Watching your baby grow and develop new skills is one of the most rewarding experiences of parenthood. From that first social smile to those wobbly first steps, each milestone represents incredible growth in your child's brain and body. Understanding what to expect at each stage helps you celebrate achievements, support ongoing development, and know when to seek guidance if something seems off track.
Every baby develops at their own pace. The ages listed here are averages—some babies reach milestones earlier, others later. If you have concerns about your child's development, consult your paediatrician or child health nurse.
Birth to 3 Months: The Fourth Trimester
The first three months of life are often called the "fourth trimester" because your baby is still adjusting to life outside the womb. During this period, development focuses on basic reflexes, early sensory awareness, and the beginning of social connection.
Physical Development
Newborns are born with several reflexes that help them survive, including the rooting reflex (turning toward touch on the cheek), sucking reflex, and grasp reflex. During these months, your baby will gradually gain head control. By around 2-3 months, most babies can briefly lift their head during tummy time and may begin to push up on their arms.
Cognitive and Sensory Development
Newborn vision is limited to about 20-30 centimetres—roughly the distance to your face during feeding. Babies are naturally drawn to high-contrast patterns and the human face. Hearing is well-developed at birth, and babies quickly learn to recognise familiar voices. By 2-3 months, most babies begin tracking moving objects with their eyes and may start to discover their own hands.
Social and Emotional Development
The first genuine social smiles typically appear around 6-8 weeks, melting parents' hearts everywhere. Babies begin to show recognition of familiar faces and may start making cooing sounds to communicate pleasure. Crying remains the primary communication method, but patterns become more recognisable.
Toys That Support This Stage
High-contrast black and white toys, soft rattles, gentle mobiles, and play mats with hanging toys encourage visual tracking and early reaching. Soft, textured toys help develop touch awareness.
3 to 6 Months: Reaching and Grasping
This period brings exciting changes as your baby becomes more interactive with the world. Intentional movement begins to replace reflexive actions, and personality really starts to shine through.
Physical Development
Babies develop much better head control and can hold their head steady when supported in a sitting position. Rolling over—usually tummy to back first, then back to tummy—typically begins around 4-5 months. Reaching for objects becomes intentional, and by 5-6 months, most babies can grasp toys placed in front of them. The palmar grasp (whole hand) is the dominant method at this stage.
Cognitive and Sensory Development
Babies now actively explore objects by mouthing them—this is how they learn about textures, temperatures, and shapes. Object permanence begins developing; your baby might look for a partially hidden toy. Cause and effect understanding emerges as babies learn that shaking a rattle produces sound or pressing a button creates music.
Social and Emotional Development
Laughter appears, usually around 4 months, along with more varied vocalisations including squeals and babbling. Babies become more interested in faces and may show stranger anxiety toward unfamiliar people. Social games like peek-a-boo start to become enjoyable as babies anticipate what comes next.
Offer plenty of tummy time with engaging toys placed just out of reach to encourage stretching and movement. Provide safe objects for mouthing and toys that make sounds when manipulated.
6 to 9 Months: Sitting and Exploring
Independence increases dramatically during this period. Your baby becomes a true explorer, eager to examine everything within reach and increasingly mobile in pursuit of interesting objects.
Physical Development
Independent sitting, without support, typically develops between 6-8 months. Many babies begin some form of locomotion—army crawling, traditional crawling, or bottom shuffling. Some babies begin pulling themselves to stand, though this is more common around 9 months. The pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger) starts emerging, allowing manipulation of smaller objects.
Cognitive and Sensory Development
Object permanence strengthens—babies now look for completely hidden objects. Memory improves, and babies remember familiar games and routines. Babies understand simple words and may respond to their name. They begin to explore how objects relate to each other, like placing toys in containers or banging objects together.
Social and Emotional Development
Separation anxiety often peaks during this period as babies develop strong attachments to primary caregivers. Babbling becomes more complex, with strings of consonant-vowel combinations. Babies may wave bye-bye or play pat-a-cake. Emotional expression becomes more nuanced, with clear displays of joy, frustration, and fear.
9 to 12 Months: On the Move
The final months of the first year bring remarkable mobility and the first signs of true communication. Your baby is becoming a toddler in every sense, with strong opinions and growing independence.
