2 Year Olds Physical Development

The average weight gain for a 2 year old child from age 1 is around 6 to 8 pounds. The average weight of a 2 year old boy is around 30 pounds, while the average weight for a two year old girl is slightly lighter at around 29 pounds. The average height for boys is around 35 to 37 inches, while the average height for girls is around 34 to 36 inches. Keep in mind that these are just average height and weight expected, and different children will grow and develop at different rates. If you ever have any concerns for your child's growth, check with your family doctor to get a professional assessment.

At an age of two years old, a toddler's second molar teeth may start to come in, and this usually takes place around 20 to 32 months. By now, your child should be very active and mobile at the same time. He or she will be able to climb on to furniture to reach higher up objects such as door handles, bowls and plates on dinning tables, or other objects placed on counter tops. By this time, it is especially important to keep sharp and other dangerous objects of a young child's reach.

Physical Development Milestones

Below, we list some of the physical development milestones that you may notice for a two year old child.

• By this age, your toddler will have already developed good walking abilities, and by now is able to run, but may fall frequently. A 24 months old child can also do some small hops, but cannot hop very high nor very far. But it is absolutely the cutest thing to watch them hop!
  
  You can play hopping games with your toddler to help them build leg muscle strength. For example, one fun hopping game we had a lot of fun with our kids is: "Put some glue on your hands, stick them on your hips, and then hop hop hop!" Of course, it's just pretend glue. Once our hands are "glued" to our hips, everyone starts to hop around the house.

• The child's motor controls are much more refined and improved by this time. He or she will be able to feed themselves with a spoon or fork, can drink from cups, and can also pick up very small objects or small crumbs. Of course, the child will make a big mess during meal time, so be prepared to clean up their mess and mop up their spills.

• Two year olds can now climb up on furniture such as sofas, chairs, and stools, and will now be able to reach higher up places. He or she may be able to turn door knobs to open doors, especially if the door knob is a long handle type that can be grabbed on to easily. Be aware now that opening doors to get outside is a possibility so keep your doors locked.

• Can walk easily while holding other objects such as their toys, and is able to push or pull toys or objects while they walk.

• A 24 months old toddler can now stack up many blocks, but will probably have more fun at knocking them over instead of stacking them up.

• At this age, some children may be ready for toilet training. Even if they are not ready yet, they may begin to show some interest in what you are doing in the bathroom.

• The child may attempt to dress him or herself sometimes, for example, try to pull up their own pants, or put on their own shirt. They may have some success with pants or shorts, but will have difficulties with shirts.

What we listed here are some of the physical development milestones that you might see. There are all types of toys and objects that can help with a child's physical development. For example, Mega Blocks, Trio, Lego, and Mr. Potato head all help a child refine their motor skills allowing them to stack up objects, connect pieces, and then take them apart.

2 Year Old Social Development >>