13 month old toddler milestones: Development, growth, speech, language, and more

At 13 months, your little one is growing and changing rapidly, reaching new milestones that showcase their emerging skills and independence. Your little one is officially in their toddler era and this period of development is filled with impressive skills that underscore just how big they really are. At one year and one month, many children are working towards saying 1 - 2 words [], taking a few steps [] or even walking, wanting to do more themselves [], and using basic gestures. In this article, we’ll take you through the milestones you can expect from 13 - 14 months, give you a handy 13 month old development checklist, and provide useful tips to support your little one’s growth. 

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13 month old baby milestones at a glance

At one year and one month, toddlers are typically going through many big physical, verbal, and emotional changes.

Development: After your little one’s first birthday, you can expect to see them working on exciting new skills while possibly still perfecting some 12 month milestones. Children at 13 months are often working towards confident cruising or taking independent steps, saying their first few words, and learning how to feed themselves. This may also be a period of big feelings for both kiddos and their caregivers. Temper tantrums are often on the rise at 13 months as little ones crave more independence (which can be frustrating for everyone!), but at the same time, many toddlers this age are also learning how to show affection. 

Sleep: We recommend continuing to aim for around 13.25 hours of total sleep in a 24-hour period. At 13 months, this typically looks like 11 - 12 hours overnight with 2 - 3 hours of daytime sleep split over 2 naps. Most toddlers this age can comfortably stay awake for about 3.25 - 4 hours between sleep periods while on a 2-nap schedule. It’s also not uncommon for children to experience sleep challenges following their first birthday. Various factors can impact sleep including developmental milestones, illness, life changes, and needing longer wake windows.  

Naps are also often varied at 13 months and a schedule transition may be on the horizon as some kids get closer to dropping a nap. However, 13 month olds typically aren’t ready to fully make that switch just yet. Most toddlers transition from a 2-nap to a 1-nap schedule and we find that often still benefit from a 2-nap schedule. Dropping a nap too early can backfire — a 1-nap schedule generally requires your toddler to stay awake for at least 5 hours at a time, which may lead to overtiredness that can negatively affect sleep.

Keep in mind that sleep needs vary and there’s a wide range of normal when it comes to toddler sleep totals. These numbers are a rough guide and it’s best to pay attention to your child’s mood and energy levels when evaluating if they’re getting enough daytime and overnight sleep.

If you’d like personalized sleep guidance for your little one, especially with the 2-to-1 nap transition on the horizon, consider submitting for a sleep plan through. Our step-by-step plans are tailored to your child’s needs as well as your family’s goals.

Feeding: After their first birthday, children move away from depending on formula and/or breast milk as their. However, this may be a gradual transition to a mostly solid diet for some. Breastfeeding still offers benefits as long as you and your child wish to continue nursing. If still offering bottles, consider cutting down on any bottle feeds with the goal of gradually transitioning exclusively to cups at meals sometime between 12 and 18 months []. 

At this age, toddlers need around about 1,000 calories per day and we recommend breaking that up over 3 meals and 2 snacks []. You may also notice a sharp decrease in your 13 month old’s appetite or increase in pickiness, causing them to eat less than they had been previously. These are both normal and usually not a cause for concern. A child’s growth rate typically slows around their first birthday and they don’t require as much food to meet their changing energy needs. Their eating behavior in general may also seem erratic, refusing previously loved food one day or hardly touching anything across multiple meals. Although frustrating, these unpredictable eating patterns are also expected. Their diet will typically balance out over a couple of days if you continue offering a mix of meals and snacks without pressuring them to eat. 

Many parents introduce milk  (whether animal or plant-based) after 12 months. At this age, milk should be offered as a beverage rather than a meal, as the goal is for solids to make up a majority of their diet. However, it's important to ensure that their milk choice provides enough fat to support healthy growth and brain development.

Growth: Another major difference between your child’s first and second year is their growth. Although it likely still feels like your little one is growing up in the blink of an eye, growth actually slows down quite a bit in the second year of life, especially compared to the first. 

Generally, toddlers may gain about 5 pounds and grow about 4 or 5 inches in height between 1 - 2 years old [].  Keep in mind that these numbers are averages and it can be normal for your little one to grow more or less than this. Your child’s doctor has been tracking their height and weight on their growth chart since birth to ensure that they’re growing at a regular pace. This also helps a doctor quickly pinpoint any trends that need attention. If you have concerns about your baby’s growth at 14 months, consult their pediatrician. 

13 month developmental milestones

Physical development

Gross motor milestones

Walking: At 13 months, your toddler may be working towards independent steps or their own version of walking. Around this age, you may see your little one progress from cruising while holding onto furniture to standing momentarily on their own. Some 13 month olds may even start taking a few steps without support or officially “toddling.” During this early version of independent walking, children often keep their legs wide apart with their hands out in front of them for balance. You may also notice them hesitating between steps and jerking movements as they take each step. This disjointed — albeit adorable —gait typically improves after a few months of practice as toddlers’ coordination and confidence increase. 

