Written by Rhiannon Pilgrim (Director, Occupational Therapist)
As parents we often wonder:
- is my baby doing all the things they “should” be?
- are they developing at the right pace?
- are they getting enough exposure to a range of opportunities to develop?
- am I doing a good enough job?!
Then they reach toddler years and you think, gee I shouldn’t have stressed so much; they are walking and talking and doing all the right things. But now we are asking ourselves:
- is their behaviour normal?
- are they eating enough?
- are they social enough?
- am I doing a good enough job?!
And so on it goes throughout their life! So, in short – YES – you are doing a great job! But sometimes hearing that just isn’t enough to curb our concerns. So let’s have a look at some of the typical milestones and associated ages to put your mind at ease, but please remember it is normal for some babies and toddlers to take a bit longer to reach these.
Fine motor:
6-12 months
- Uses accurate and direct reach for toys
- Plays with toys in front of them and passes toys form one hand to the other
- Bangs objects together to make sounds
- Releases toys into a container
- Grasps small objects with fingertips
12-18 months:
- Holds a crayon and makes marks/scribble
- Stacks blocks and uses toy shape sorters to insert shapes
- Uses two hands in play (one to stabilize and one to manipulate) e.g. when putting an object into a box they may use one hand to stabilize the box and the other to place the toy
- Points with index finger
- Attempts puzzles
Gross motor:
6-12 months
- Kicks with both legs at the same time when laying on their back
- Sits propping with hand until able to sit independently
- Rolls from place to place
12-18 months
- Sits in small chair
- Plays while standing
- Walks well
- Squats to pick up toys
- Flings a ball
- Pushes and pulls large toys or carts
- Begins to run
Sensory:
6-12 months
- Enjoys being held up in the air and moving through the air
- Finger feeds self
- Listens to speech
- Explores different textures and objects
12-18 months
- Enjoys messy activities
- Reacts to extreme sensations such as warm, cold, sweet
- Enjoys a range of different sensory experiences (movement, food, playing in water)
Cognitive:
6-12 months
- Responds to own name
- Recognises others names and common words
- Looks at picture books
- Imitates simple gestures
12-18 months
- Knows that things exist even if they can’t see them
- Follows simple one-step instructions
- Points to some body parts
- Expects basic routine events to occur
Social/Play:
6-12 months
- Attachment to parents and caregivers
- Social play with parents and caregivers
- Begins to use toys for their functional purpose (ball, blocks)
- May show stranger anxiety
- Lifts arms to be picked up
12-18 months
- Symbolic play (drinks from toy cup, eats pretend food)
- Playing alongside other children
- Participates in simple hello and goodbye interactions
Check back in for our future blog post where we’ll describe the next phases of developmental milestones in children.