Cause and effect: how the skill grows from 12 to 30 months
Cause and effect means discovering that actions make things happen: pressing makes a click, dropping makes a splash, pushing sends a car down a ramp. This is the engine of toddler exploration and the root of later problem solving.
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Cause and effect: the ladder, step by step
Pick the step that looks most like your child today. The next step and activities that practise it appear below.
No step picked yet. There is no wrong answer: pick the closest one.
Next step: Acts on purpose. Lets a ball go at the top of a ramp just to watch it roll away.
Activities that fit this step
- Big Box Tower Topple · 12–18 months · 3–8 min
- Scarf in a Tube Pull · 12–18 months · 3–8 min
- Kitchen Pot Band · 12–22 months · 3–8 min
Next step: Tries switches and buttons. Presses a light switch or a button on a toy and looks for the result.
Activities that fit this step
- Tap Test: Pot, Box or Towel · 14–22 months · 3–8 min
- Water Painting Walls and Steps · 14–24 months · 5–12 min
- Baking Sheet Finger Painting · 15–24 months · 5–12 min
Next step: Changes the action. Drops a sponge from higher up to see whether the splash gets bigger.
Activities that fit this step
- Does It Roll? Ramp Test · 15–26 months · 5–10 min
- Ready-Set-Go Car Ramp · 16–26 months · 5–10 min
- Box Lid Ramp Races · 17–27 months · 5–15 min
Next step: Predicts the result. Says "fall!" or covers their ears before the tower crashes.
Activities that fit this step
- Cushion Ramp Car Turns · 18–28 months · 5–10 min
- Colander Rain Pour · 20–30 months · 8–15 min
- Kick Over the Tube Pins · 20–36 months · 5–12 min
Top of the ladder (predicts the result). Keep it flexible: offer it in a new place, with a different person or with new materials.
Activities that fit this step
- Crayon Leaf Rubbings · 24–36 months · 5–12 min
- Melting Color Ice Pucks · 27–36 months · 8–15 min
- Shadow Stomp and Wave · 27–36 months · 5–15 min
The cause and effect ladder
5 steps from the first sign to a flexible skill, covered here from 12 to 30 months. Children move at their own pace: use the steps to see what comes next, not as deadlines.
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Repeats a lucky action
Bangs a pot a second time because the first bang made a great noise.
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Acts on purpose
Lets a ball go at the top of a ramp just to watch it roll away.
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Tries switches and buttons
Presses a light switch or a button on a toy and looks for the result.
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Changes the action
Drops a sponge from higher up to see whether the splash gets bigger.
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Predicts the result
Says "fall!" or covers their ears before the tower crashes.
When cause and effect usually shows up
Trying to use switches, knobs or buttons on a toy is a CDC 24-month milestone. Long before that, toddlers repeat an action again and again to get the same result, then start changing the action to see what changes.
This page follows cause and effect from 12 to 30 months, a window that spans the 12-month, 15-month, 18-month, 24-month and 30-month CDC checklists.
In the library, 16 activities practise cause and effect (5 as their main skill), for ages 12 to 36 months. 2 of them need no prep and take 10 minutes or less. By age, they sit closest to steps 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the 5-step ladder.
Related items appear on the CDC checklists for 24 months.
Related milestones
CDC checklist items (paraphrased) that involve cause and effect. Checklists are for monitoring, not a test.
| Checklist | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 24 months | Tries to work the buttons, knobs or switches on a toy. |
Activities that practise cause and effect
Placed on the closest ladder step by age. By primary domain: 5 cognitive, 5 creativity & pretend, 2 early concepts, 1 fine motor, 1 gross motor, 1 language and 1 social-emotional. Quickest to start: Big Box Tower Topple (3–8 minutes).
Step 1: Repeats a lucky action
Step 2: Acts on purpose
Step 3: Tries switches and buttons
Step 4: Changes the action
Skills practised alongside
The activities for cause and effect most often also work on scribbling and early drawing (3), colors and shapes (2), making music (2), painting (2) and pouring (2). Pairing them keeps practice playful: one activity, several skills.
Practise it inside everyday routines
- Prop a box lid or baking sheet on a cushion as a ramp for balls and cars.
- Hand over a pot and wooden spoon and copy the rhythms your child makes.
- At bath time, pour, squeeze and splash, and wonder aloud what happens next.
What to avoid
- Toys that do everything after one press; plain objects leave more for your child to work out.
When to mention it to the pediatrician
If by 2 your child does not try buttons, switches or knobs, or shows little curiosity about what happens when they handle toys, bring it up with the pediatrician.
Worried about cause and effect between visits? Call the pediatrician; CDC's free resources also explain how to contact your local Early Intervention program directly. Milestones are for monitoring, not diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
When do toddlers start cause and effect?
Trying to use switches, knobs or buttons on a toy is a CDC 24-month milestone. Long before that, toddlers repeat an action again and again to get the same result, then start changing the action to see what changes. The first step to look for: bangs a pot a second time because the first bang made a great noise.
How can I help my toddler with cause and effect?
Prop a box lid or baking sheet on a cushion as a ramp for balls and cars. Hand over a pot and wooden spoon and copy the rhythms your child makes. A good first activity is Big Box Tower Topple (12–18 months).
What should I avoid when practising cause and effect?
Toys that do everything after one press; plain objects leave more for your child to work out.
When should I mention cause and effect to the pediatrician?
If by 2 your child does not try buttons, switches or knobs, or shows little curiosity about what happens when they handle toys, bring it up with the pediatrician. You can also contact Early Intervention yourself.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.