Keep in mind children develop at different rates and not all toddlers will be taking independent steps or toddling by 13 months. The walking milestone has a wide range of normal and is generally expected between 10 - 18 months []. However, consider reaching out to your child’s doctor if they were not crawling by their first birthday or drag one side of their body while crawling (for more than a month) []. 

Fine motor milestones

Manipulating objects: Toddlers at 13 months are typically eager to independently explore and are actively learning about the world around them through their hands. Between 12 - 14 months, children often learn how to let go of an object and pick it up again, turn pages in a book, place a simple shape into a puzzle board, and make small marks or scribbles on paper [].

Confident movements: Your little one is working on muscle strength, especially as their legs bear more body weight for longer []. You may even see your toddler learning to squat to pick up a toy, intentionally stack two objects or blocks, and walk independently without falling between 13 - 18 months []. 13 month olds are also working on balance around this age, possibly taking one hand off a surface while cruising to reach for something of interest. This age group is also working on motor planning skills as they plan a series of actions needed to reach each goal (e.g. how exactly to move their body and how close they need to bring their arm in order to grab that toy). 

Independent eating: At this age, toddlers may begin holding their own cups and drinking from them [], enjoying an increased variety of table foods (that are coarsely chopped), and using their fingers to feed themselves []. 

Speech development 

Language skills: Expressive language refers to the ability to share thoughts [. For a 13 month old, this may look like saying their first word, producing speech-like babbling (e.g. “ba” for “ball”), or working on building their vocabulary to 5 - 10 words by 18 months []. Note there’s a large range of normal for 13 month old language development so try not to worry about what your little one can or can’t say just yet. Instead, focus on what they know. This is their receptive language (aka the understanding of information through words), and it tends to develop first. So even though your toddler may not be saying a variety of words over the next few months, they’re still learning — and can often comprehend around 50 words by the time they’re 15 months []. 

Gestures: 13 month language development may also include combining sounds and gestures [], responding to yes/no questions by shaking or nodding their head, and pointing to ask for something []. 

Imitating: You may notice your little one trying to imitate simple words [], gestures, or actions they hear or see others do around them. This mimicking may also extend to repeating words overheard in conversations (so you may want to think twice about what you say around them!).

Body parts: As your little one’s comprehension develops, so does their recognition. Around this age, they may be able to point to 1 - 2 body parts when named []. This recognition may also extend to pointing to familiar objects and people in pictures.  

Social and emotional development at 13 months

Playing favorites: By 13 months old, your little one may have strong preferences — and won’t be afraid to show it. This favoritism can extend to both toys and people, and it’s normal at this age for them to become upset if they’re not with them. As toddlers develop preferences for certain people or caregivers, it’s normal for them to get upset if they aren’t with them. Certain transitional objects (e.g. stuffed animals or a beloved blanket) can help provide reassurance during these times. Typically, separation anxiety .

Showing affection: Showing affection is probably one of the sweetest milestones children reach in their second year. Around this age, little ones may learn to start giving hugs (to people and their toys!) as well as sweet kisses and cuddles [].

Having tantrums: Around the same time toddlers are melting hearts with affection, you may notice a less desirable development: increasing temper tantrums. Toddlers this age often want to assert their independence but can’t (due to their physical limitations or boundaries set by adults around them). Since 13 month olds aren’t developmentally able to cope with their emotions or effectively communicate big feelings, this frustration often leads to temper tantrums.  

13 month old development milestones checklist

Below is a general checklist of milestones that some babies will start to reach by 13 months. Keep in mind all toddlers are unique, and there's a spectrum of normal for 1 year olds. However, if you are concerned about your child’s growth or developmental delays, contact their healthcare provider.

Milestones to watch for at 13 months:

• May take a few independent steps

• Learning to crawl up stairs []

• Shows affection with hugs, kisses, and cuddles (12 - 15 months) []

• Stacks two small blocks (13 - 18 months) []

• Follows simple one-step directions (12 - 15 months)

• Attempts to use utensils and drink from a cup independently

• Helps with getting dressed (13 - 18 months)

• Can point to 1 - 2 body parts when they’re named (13 - 18 months)

• Holds a crayon and begins to scribble after seeing you do it (12 - 15 months)

• Turns a single thick page 

• Says one or two words other than “mama” and “dada”

• May say 5 - 10 words Points to familiar objects when named or items they’re interested in (13 - 18 months)

• Tries to mimic words and gestures

• Communicates excitement by clapping (13 - 18 months)

• Raises hands to be picked up (13 - 18 months)

• Uses approximations for words (like “ba” for “ball”) []

