Key takeaways for parents
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Every baby develops at their own pace. Progress isn’t a measure of your parenting as small, everyday interactions make the biggest impact.
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In the first 0-3 months, focus on skin-to-skin bonding with practical belly time for newborns, prompt reassurance, and daily routines.
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At 3-6 months encourage fine motor skills, reaching, grasping, and interactive chatter to prepare your baby for language skills to come.
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By 6-12 months you can introduce supportive floor play, gentle self-feeding options, and curated baby sensory toys.
Every baby develops at their own pace, with some learning to talk from 12 months old, to others not saying their first word until they reach two years of age.
It’s important to remember that how your baby develops isn’t a reflection of how you parent, nor does it necessarily indicate they will find their development periods challenging.
Every baby is different, and with small, everyday actions, you can make a huge difference in their individual growth and learning journey.
We’ve put together some of our top baby development tips for each age group.
What baby develop milestones should you look out for?
As a parent, watching your baby reach new milestones brings an unmistakable sense of pride. Whether it’s a milestone in talking, walking, playing, learning, or behaving, there is a milestone for every step of the journey.
It is completely natural if your baby isn’t ticking these off as soon as they reach a specific age. Every child is unique and develops on their own timeline.
To help you understand what to look out for at every stage, from early eye contact and cooing to taking their first steps, read our full guide on baby milestones.
0-3 months: Building strong foundations
Parenting a newborn is all about bonding, understanding their needs and establishing a routine that works for both of you. As it’s your number one priority to make sure your baby is growing and developing well, here are some tips to help smooth the process:
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Skin-to-skin contact: Set quality time aside for skin-to-skin contact or a gentle baby massage after bath time. This builds a strong bond while helping to soothe your baby and ease them into a relaxing evening routine.
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Belly time: Give your baby tummy time to strengthen their muscles. All you need to do is pop them on their belly while they’re awake a few times a day to help strengthen their neck and shoulders, while supporting developing head control and core strength. Make sure you wait a couple of days after giving birth to start this process.
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Response time: React to their cries promptly to build security and trust with your baby. During the early stages, this is how you’ll begin communicating with your child so getting to know their needs and reassuring them is key.
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High-contrast visual stimulation: Surround them with high-contrast toys to stimulate their vision. Although babies are not able to fully play with toys as a newborn, letting them view vibrant colours and patterns can aid their brain and coordination development.
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Food and nutrition: Your baby will gain the most nutrients during the first six months of their life from breast milk or formula before solids are introduced. To check your baby is getting all the nutrients they need, check their nappy as the contents of it will give you the answer. Read our article on newborn poop for more guidance.
3-6 months: Exploring the world
Your baby has reached the 3-6 month mark which means they’re inquisitive and ready to start exploring their mobility, as well as every object they can get their hands on. Here’s how you can get involved:
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Encourage reaching and grasping objects: This can help aid the development of their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and cognitive functioning. By interacting with their environment, they’ll start their journey in exploring the world.
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Talk and sing: Doing this can help boost their language development. Whether it’s your favourite song, a nursery rhyme or you’re reading to them regularly, by singing and talking to your child, you’ll help them tune into the rhythm of language.
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Gentle rolling: Direct their rolling practice to help improve their coordination. They’ll start to understand how each part of their body works together, and the important role of their core which determines how they move.
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Introduce varied textures: Tactile play mats and textured toys encourage sensory exploration while keeping play practical and engaging. This helps develop their fine motor skills, cognitive function and sensory perception.
6-12 months: Movement and communication
Before you know if you’ll be on the countdown to their 1st birthday, which means they’re now moving, communicating, trying new foods and everything else in between. Below are some tips during this whirlwind stage:
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Movement and standing: Encourage crawling and standing with your support to help grow their confidence. Start small by holding their hands; before long, they’ll be pulling themselves up on every surface possible.
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Interactive games: Play peekaboo to build memory and object permanence. This technique (and easy game!) will help your baby understand that an object can still be there while not in sight. It’s also fantastic for helping to build problem-solving skills as they grow.
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Self-feeding finger foods: Provide soft foods for early self-feeding skills. On top of the minefield that is weaning, finger foods are great for teaching your child how to eat by themselves, while also helping to build their hand-eye co-ordination.
