toddler

noun

tod·​dler ˈtä-dᵊl-ər 

ˈtäd-lər

plural toddlers

: a person who toddles

especially : a young child usually between one and three years old

It's no secret that kids need plenty of sleep. For a preschooler (3 to 5 years old), that's as much as 11 to 13 hours, including naps; for a toddler (1 to 3), 12 to 14 hours; for a baby under 1, 14 to 15 hours.

—Stacey Colino

toddlerhood

ˈtä-dᵊl-ər-ˌhu̇d 

ˈtäd-lər-

noun

Examples of toddler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When a baby or toddler has a meltdown or feels overwhelmed, parents can see it as an opportunity to teach resilience. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025

Blomstadt has such a kind and expressive face, and the camera lingers on the different instruments in the orchestra, which is perfect for fuelling the imagination of a music-mad toddler. —Hilton Als, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025

More than that, listening to this playlist with your toddler is a screen-free activity that will light up their brain in all sorts of interesting ways. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 7 Nov. 2025

The toddler wore a white denim jacket and matching white jeans, layering a purple hoodie underneath. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

toddler

noun

tod·​dler ˈtäd-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

: a young child

toddlerhood

-ˌhu̇d 

noun