Posting objects: how the skill grows from 12 to 28 months
Posting objects means dropping or pushing an object into a container or through an opening, from a block into a cup to a lid through a slot. Posting practises letting go on purpose and early "in" and "out" thinking.
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Posting objects: 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: Drops into a wide container. Opens the hand over a bowl or basket and watches the toy land.
Activities that fit this step
- Tissue Box Scarf Pull and Stuff · 12–18 months · 3–8 min
- Lid Slot Posting Tub · 13–22 months · 5–10 min
- One Sock Ball per Cup · 13–22 months · 5–10 min
Next step: Posts through a big hole. Pushes a ball or rolled sock through a hole cut in a box lid.
Activities that fit this step
- Lid Slot Posting Tub · 13–22 months · 5–10 min
- One Sock Ball per Cup · 13–22 months · 5–10 min
- Two-Basket Copy Playdate · 14–24 months · 5–15 min
Next step: Posts through a slot. Turns a flat lid or card to line it up with a narrow slot before pushing.
Activities that fit this step
- Two-Basket Copy Playdate · 14–24 months · 5–15 min
- Sticky Note Peel-and-Collect · 15–24 months · 3–8 min
- Turn-to-Fit Slot Box · 16–30 months · 5–12 min
Next step: Posts with a purpose. Drops toys into the right box at clean-up, or a letter into a mailbox.
Activities that fit this step
- Sticky Note Peel-and-Collect · 15–24 months · 3–8 min
- Turn-to-Fit Slot Box · 16–30 months · 5–12 min
- Colander Straw Poke · 18–28 months · 5–10 min
Top of the ladder (posts with a purpose). Keep it flexible: offer it in a new place, with a different person or with new materials.
Activities that fit this step
- Turn-to-Fit Slot Box · 16–30 months · 5–12 min
- Colander Straw Poke · 18–28 months · 5–10 min
- Which Hole Fits? · 18–28 months · 5–10 min
The posting objects ladder
5 steps from the first sign to a flexible skill, covered here from 12 to 28 months. Children move at their own pace: use the steps to see what comes next, not as deadlines.
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Empties containers
Tips a basket or cup out, which usually comes before filling it.
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Drops into a wide container
Opens the hand over a bowl or basket and watches the toy land.
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Posts through a big hole
Pushes a ball or rolled sock through a hole cut in a box lid.
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Posts through a slot
Turns a flat lid or card to line it up with a narrow slot before pushing.
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Posts with a purpose
Drops toys into the right box at clean-up, or a letter into a mailbox.
When posting objects usually shows up
Putting an object into a container, such as a block into a cup, is a CDC 12-month milestone. Over the next year children move on to smaller openings, slots that need the object turned, and choosing which hole fits.
This page follows posting objects from 12 to 28 months, a window that spans the 12-month, 15-month, 18-month and 24-month CDC checklists.
In the library, 8 activities practise posting objects (3 as their main skill), for ages 12 to 30 months. 2 of them need no prep and take 10 minutes or less. By age, they sit closest to steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the 5-step ladder.
Related items appear on the CDC checklists for 12 months.
Related milestones
CDC checklist items (paraphrased) that involve posting objects. Checklists are for monitoring, not a test.
| Checklist | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 12 months | Drops an object into a container, like a block into a cup. |
Activities that practise posting objects
Placed on the closest ladder step by age. By primary domain: 5 fine motor, 1 cognitive, 1 early concepts and 1 social-emotional. Quickest to start: Sticky Note Peel-and-Collect (3–8 minutes).
Step 1: Empties containers
Step 2: Drops into a wide container
Step 3: Posts through a big hole
Step 4: Posts through a slot
Skills practised alongside
The activities for posting objects most often also work on problem solving (3), copying other children (1), counting (1), finding hidden objects (1) and playing alongside others (1). Pairing them keeps practice playful: one activity, several skills.
Practise it inside everyday routines
- Cut a hole in the lid of a box or food tub and offer three or four large things to post.
- Let your child tip everything out again each round; emptying and refilling is the game.
- Say "in!" as each thing drops, then hand over the next item instead of posting it yourself.
- Count clean-up as posting practice: blocks into a basket, socks into the laundry hamper.
What to avoid
- Posting items small enough to swallow; everything should be too big to fit inside a toilet-paper tube.
When to mention it to the pediatrician
If by about 12 months your child does not put objects into a container, or rarely reaches for and releases toys, mention it at the next well visit; for a baby born early, compare with corrected age.
Worried about posting objects 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 posting objects?
Putting an object into a container, such as a block into a cup, is a CDC 12-month milestone. Over the next year children move on to smaller openings, slots that need the object turned, and choosing which hole fits. The first step to look for: tips a basket or cup out, which usually comes before filling it.
How can I help my toddler with posting objects?
Cut a hole in the lid of a box or food tub and offer three or four large things to post. Let your child tip everything out again each round; emptying and refilling is the game. A good first activity is Tissue Box Scarf Pull and Stuff (12–18 months).
What should I avoid when practising posting objects?
Posting items small enough to swallow; everything should be too big to fit inside a toilet-paper tube.
When should I mention posting objects to the pediatrician?
If by about 12 months your child does not put objects into a container, or rarely reaches for and releases toys, mention it at the next well visit; for a baby born early, compare with corrected age. You can also contact Early Intervention yourself.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.