12-24 months: Independence and learning
Now your baby has surpassed their first big milestone, it’s time to get stuck into helping them learn to walk, talk and play.
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Help them practise walking within safe spaces: This will allow them to continue building their confidence while feeling a sense of independence without any hazards affecting their progress.
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Give them simple puzzles and stacking toys for problem-solving development: These will help your child develop their curiosity and patience, which are vital as they grow up. Their thinking skills and understanding of cause and effect may also be supported by this.
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Introduce early words through books and songs: Starting simple with the odd word or lyric will help them explore sounds and patterns of words. If you incorporate some actions or repetition into the mix, you’ll also teach them about the structure of spoken language.
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Encourage pretend play to spark their imagination: They can then actively create scenarios and explore a range of roles as they develop their problem-solving skills further. You’ll introduce a safe, creative space that can help contribute to their cognitive development while also boosting their social skills.
Baby development milestones
As a parent, what baby development milestones should you look out for? No matter what your child accomplishes, you’re going to feel a sense of achievement and pride every time they hit one. Whether it’s a milestone in talking, walking, playing, learning or behaving, there’s a milestone for everything.
We’ve detailed the most common milestones by age group below. It’s completely natural and not means for concern if your baby isn’t ticking these off as soon as they hit a certain age bracket because every child is unique and develops at their own pace.
0-3 months
- Lifting their head during tummy time
- Following objects with their eyes
- Recognising their parents' voices
- Smiling for the first time
3-6 months
- Rolling over in both directions
- Laughing and cooing more expressively
- Reaching for and grabbing objects
- Making eye contact
- Taking interest to their surroundings
6-12 months
- Sitting up without any assistance
- Crawling or attempting to move by themselves
- Responding to their name and simple words like ‘bottle’
- Repeating sounds they hear
- Using their hands to communicate
12-24 months
- Taking their first steps
- Saying a few simple words
- Copying simple actions like clapping or waving
- Learning how to balance and climb
- Understanding instructions clearer
The best toys for baby development
With the right tools to hand, you can support your baby's development at every stage. From teething to walking and talking! Here are a few of the toys we’d recommended for supporting your child’s growth and learning...
0-3 months
- High-contrast black-and-white toys for vision development
- Soft rattles for grasping and soothing sounds
- Sensory play mats for tummy time for a stimulating environment
3-6 months
- Teething toys for oral development
- Activity gyms with hanging toys for motor skills
- Mirror toys for self-recognition
6-12 months
- Stacking cups and blocks for motor skills
- Musical toys to encourage rhythm and movement
- Push-and-pull toys for coordination
12-24 months
- Ride-on toys for improving balance
- Simple shape sorters and puzzles for problem-solving skills
- Dolls or stuffed animals for emotional development
Things that can harm your baby's development
Every parent wants their baby to develop at an optimal rate. Here are some things to be mindful of to avoid any setbacks in the process:
- Lack of tummy time: Tummy time is essential for motor skill development. Without it, learning how to properly move their body may be delayed.
- Too much screen time: Although children love the vibrant colours and quirky noises that come out of the screen, relying on devices can reduce their real-world learning and interaction with others.
- Limited social interaction: Getting out and about with your baby is key to their language development. Have them meet new people by joining some parent-baby classes, beneficial for both of you.
- Neglecting sensory play: The best way for your child to learn is through touch, sounds and movement. Sensory play allows them to explore colours, textures and noise so they can begin distinguishing what happens as a result of an action.
- Poor sleep habits: While it can be easier said than done during the early stages, getting your baby into a healthy sleep routine is vital for brain growth and emotional regulation. For tips, check out our sleeping guides.
- Overuse of baby equipment: Let your child explore the home (safely) and support themselves when standing up, as over-using swingers and walkers can impact their muscle development.
Thinking too much about your child’s development can be worrying, so try not to compare your baby to other little ones. Every journey is different, but if you are concerned, there’s nothing wrong with reaching out to your GP for reassurance.
Overall, it’s a rewarding process to be involved in. It might not always be plain sailing, but with time and patience as your baby learns and grows at their own pace, they’ll develop exactly how they should.
Every child is unique so don’t spend your time worrying. Instead, encourage them to engage and play as you both enjoy each stage of the journey.
You’ve got this. We’ve got you.
