What happens at this age?

This is an overview of the milestones in a child's development.

Click on one of the ages below...

3 - 6 - 9 - 12 - 15 - 18 -  21 - 24 - 36    Months

3 month old babies...

• turn toward bright colors and lights
• follow moving toys or faces with their eyes
• recognize or know the bottle or breast
• respond to loud or new sounds
• reach for and grasp toys or hair
• wiggle and kick with legs and arms
• lift head and shoulders up while on stomach
• smile back at parents or other family members
• make sounds, like gurgling, cooing or babbling
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6 month old babies

• turn toward voices
• reach for toys and pick them up
• roll over front-to-back and back-to-front
• play with their toes
• help hold the bottle during feedings, if bottle fed
• know faces of family members
• babble, squeal, and repeat vowel sounds, like ooh, -ae, -e
• sit by leaning on their hands

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9 month old babies

• copy sounds or gestures
• reach for crumbs or other small things with their thumb and fingers
• move toys from one hand to the other hand
• support themselves with straightened arms when on their stomachs
• sit unassisted

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12 month old babies

• respond to their name
• may be scared of strangers
• look for an object if you hide it from them, even if they can’t see it
• crawl on hands and knees
• pull themselves up to a standing position
• walk by holding onto furniture
• can drink from a cup with your help
• enjoy playing games, like peek-a-boo or patty cake
• say 1 to 2 words

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15 month old toddlers

• use gestures
• like to look at pictures in a book
• can hold a crayon in a fist
• hand toys to you when asked
• can point to pictures you name, if the things in the picture are familiar
• walk alone without help

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18 month old toddlers

• like to pull and push things
• follow simple directions
• pull off shoes and socks
• feed themselves sometimes
• step off low objects and keep their balance
• turn 2 to 3 pages of a book at a time
• can point to one body part
• can name one object
• like to copy your words or actions

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21 month old toddlers

• can name 2 objects
• like to pretend-play
• can put together a simple picture puzzle if it has only 2 or 3 large pieces
• like to throw balls
• like to play alone with toys for a short time
• say “No” a lot

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24 month old toddlers

• use 2 to 3 words together, like “No, Mommy” or “More cookies”
• say names of toys and people
• feed themselves with a spoon
• turn one page at a time
• point to hair, eyes and nose when someone asks them
• show affection to family members and pets
• run short distances without falling

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36 month old toddlers

• answer simple questions
• walk up steps, alternating feet
• put their clothes on by themselves
• open simple containers
• like to play with other children
• repeat simple rhymes and songs
• use 3 to 5 word sentences
• name at least one color correctly
• jump in place
• express their emotions

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