Toddlers love doing things themselves. Sometimes it is difficult for caregivers, because toddlers are so insistent and their abilities are not always equal to their desires. But practice helps them become proficient.

The toddler might do one or more of the following:

• Handle food just fine–peel bananas or spoon out applesauce into a bowl.
• Brush her teeth–try to use her toothbrush all by herself.
• Put away her coat–take off her coat by herself and hang it on the low hook placed there just for her.
• Manage toileting on her own–pull up her own pants after toileting.
• Pour for herself–insist on pouring her own milk into her cup from a small pitcher, and stop before it overflows.

How does this toddler participate in self-help activities? (Include dates.)