Milestones matter! How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offer important clues about his or her development. Look for these developmental milestones in your 6-month-old.
Physical:
- Rolls over in both directions (front to back, back to front)
- Begins to sit without support
- When standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce
- Rocks back and forth, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward
Mental:
- Looks around at things nearby
- Brings things to mouth
- Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach
- Begins to pass things from one hand to the other
Social:
- Knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger
- Likes to play with others, especially parents
- Responds to other people’s emotions and often seems happy
- Likes to look at self in a mirror
- Responds to sounds by making sounds
- Strings vowels together when babbling (“ah,” “eh,” “oh”) and likes taking turns with parent while making sounds
- Responds to own name
- Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure
- Begins to say consonant sounds (jabbering with “m,” “b”)
Additional Tips for Caretakers:
You can help your baby learn and grow. Talk, read, sing, and play together every day. Below are some activities to enjoy with your 6-month-old baby today.- Play on the floor with your baby every day.
- Learn to read your baby’s moods. If he’s happy, keep doing what you are doing. If he’s upset, take a break and comfort your baby.
- Show your baby how to comfort herself when she's upset. She may suck on her fingers to self-soothe.
- Use “reciprocal” play—when he smiles, you smile; when he makes sounds, you copy them.
- Repeat your child’s sounds and say simple words with those sounds. For example, if your child says “bah,” say “bottle” or “book.”
- Read books to your child every day. Praise her when she babbles and "reads," too.
- When your baby looks at something, point to it and talk about it.
- When he drops a toy on the floor, pick it up and give it back. This game helps him learn cause and effect.
- Read colorful picture books to your baby.