• Look at a familiar object after you name it

• Understands around 50 words

• May say “no” or use gestures to express strong opinions/ideas

• Can let go of an object (e.g. throw a ball) and pick It up again (12 - 14 months)

• Removes or dumps out objects from a container (12 - 14 months)

• Can place a simple shape into a puzzle board or sorter (12 - 14 months)

5 development tips for 13 month olds

Tip #1: Encourage helping hands

13 month olds are constantly observing and learning — especially from what they see loved ones doing around them. They’re often eager to try out what they see, especially as they crave more independence. Welcome this curiosity and let them “help” with everyday activities when you can. We get it, little helpers this age aren’t always the most helpful but giving them opportunities to mimic what they see or collaborate with you (like playing with pots as you cook or a toy broom as you sweep, or helping you sort clothes or put things into the laundry basket), works those developing motor skills as well as language comprehension as they also start learning to follow simple directions. 

Tip #2: Share books together

Reading books (and lots of them!) is one of the best ways to encourage your 13 month old’s speech development []. But story time can also be a great opportunity to work on other milestones. You can do this by making reading a collaborative activity. Instead of simply reading to your little one, aim to share books together. You can get your little ones involved throughout the story time experience from having them point and pick which book to share to letting them (or helping them) turn the pages. Engaging them throughout the story can also take reading from a more passive activity to one with more active word exposure. 

Some ideas to accomplish this include pointing and asking questions about what you see on the page (e.g. “What sound does a car make?” or “Where’s the shark?”) to imitating different sounds your child makes while looking at the pictures and expanding on them (e.g. if your little one says “ba” while looking at a sheep, you can point, repeat and add “bah, the sheep says bah.”). Other ways to share story time together include imitating your child’s reaction to different pages, asking them to point to (and showing them) familiar objects and body parts in the pictures, and following their lead if they want to switch books or keep reading the same one over again. 

Tip #3: Use positive reinforcement (and affection)

At this age, 13 month olds are also growing socially and emotionally. During this time of emotional development, you can help your child better understand and communicate different feelings (including love and empathy) through affection and positive attention []. Give them lots of hugs, kisses, or praise, especially after they perform  “wanted behaviors.” This helps encourage these positive actions and feel supported during the process.

Tip #4: Keep them moving

Whether your little one is getting close to walking on their own or entering the confident cruising phase, physical activity helps build muscle strength and stamina []. No matter which stage your 13 month old is in, encourage physical movement and working on new skills both indoors and outdoors. Consider encouraging some freedom to explore in a baby-safe area of your home, (possibly with additional foam blocks, pillows, or wedges to navigate), and shower them with positive reinforcement as they practice new skills even if they haven’t mastered them quite yet. 

When possible, also offer plenty of opportunities to explore outside. This exposes your little one to diverse surfaces, activating different muscles as they test out those developing skills. Trying to walk or crawl on the grass or up an incline feels different than making moves throughout your kitchen or living room — all of these are great for building strength, coordination, confidence, and persistence. 

Tip #5 Reset mealtime expectations

Meals may seem harder around 13 months as appetites decrease and pickiness increases. But try not to let these bouts of unpredictable eating behaviors upset you. We know this can be easier said than done, though, especially after preparing a well-balanced meal or previous beloved snack, only for them to refuse to touch it! Instead, try to keep in mind why “picky” eating is common at this age to help reset expectations and hopefully help make meals less stressful []:

• They just aren’t as hungry: Toddlers typically aren’t growing as quickly during their second year as they did during their first, so it’s common for appetites to decrease as growth slows.

• They like the control: As toddlers begin feeding themselves, food becomes an area they can control. They realize they can call the shots on how much they want to eat and often experiment with exercising this newfound power.

• It may be about comfort: This is often a time filled with changes for many toddlers from new skills, independence, and routines. Some little ones take comfort in consistency and sticking to the same foods helps them feel more secure during all the changes. 

• Your portion sizes aren’t realistic: It may seem like your toddler is being picky if they aren’t eating how much you think they “should” eat. However, keep in mind that a 13 month old’s stomach is still pretty tiny (around the size of their clenched fist) []. Although it’s great to offer multiple meals and snacks throughout the day, your toddler likely won’t be able to eat the same large amount at each and every meal and that’s OK! 

Takeaway

• Toddlers at 13 months are often gaining confidence while cruising, learning how to stand independently, or even starting to take first steps. You may also see toddlers in this age range gesturing more to communicate, trying to mimic words and actions they see around them, and working on feeding themselves. 

• 13 month olds are also typically working on their budding vocabularies, often saying their first word, producing speech-like babbling (e.g. “ba” for “ball”), and getting closer to learning 5 - 10 words by 18 months. 

• Children at 13 months typically need three meals and two snacks per day. However, it’s normal to see a decrease in appetite, bouts of picky eating, and/or inconsistent eating patterns at this age.