There are some key developmental milestones you can expect your child to reach between ages 1 and 2 years.
The ages given for milestones in this guide are an average. Every child is different. Most children should be meeting these milestones.
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP or public health nurse if:
- you are concerned about your child’s development
- your child loses skills they had before
They may carry out more tests or refer your child to a specialist.
By 7 months
Most babies will reach certain milestones at age 7 months.
Motor skills
Your baby will grasp a cube-shaped object by clutching it between their fingers and the palm of their hand.
They may:
- be able to sit without support
- use their hands to prop themselves up and protect themselves from falling
Communication and hearing
Your baby will make random babbling sounds.
They may:
- begin to recognise their name and respond with a look or noise
- make noises to gain your attention
- turn to look at people who enter the room
Learn how you can support your baby's communication development.
Social and emotional
They’ll be wary with people they do not know or have not seen for some time.
Learn how you can support your baby's social and emotional development.
Problem-solving, learning and understanding
Your baby may:
- bang and shake toys
- enjoy playing with anything that makes noise or feels interesting
When to get medical advice
Sometimes development can be slower than you expect. Or you may notice something different about your baby.
Contact your GP or public health nurse if you're worried or your child loses skills they had before.
By 8 months
Most babies will reach certain milestones at 8 months old.
Motor skills
Your baby will be able to:
- get themselves into a sitting position
- grasp a small object between their thumb and the side of their index finger
Communication and hearing
Your baby may:
- make more babbling sounds and put them together in a way that sounds like adult speech
- say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ - although they might not know what these mean yet
Learn how you can support your baby's communication development.
Social and emotional
Your baby can start playing ‘peek-a-boo’.
Learn how you can support your baby's social and emotional development.
Problem-solving, learning and understanding
Your baby will pick an object up after it falls.
When to get medical advice
Sometimes development can be slower than you expect. Or you may notice something different about your baby. It's normal to feel worried. Support is available.
Contact your GP or public health nurse if
- you are concerned about your baby’s development
- your baby is not sitting independently
- your baby loses skills they had before
By 9 months
Most babies will reach certain milestones at 9 months old.
Motor skills
Your baby may:
- pull themselves to a standing position
- crawl on their hands and knees
They will also be able to grasp a:
- cube-shaped object using their thumb and fingertips
- small object using their thumb and the second finger on their hand
Communication and hearing
Your baby will:
- begin to show that they understand some simple words, such as 'bye bye'
- copy actions such as a wave and use it at different times of the day - not just when they're saying hello or goodbye
Learn how you can support your baby's communication development.
Social and emotional
Your baby can get separation anxiety. This is when they become upset or distressed when they are separated from a parent or another carer.
Your baby may:
- continue to need your attention and cry to get it
- be shy around strangers and less familiar people
- express their feelings by laughing, screaming and crying
- start to recognise feelings in others - for example, they may get upset if another child is crying
Learn how you can support your baby's social and emotional development.
Problem-solving, learning and understanding
Your baby will start to understand that objects continue to exist even when they are not seen. For example, when you hide a toy under a blanket they will lift the blanket to find it.
When to get medical advice
Sometimes development can be slower than you expect. Or you may notice something different about your baby. It's normal to feel worried. Support is available.
Contact your GP or public health nurse if you notice your baby:
- is not holding objects
- cannot move a toy from one hand to another
- is not rolling
- is not sitting independently
- has not started to move around (for example bottom shuffling or crawling)
- cannot take weight on their legs when they're held in a supported standing position
- loses skills they had before
By 10 months
Most babies will reach certain milestones at 10 months old.
Motor skills
Your baby will be able to isolate their index finger and use it to poke at things.
Your baby may walk around furniture while holding onto the edge.
Communication and hearing
Your baby may:
- use some gestures to communicate, such as clapping and waving
- begin to understand what 'no' means
- respond with movement, sounds and smiles to music and singing
- enjoy taking turns in to respond to you using different sounds and babble
Learn how you can support your baby's communication development.
Social and emotional
Your baby will respond to positive recognition such as clapping.
Learn how you can support your baby's social and emotional development.
Problem-solving, learning and understanding
Your baby will:
- bang 2 cubes together
- explore through poking
When to get medical advice
Sometimes development can be slower than you expect. Or you may notice something different about your baby.
Contact your GP or public health nurse if you're worried or your child loses skills they had before.
By 11 months
Most babies will reach certain milestones at 11 months old.
Motor skills
Your baby may:
- stand alone
- use their index finger and thumb to pick up objects
Communication and hearing
Your baby may:
- copy simple sounds and say their first word
- look at something when you point to it
- ask for something by pointing or by looking at something then at you
Learn how you can support your baby's communication development.
Social and emotional
Your baby will start to develop a concept of self. This means they will start to develop a social identity and an understanding of who they are.
Learn how you can support your baby's social and emotional development.
Problem-solving, learning and understanding
Your baby will uncover a toy hidden beneath a blanket or cup.
When to get medical advice
Sometimes development can be slower than you expect. Or you may notice something different about your baby.
Contact your GP or public health nurse if you're worried or your child loses skills they had before.
By 12 months
Most babies will reach certain milestones at 12 months old.
Motor skills
Your baby may:
- take their first steps without help
- use their index finger and thumb to pick up small objects
Communication and hearing
Your baby may:
- use the words 'dada' and 'mama' in the right situations
- point at objects they want to show you, such as a toy
- recognise and respond to their name more when you call them
- understand more everyday words and respond to some simple instructions such as 'come here' - this will be inconsistent for a while, especially when they are tired or distracted
- enjoy rhymes and songs when you do the actions
Learn how you can support your baby's communication development.
Social and emotional
Your baby will play by themselves. This is called solitary play. They will offer a toy to their reflection in a mirror.
Learn how you can support your baby's social and emotional development.
Problem-solving, learning and understanding
Your baby will:
- remove a lid to find toys
- use their hands to throw toys onto the floor and follow the toys with their eyes
When to get medical advice
Sometimes development can be slower than you expect. Or you may notice something different about your baby. It's normal to feel worried. Support is available.
Contact your GP or public health nurse if you notice your baby:
- has no form of independent mobility (such as crawling, commando crawling, bottom shuffle)
- is not pulling to stand from a sitting position
- loses skills they had before