Physical Development
Most babies are crawling confidently and pulling themselves to stand. Cruising—walking while holding onto furniture—typically begins around 9-10 months. Some babies take their first independent steps before their first birthday, though anywhere from 9-18 months is normal. Fine motor skills improve; babies can pick up small items with precision and may start attempting to stack blocks or put shapes in sorters.
Cognitive and Sensory Development
Problem-solving skills emerge as babies figure out how to reach desired objects or operate simple toys. Understanding of cause and effect is well-established. Babies may imitate simple actions they've observed. First words—often "mama," "dada," or "no"—typically appear around 12 months, though understanding far exceeds expression.
Social and Emotional Development
Babies develop clear preferences for certain people, toys, and activities. They may show possessiveness over favourite items. Social referencing develops—looking to caregivers for cues about how to react in new situations. Games like giving and taking objects back and forth become popular.
Toys That Support This Stage
Push toys that support walking, stacking cups and blocks, shape sorters, activity tables, and simple cause-and-effect toys encourage emerging skills. Books with thick pages support developing fine motor control.
12 to 18 Months: Early Toddlerhood
Welcome to toddlerhood! These months bring increasing independence, emerging language, and the beginning of imaginative play. Your child's personality becomes more distinct every day.
Physical Development
Most toddlers are walking independently by 15 months, though the timeline varies widely. Walking becomes more confident, and toddlers begin attempting to run, climb, and kick balls. Fine motor skills progress to scribbling with crayons, turning pages in books, and stacking several blocks. Many toddlers can drink from a cup and begin using utensils, though messily.
Cognitive and Sensory Development
Vocabulary expands rapidly—from a few words at 12 months to 10-50 words by 18 months. Toddlers understand far more than they can say and can follow simple instructions. Symbolic play begins; a block might become a phone, or a box might become a car. Problem-solving becomes more sophisticated as toddlers experiment with different approaches.
Social and Emotional Development
Toddlers become increasingly assertive about their wants and needs, leading to the infamous tantrums when desires are thwarted. Parallel play—playing alongside other children without direct interaction—is typical. Toddlers may show empathy, offering comfort to upset people. Independence battles begin as toddlers want to do things themselves.
Around 18 months, toddlers begin pretend play—feeding dolls, talking on toy phones, or caring for stuffed animals. This represents a major cognitive leap and should be encouraged with appropriate toys.
18 to 24 Months: Language Explosion
The second half of toddlerhood brings a remarkable language explosion and increasingly complex play. Your child is becoming a true communicator and problem-solver.
Physical Development
Walking becomes running, and running becomes climbing. Toddlers navigate stairs with assistance and can kick a ball forward. Fine motor skills allow for simple puzzles, threading large beads, and building towers of 4-6 blocks. Many toddlers begin showing readiness signs for toilet training, though actual training typically begins later.
Cognitive and Sensory Development
Vocabulary typically explodes from 50 to 200+ words during this period. Two-word combinations emerge, marking the beginning of true language. Toddlers understand concepts like "big" and "small," "in" and "out." Memory and categorisation skills improve—toddlers can sort objects by colour or shape and remember where favourite toys are kept.
Social and Emotional Development
Toddlers become more aware of themselves as separate individuals. They may show possessiveness ("mine!") and jealousy. Pretend play becomes more elaborate, with simple sequences like feeding a doll and then putting it to bed. Toddlers enjoy being helpers and may imitate household tasks. Social interest in other children increases, though true cooperative play is still developing.
Supporting Your Growing Toddler
Provide opportunities for active play, language-rich interactions, and imaginative exploration. Simple puzzles, play kitchens, dolls, vehicles, and art supplies support the complex skills developing during this stage.
When to Seek Help
While development varies considerably, certain signs warrant a conversation with your child health nurse or paediatrician:
- No social smiles by 3 months
- Doesn't follow objects with eyes by 4 months
- Cannot hold head steady by 4 months
- Doesn't reach for objects by 5 months
- No babbling by 9 months
- Doesn't respond to name by 12 months
- Not walking by 18 months
- No words by 18 months
- Loss of previously acquired skills at any age
Early intervention makes a significant difference for children who need additional support. Trust your instincts—you know your child best. If something feels off, it's always worth investigating.
Remember, milestones are guidelines, not deadlines. Every child's journey is unique, shaped by their individual temperament, environment, and opportunities for exploration. Your job isn't to rush development but to provide a loving, stimulating environment where your child can grow at their own pace. Celebrate each achievement, no matter when it comes, and enjoy this incredible journey of watching your baby grow.