Two months

At around two months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• Whilst laying on tummy, baby turns their head to the side
• Whilst laying on back, baby waves arms, legs and wiggles/squirms
• Briefly holds a toy when you place it in their hand
• Follows an object or person with both eyes

Communication

• Be able to make cooing sounds such as ‘aaah’, ‘gah’, ‘ooo’
• Baby smiles when spoken to
• When you talk to your baby, they make sounds back to you
• Cries when wet, hungry tired or wants to be held
• Eye to eye contact is deliberately maintained
• Turns to voices

Four months

At around four months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• When laying on tummy, baby will hold their head straight up and look around
• When in a sitting position, baby will hold their head steady, without support
• Whilst laying on back, baby will bring hands together over the chest, touching their fingers
• When in a sitting position, baby should start to reach for a toy close by
• When baby has a toy in their hand, they will hold it whilst looking at it, waving it about and attempting to chew it

Communication

• When in front of a mirror, baby should smile or ‘coo’ at themselves
• Baby will be able to chuckle softly and/or laugh
• After you have been out of sight, baby will smile or get excited when they see you
• Baby will make sounds when looking at toys or people
• Baby will be able to make high pitched squeals

Six months

At around six months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• Baby will roll from their back to their tummy
• Baby will be able to sit up with support
• Baby will be able to get into a crawling position
• Be able to grasp a toy using both hands at once
• Reach a small object using their finger and pick it up using their thumb and all fingers
• Be able to pick up a small toy with one hand and pass it to the other
• Plays with feet when laying on back

Communication

• Holds hands up to be lifted
• Makes sounds like ‘Da’, ‘ga’, ‘ka’
• Squeals and laughs
• Likes to look at themselves in a mirror

Nine months

At around nine months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• Sits without support
• Can get into sitting position from lying down
• Will pull to stand and take weight on feet
• May crawl
• Rolls over both ways

Communication

• Copy simple sounds
• Babbles making different sounds e.g. mamma
• Baby will when asked ‘Give it to me’ or ‘Put it back’
• Recognises family members
• Clingy to familiar adults
• Has a favourite toy

Twelve months

At around twelve months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• Sits well and gets into sitting position alone
• Pulls to stand from sitting position and can sit down again
• Walks around furniture
• May crawl or bottom shuffle
• May stand alone
• Help turn the pages of a book
• Throw a small ball
• Be able to pick up a piece of string with first finger and thumb

Communication

• Points at objects
• Responds to own name
• When dressing, will hold out arm or foot to help
• Makes more meaningful sounds e.g. Mamma, Dadda

Eighteen months

At around eighteen months you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• Walks well
• Can walk upstairs holding an adults hand
• Can stack blocks on top of each other
• Turn the page of a book
• Put a small in their mouth, right side up

Communication

• Says several single words
• Recognises and points to parts of the body
• Enjoys nursery rhymes and tries to join in
• Obeys simple commands, such as ‘bring me your shoes’

Two years old

At around two years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• Tries to kick a ball
• Runs well
• Jumps with both feet leaving the floor at the same time
• Holds pencil by using thumb and first two fingers
• Can string small items such as beads, pasta onto a string
• Drinks from a cup with no lid

Communication

• Likes to pretend and role play
• Can name well known objects
• Correctly uses words like ‘I’, ‘Mine’ and ‘You’
• Will correctly put two – three words together

Three years old

At around three years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• Will walk on tip toes when shown
• Walks upstairs with alternate feet, still puts both feet on each step when coming down
• Catches a large ball
• Pedals a tricycle
• Climbs walls

Communication

• Can say own name, age and sex
• Can say numbers up to 10
• Pretend play is more vivid
• Plays with other children and takes turns
• Understands and uses ‘You’, ‘Me’, ‘I’

Four years old

At around four years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• Walks up and down stairs using alternate feet
• Good on a tricycle
• Hops and stands on one foot
• Can throw, catch and kick well
• Draws a person with recognisable body parts eg head, arms and legs
• Uses a fork and spoon well

 Communication

• Knows own first and last name
• Can sing several nursery rhymes
• Likes to listen to longer stories and will tell own stories
• Continues to ask lots of questions
• Takes turns and shares
• Shows sympathy to friends when hurt or upset

Five years old

At around five years old you can expect your child to be able to do the following:

Physical

• Can balance and stand on one foot for about 10 seconds
• Hops
• Dances
• Swings and climbs
• Slides down a slide
• Can now get dressed and undressed by self

Communication

• Speech is very clear
• Knows name, address and age
• Likes listening and telling stories
• May have best friend
• Sense of humour increasing
• Uses more imagination
• Shows more independence

Who can help?

Links and additional information

Health visiting in Bedfordshire

NHS birth to five development timeline