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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
When do babies learn to talk, walk and play?
Most older siblings know: It takes time for a newborn baby to be ready to play.
At first, all babies seem to do is eat, sleep and poop. But in just a few months, they learn how smile, roll over and even copy sounds their parents or siblings make.
All babies are different, so it’s impossible to know when exactly a baby will develop these skills. There are various milestones, though, that most babies reach around the same age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2 months old
- Start to smile
- Make cooing and gurgling noises
- Start to recognize familiar people from a distance
- Can push up when lying on their stomachs and hold their heads up
4 months old
- Like to play and might cry when play stops
- Can reach for, hold, and shake toys
- Watch faces very closely
6 months old
- Like to play with others
- Enjoy looking in the mirror
- Roll over in both directions
- Respond to sounds you make with their own sounds
9 months old
- Make lots of sounds, like “mamamama”
- Point with their fingers
- Copy the sounds and gestures they hear and see others do
- Play peek-a-boo
- Crawl
1 year old
- Walk while holding onto furniture
- Shake their heads “no” and wave “bye-bye”
- Drink from cups and brush their hair
- Can follow simple directions, like “please pick that up”
1½ years old
- Give things to others as play
- Play pretend
- Scribble
- Walk without help
2 years old
- Get excited when with other children
- Know the names of familiar people
- Say short sentences
- Kick a ball, run and climb
If you think there might be an issue with your child’s development, share your concerns with a medical professional.
One-year-old JT Parrish gives an assistant teacher a high five. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)
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