A Quick Guide to Your Baby's Development: 1 to 12 Months
| At… |
Most Babies Will... |
Some Babies Can... |
A Few Babies May... |
| 1 Months |
- Respond to a sound, like a bell
- Focus on faces
- Lift their head |
- Follow an object held several inches in front of their face
- Make sounds other than crying, like cooing
- Smile when you smile |
- Laugh
- Smile on their own
- Follow an object from side to side (180°) |
| 2 Months |
- Hold their head up for a few seconds
- Follow an object
- Coo and gurgle |
- Hold their head up at a 45° degree angle
- Concentrate on a small object, like a pea
- Roll over in one direction |
- Lift their head and chest off of the floor
- Bring their hands together
- Lift their head 90° |
| 3 Months |
- Laugh
- Hold their head steady
- Squeal in pleasure |
- Recognize your voice
- Hold a rattle when it is placed in their hand
- Support their lifted chest with their arms |
- Bear some weight on their legs
- Reach for toys
- Turn towards loud sounds |
| 4 Months |
- Support their lifted chest with their arms
- Hold upright head steady
- Respond when you talk with coos and gurgles |
- Roll over in one direction
- Keep head up when pulled to a sitting position |
- Sit unsupported
- Imitate sounds
- Protest if you take a toy away |
| 5 Months |
- Roll over in one direction
- Play with their hands and feet
- Reach for an object
- Bear some weight on their legs |
- Turn toward a voice or new sound
- Know their own name
- Sit unsupported |
- Pull-up to standing from sitting
- Babble
- Be afraid of strangers |
| 6 Months |
- Sit unsupported
- Turn toward a voice
- Roll over in both directions |
- Protest when a toy is taken away
- Pass an item from hand to hand
- Be ready for solids |
- Pick up very small objects with their thumb and finger
- Start crawling
- Say "mama" or "dada" although not to the correct parent |
| 7 Months |
- Imitate speech sounds
- Try to get toys that are out of reach
- Look for a dropped object |
- Stand while holding onto something
- Crawl |
- Wave bye-bye
- Play patty-cake
- Bang things together |
| 8 Months |
- Eat a cookie unassisted
- Crawl
- Pass an item from hand to hand |
- Crawl well
- Point to an object
- Say "mama" or "dada" although not to the correct parent |
- Walk while holding onto furniture (cruise)
- Understand "no"
- Gesture to what they want |
| 9 Months |
- Stand while holding onto something
- Play Peek-A-Boo
- Say "mama" or "dada" although not to the correct parent |
- Play Patty Cake
- Cruise
- Understand "no" |
- Say "mama" or "dada" to correct parent
- Drink from cup alone
- Stand on their own |
| 10 Months |
- Pick up items with thumb and finger
- Wave bye-bye
- Understand "no" |
- Gesture to what they want
- Stand on their own
- Say "mama" or dada" to correct parent |
- Stand freely for a few seconds
- Stand alone well
- Walk |
| 11 Months |
- Say "mama" or dada" to correct parent
- Stand alone momentarily
- Play Patty Cake |
- Say one word aside from "mama/dada"
- Put an item in a container
- Understand basic directions |
- Stoop down from a standing position
- Walk well
- Say three or more words aside from "mama/dada" |
| 12 Months |
- Gesture to what they want
- Say one word aside from "mama/dada"
- Imitate others |
- Walk
- Roll a ball back to you |
- Scribble
- Pick up an object while standing |
