Baby Developmental Milestones by Age: What to Expect
Watching your baby grow during their first year is full of exciting moments. One day they're discovering their hands, and before you know it, they're reaching for toys, sitting up, making new sounds, and exploring the world around them.
It can also be easy to wonder, Is my baby developing on track? Understanding developmental milestones can help parents and caregivers know what skills to watch for and recognize the progress their baby is making along the way.
Encompass Family Support Services provides developmental milestone checklists to help families learn more about what children typically develop as they grow. The checklists are organized by age and can be a helpful starting point when you're wondering about your child's development.
What Are Developmental Milestones?
Developmental milestones are skills that most children develop around a certain age. They can include things like how a baby moves, communicates, interacts with others, and learns about their surroundings. Milestones generally fall into several areas of development, including:
Social and emotional development: How your baby interacts with you and responds to people.
Communication: How your baby uses sounds, gestures, and eventually words to communicate.
Cognitive development: How your baby learns, explores, remembers, and solves problems.
Physical development: How your baby develops movement, coordination, strength, and control.
Remember that milestones are not a strict schedule. Children develop at different rates, and there can be a range of time when a child develops a particular skill.
Baby Development at 2 Months
During the first couple of months, babies are beginning to become more aware of the people and world around them. You may notice your baby:
Watching your face
Looking at you when you talk
Beginning to smile
Making sounds other than crying
Moving both arms and legs
Beginning to hold their head up during tummy time
These early skills may seem small, but they are important building blocks for communication, movement, and social connection.
Baby Development at 4 Months
By around four months, babies are becoming more active and engaged with their surroundings. You may see your baby:
Smile and respond to people
Make sounds to get your attention
Turn toward familiar voices
Reach for objects
Hold and explore toys
Hold their head steady
Push up onto their arms during tummy time
Your baby's growing interest in people and objects gives you plenty of opportunities to talk, sing, read, and play together.
Baby Development at 6 Months
Around six months, babies often become increasingly interested in exploring their environment. Movement, communication, and social interaction continue to develop. Your baby may begin to:
Respond to sounds and voices
Make a variety of sounds
Reach for and explore objects
Roll over
Sit with support
Bring objects toward their mouth to explore them
Show interest in people and their surroundings
Simple floor play can give your baby opportunities to practice these emerging skills. Give them safe opportunities to reach, move, explore, and interact with you.
Baby Development at 9 Months
By nine months, your baby's personality may really start to shine through. They're learning more about how things work and becoming more mobile. You may notice your baby:
Responding to their name
Making a variety of sounds
Looking for objects that are out of sight
Sitting independently
Moving around by crawling or another method
Reaching for and transferring objects
Showing preferences for familiar people and activities
This can be an exciting time for exploration. Make sure your baby's environment is safe as they become more mobile and curious about everything around them.
Baby Development at 12 Months
By 12 months, babies are becoming increasingly independent explorers. They may be interested in communicating, moving around, and participating in everyday activities. You may see your baby:
Use gestures to communicate
Respond to familiar words
Try to imitate sounds and actions
Pick up small objects using their fingers
Pull themselves up to stand
Move around while holding onto furniture
Explore objects in different ways
Interact with familiar people
Every baby's first year looks a little different. Some children may reach certain milestones earlier, while others may take more time.
Baby Development at 15 Months
Around 15 months, toddlers are becoming more independent and interested in exploring everything around them. You may notice your child:
Trying to communicate what they want through sounds, gestures, or words
Pointing to ask for something or show you something interesting
Copying actions they see you do
Following simple directions
Taking steps independently and becoming more confident on their feet
Picking up small objects and using their hands to explore
Showing more interest in playing with and interacting with others
Every new attempt is an opportunity to learn. Give your toddler plenty of safe opportunities to move, explore, imitate, and communicate.
Toddler Development at 18 Months
By 18 months, toddlers are often becoming more active communicators and explorers. You may see your child:
Using words or sounds to communicate their needs
Pointing to objects or pictures when you name them
Following simple instructions
Imitating everyday actions, such as pretending to talk on a phone
Walking independently and beginning to run
Scribbling with crayons
Turning pages in books
Showing affection toward familiar people
Simple activities like reading together, talking during routines, and giving your child opportunities to practice new movements can help encourage these growing skills.
Toddler Development at 21 Months
Around 21 months, your toddler is continuing to build independence while developing new ways to communicate and interact with the world. You may notice your child:
Using more words and gestures to communicate
Combining sounds, gestures, or words to express what they want
Following simple directions
Engaging in pretend play
Walking, running, and climbing with increasing confidence
Using their hands to manipulate toys and everyday objects
Showing interest in other children and familiar adults
At this age, everyday activities can become opportunities for learning. Let your child help with simple tasks, name what you see together, and give them time to try things independently.
Toddler Development at 24 Months
By two years old, toddlers are becoming increasingly independent and expressive. You may notice your child:
Using more words to communicate
Beginning to put words together
Following simple directions
Engaging in pretend play
Running, kicking a ball, and climbing
Using a spoon or other everyday objects with increasing control
Showing more awareness of other people and their emotions
Beginning to play alongside or with other children
Two-year-olds learn through repetition and everyday experiences. Reading the same book, practicing new words, and giving your child opportunities to move and explore can all help build developing skills.
Toddler Development at 30 Months
Around 30 months, your toddler may be using their growing communication, movement, and problem-solving skills in new ways. You may notice your child:
Using more words and beginning to combine several words
Following two-step directions
Naming familiar objects or people
Engaging in pretend play
Jumping with both feet
Turning pages in books and manipulating toys
Showing increasing independence with everyday activities
Playing alongside other children and beginning to interact with them
Your toddler may also have strong opinions about what they want to do, and what they don't want to do. Offering simple choices and giving them opportunities to try things independently can encourage confidence and growing skills.
Toddler Development at 36 Months
By three years old, children are becoming more confident communicators, movers, and problem-solvers. You may notice your child:
Speaking in longer phrases or sentences
Having simple back-and-forth conversations
Asking questions and talking about things they see
Following multi-step directions
Engaging in imaginative or pretend play
Running, jumping, and climbing with greater coordination
Using crayons and other tools with increasing control
Showing more independence with everyday routines
Beginning to take turns and interact more intentionally with other children
At this age, conversations, pretend play, books, outdoor activities, and everyday routines all provide opportunities to practice developing skills. Let your child's interests guide play and give them plenty of opportunities to try things on their own.
Celebrate Your Child’s Progress
Every child develops at their own pace, and every new skill is worth celebrating. If you have questions about your child’s development or want to learn more about their milestones, Encompass Family Support Services is here to walk alongside your family. Explore our developmental milestone checklists or reach out to learn more about our free developmental screenings for children under age three in North Dakota.
