Learn when many babies reach key milestones in their development, including crawling, walking with support, and learning to say first words.
During their first year of life, babies reach key milestones at an amazing rate. From cooing to crawling and more, these milestones offer clues to how your baby continues to learn and grow in this whirlwind first year.
Learn more from Scripps Pediatrician Dr. Olga Rose on key milestones during your baby’s first year:
But when do babies start crawling? And what other milestones should you expect your baby to reach at certain ages? Our parent’s guide will help you track key points in your baby’s physical, behavioral, motor (movement) and cognitive development.
The points in this parent’s guide are listed based on the ages that most babies reach these milestones, as reported by the AAP, the CDC, and leading children’s hospitals.
Every baby is different, so don’t worry if your baby doesn’t reach one of these milestones at the exact points we’ve listed. There’s actually a fairly wide window for babies to reach different milestones.
If your baby doesn’t reach a milestone at the point we’ve listed, they’ll likely reach this milestone within a few months. Some babies take longer than others to reach a milestone, and others even skip over milestones.
Your doctor will help you track your baby’s progress through key milestones, and let you know if your baby is experiencing any true developmental delays. If you have any concerns about your baby’s development, let your doctor know.
Your 1 Month Old: Milestones
- Turns towards the sound of familiar people’s voices
- Bring their hands close to their mouth
- Develops strong reflexes, like shutting their eyes when they see a close, bright light, or flinching when they hear a loud noise
- Moves their head from side to side while lying on their stomach
Your 2 Month Old: Milestones
- Begins “tracking” moving objects and people with their eyes
- Neck muscles are stronger, so they can start to hold their head up
- Starts to push up with their arms when they’re lying on their stomach
- Starts to pay attention to familiar people’s faces
Your 3 Month Old: Milestones
- Smiles at familiar people
- Smiles at the sound of familiar people’s voices
- Recognizes familiar people from a distance
- Coos and starts trying to imitate sounds
- While lying on their stomach, baby holds their head and chest up, and kicks their legs. They can also support their body with their arms while they’re on their stomach.
- Grasps toys
- Starts to coordinate hand and eye movements
- Closely watches people’s faces
- Reaches towards dangling objects (like mobiles) or people’s faces
Your 4 Month Old: Milestones
- Will hold their head up for longer periods
- Reaches out and grabs objects with one hand
- Uses their eyes and hands together---they might see a toy, then reach for it and grasp it, then look at the toy in their hands
- Shakes toys as they grasp them
- Brings their hands to their mouth
- Pushes up with their arms while lying on their stomach
- Babbles and copies sounds that they hear
- Ability to track movements improves
- Plays with and watches their fingers
- Uses different cries to let you know whether they are hungry, tired, or in pain
- Lets you know whether they are happy or sad
- Copies facial expressions and movements that others make
- When supported and their feet are on a hard surface, baby will push down on their legs
- If you support them, baby will sit up
Your 5 Month Old: Milestones
- Rolls from stomach to back, and back to stomach
- Brings objects to their mouth
- Grabs their feet, and possibly puts their feet in their mouth
- Reaches for objects with both hands
- Smiles at themself in a mirror
- Is eager to play, and may show they’re upset when playtime stops
- Starts showing interest in the foods you’re eating. This is a sign that they’ll soon be ready to start solids!
Your 6 Month Old: Milestones
- Laughs
- Starts to make simple consonant sounds, like “mmmmm” and “b,”while babbling
- Starts to make simple vowel sounds, like “ooo” and “eee,” while babbling
- Continues to improve their grasping skills, so they’re ready to start feeding themselves with their hands or a spoon
- Can pass an object (like a toy) from one hand to another
- Makes sounds to express emotions (ex. squeals of joy or whining when upset)
- Responds to their own name
- Begins to respond to others’ emotions
- Makes sounds to respond to sounds
- Tries to grasp at out-of-reach objects
- Starts to distinguish between familiar faces and strangers
- Continues to improve object “tracking,” and can follow moving objects/people across the room
Your 7 Month Old: Milestones
- Begins to sit without support
- Begins to respond to the word “no”
- Starts to recognize emotions by the tone of your voice
- Can find partially hidden objects
- Starts to use a raking grasp (using their hand like a rake to reach for an object)
- Will start to play games like patty cake and peek-a-boo
- Strings more consonants together in their babbles
- Explores by putting things in their mouth
Your 8 Month Old: Milestones
- Starts babbling “mama” and “dada”
- Can get themself into a sitting position
- Can pull themself up to a standing position
- Can stand by holding onto a support
- May start to develop “stranger anxiety” and “separation anxiety,” a distress if they’re separated from you
- Can use toys to fill and dump
- Can use toys to make noise
- Can move something between hands more smoothly
Your 9 Month Old: Milestones
- Uses the pincer grip to hold smaller objects (like food pieces) between their finger and thumb
- Points at things they want
- Starts to have favorite toys
Your 10 Month Old: Milestones
- May walk around while holding onto supports (like furniture) the entire time
- May crawl faster
- Can pull on pull toys
- Can put objects in a container and take them out
- Can poke at things
- Recognizes pictures in books
- Shakes their head “no”
- Waves “bye-bye”
Your 11 Month Old: Milestones
- Starts to pretend play to imitate your behaviors; they may pretend to talk on the phone, or babble to mimic your talking
- Starts to understand simple statements and requests (like “don’t touch”)
- May explore objects in different ways, including banging, throwing, and dropping
- May cry when you leave the room
- Makes sounds with changes in tone (so it sounds more like speech)
- May repeat sounds or actions to get attention
Your 12 Month Old: Milestones
- May stand for short periods without support
- May start to take steps on their own, without support
- Can say a few simple words clearly, including a distinct “mama” and “dada,” and even “uh-oh” with the right emphasis. They might also say “hi” or “no.”
- May try to imitate the words you say
- Starts to use objects (like drinking cups and hairbrushes) correctly
- Can identify something familiar when it’s named (“where’s the cat?”)
- Can find hidden objects easily
- May offer a book if they want to hear a story
- May put their arm or leg out to help you when you dress them
- Has clear favorite things and people
After 12 months, your baby is now a toddler, and they’ve progressed through a dizzying amount of developmental milestones. Congratulations!
Remember, though---don’t worry if a baby doesn’t reach a milestone at a certain point. Every baby is different, and every baby will move through the milestones at their own pace. Again, if you have any concerns about your baby’s development, please talk to your doctor.
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