Milestones for Your Baby's First Year (2024)

Medically Reviewed by Renee A. Alli,MD on July 08, 2023

1 to 3 Months

Around 1 month after your baby is born, they'll still have jerky arm and leg movements and not much neck control. They'll probably keep their hands in a fist shape, and theireyes may cross from time to time.

But there are also some new skills that are starting to show up. They can probably:

Bring their hands near their face
Pay attention to people's faces over other objects
Focus theireyes on things 8-12 inches away
Turn their head from side to side while lying on their back
Turn toward sounds and voices they recognize
Smiles when you talk to or smile at them
Reacts to loud noises

By the time your baby is 3 months old, you'll notice some other things going on. They may:

Try to grab for and hold on to objects
Put theirhand in theirmouth
Stretch and kick while lying on their back
Push down against a surface when theirfeet are placed on it
Calm themselvesoccasionally by finding a hand or finger to suck on
Coo or gurgle using mostly vowel sounds
Focus on objects farther away than 12 inches
Raise their head off the floor or push up their torso while lying on theirstomach

4 to 6 Months

As your baby closes in on the halfway point of their first year, they are no longer a newborn. Their movements will have more purpose, and theirvision and speech skills will grow. They'll probably be able to:

Smile at people
Copy sounds they hear
Use different cries to express different feelings (hunger, pain)
Follow an object with theireyes
Copy expressions on others' faces
Reach for toys with one hand
Roll from tummy to back and maintain control of head
Makes sounds back when you talk to them
Pushes up on their elbows or forearms when on their tummy

At the halfway point of their first year, they should be able to:

Realize when someone is unfamiliar
Look at themselves with interest in the mirror
Play with other people, especially theirmom and dad
Start stringing more than one sound together when they babble
Respond to theirname
Bring objects to theirmouth
Reach for toys and grab them
Pass a toy from one hand to another
Laughs
Closes lips when they don't weant food

By 6 months, some babies can also:

Roll over in both directions
Start sitting without support
Hold their weight on their legs when they stand
Rock back and forth on hands and knees

7 to 9 Months

Your baby gets steadier as they grow. From 7 to 9 months, some master sitting up on their own and using their hands to pick up and move things. Others even walk by 9 months. Babies usually have full color vision by 7 months.

Typically, at the end of 9 months, your baby may be able to:

Cling to you when someone unfamiliar is around
Prefer certain toys over others
Understand the word "no"
Recognizes their name
Play games like peekaboo
Reach for a toy that's far away
Put things in theirmouth
Shows several facial expressions to show emotion
Makes a lot of different sounds such as "mamamama" of "babababa"
Sit on theirown
Pull up to standing
Stand while holding on to something
Crawl
Lifts arms to be picked up
Looks for objects that they dropped like a toy or spoon.
Bangs things together

10-12 Months

As your baby approaches 1 year, they can explore more of the world than ever before. They havelearned new ways to communicate with you and others, and is getting more mobile every day. They can likely:

Bring you a toy to play with or a book to read
Recognize when you're leaving and get upset about it
Get your attention with noises or movement
"Help" dress themselvesby putting arms and legs through clothes
Use gestures to say things ("no" and "goodbye")
Say a few simple words like "Mama" or "uh-oh"
Mimic words you say
Find an object behind your back
Clap theirhands together and wave
Point
Follow simple directions
Drink from a cup
Use theirthumb and forefinger to pick up small objects, including food that they put in their mouth

There's a wide range of skills when it comes to sitting, crawling, and standing at this age. It's normal for a 1-year-old not to walk, but some do. On average, most 1-year-olds can:

Get into a sitting position alone
Pull up to standing
"Cruise" (move while holding on to furniture or other support)
Stand alone
Take a few steps

When it comes to reaching milestones, remember: Your baby is in charge. They'll cross the goal line when they are good and ready. If you have concerns about how your child is developing, check with your pediatrician. Some of the changes you may see as each month goes by:

Age	Gross Motor Skills	Fine Motor Skills	Language/ Cognitive	Social
1 month	Moves head from side to side when on stomach	Strong grip	Stares at hands and fingers	Tracks movement with eyes
2 months	Holds head and neck up briefly while on tummy	Opens and closes hands	Begins to play with fingers	Smiles responsively
3 months	Reaches and grabs at objects	Grips objects in hands	Coos	Imitates you when you stick out your tongue
4 months	Pushes up on arms when lying on tummy	Grabs objects -- and gets them!	Laughs out loud	Enjoys play and may cry when playing stops
5 months	Begins to roll over in one or the other direction	Learns to transfer objects from one hand to the other	Blows "raspberries" (spit bubbles)	Reaches for Mommy or Daddy and cries if they're out of sight
6 months	Rolls over both ways and sits with support	Uses hands to "rake" small objects	Babbles	Recognizes familiar faces --caregivers and friends as well as family
7 months	Moves around -- starts to crawl, scoot, or "army crawl"	Learns to use thumb and fingers	Babbles in a more complex way	Responds to other people’s expressions of emotion
8 months	Sits well without support	Begins to clap hands	Responds to familiar words, looks when you say her name	Plays interactive games like peekaboo
9 months	May try to climb/crawl up stairs	Uses the pincer grasp	Learns object permanence -- that something exists even if they can’t see it	Is at the height of stranger anxiety
10 months	Pulls up to stand	Stacks and sorts toys	Waves bye-bye or lifts up arms to communicate "up"	Learns to understand cause and effect ("I cry, Mommy comes")
11 months	Cruises, using furniture	Turns pages while you read	Says "Mama" or "Dada" for either parent	Uses mealtime games (drops spoon, pushes food away) to test your reaction; expresses food preferences
12 months	Stands unaided and may take first steps	Helps while getting dressed (pushes hands into sleeves)	Says an average of 2-3 words (in addition to"Mama" and "Dada")	Plays imitative games such as pretending to use the phone