young child; toddler
General term for a very young child, roughly from age 1 up to around 6 years old. Often used in everyday contexts.
公園で幼児が遊んでいる。
Young children are playing in the park.
I bought a picture book for toddlers.
child over 1 but not yet of school age
Legal definition: a child who is at least 1 year old but has not yet reached school age (typically under 6 or 7). Used in legal and administrative contexts.
法律では、幼児は満1歳から就学前までの子どもを指す。
Under the law, '幼児' refers to a child from age 1 until school entry.
I bought a picture book meant for toddlers.
I leave my toddler at daycare while I work.
There are two toddlers in this household.
幼児 specifically means a toddler or infant before school age, whereas 小児 can cover a wider medical age range up to adolescence.
幼児 is the neutral, everyday term for an infant or toddler, whereas いと is an archaic literary word for a young child.
幼児 is a general age-based term for a young child (roughly 1–6 years old) regardless of whether they attend any facility, while 園児 specifically refers to a child enrolled in a kindergarten or nursery school.
赤ん坊 refers to a newborn up to about age one, while 幼児 refers to a somewhat older young child, roughly ages one to six.
幼児 (young child) is an exact homophone of 用事 (errand) but means something completely different.
early childhood; infancy
baby talk; infant speech