12 month developmental milestones

Baby sitting on the floor playing with blocks in front of them. Dad smiling and lying next to them on the floor also playing with the blocks.

There are some key physical and communication milestones you will expect your 12 month old to reach. These milestones should be treated as a rough guide, as each child is unique and will develop at their own pace. It is often unhelpful to compare a toddler to other toddlers or their siblings.

Explore the topics on this page:

Physical milestones

Communication milestones

Encouraging development

Possible developmental concerns

Last reviewed: 1 November, 2024

At around 12 months old you can expect your baby to be able to:

Physical

sit in a good position and are able to get into a sitting position alone
pull to stand from sitting position and can sit down again
walk around furniture (also known as cruising)
may crawl or bottom shuffle
may stand alone
help turn the pages of a book
throw a small ball
pick up a piece of string with first finger and thumb
pick up small objects with the tips of their fingers

Communication

point at an object
respond to their own name
hold out arm or foot to help when being dressed
make more meaningful sounds (for example, ‘mamma’ and ‘dadda’)
look at an object when you ask where it is
offer a toy when you ask for it, they may not let go of it
play with a soft toy or doll by hugging it

Encouraging development

Activities and toys to explore include:

containers to put toys into and then take them out
picture books
push and pull toys, musical toys, and stacking toys
messy play
thick crayons and paint brushes
chatting at mealtimes
blowing raspberries

Young child's hands covered in different colour paints and pressing their hands against some pieces of paper.

Toddlers do not need lots of toys or devices to have fun or to encourage development.

They learn a lot of early skills by playing and spending time with you.

Possible development concerns

Sometimes development can be slower than you expect, or you may notice something different about your child or young person. It's normal to feel worried but there is lots of support out there.

Contact the health visiting team if you notice your baby is:

has no form of independent mobility (such as crawling, commando crawling, bottom shuffle)
is not pulling to stand from a sitting position
is not standing independently

If your child needs more help or has additional needs, you can visit our specific section for extra support.

Child development and growing up for additional needs

If you have any questions or concerns about your baby's development, a health professional in our team will be able to offer advice and support.

You can email ccs.bedsandlutonchildrenshealthhub@nhs.net

You can call 0300 555 0606

Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

Or you can text:

07507 331456 if you live in Bedfordshire
07507 331886 if you live in Luton

Open Monday to Friday 9am to 4:30pm (excluding bank holidays).

Need more information?

Local support

Information for 12 month old toddlers

Baby in high chair playing with a pink bowl with orange spoon. Pieces of food are scattered across the highchair.

0-1 Years
1-5 Years

Feeding and eating

Weaning and introducing solid foods

Weaning is when you steadily introduce solid foods (also known as family foods) to your baby. Weaning may also be referred to as complementary feeding. The two main types of weaning are traditional weaning and baby-led weaning.

Mum sitting on sofa holding her baby whilst breastfeeding.

0-1 Years
1-5 Years

Feeding and eating

Breastfeeding advice

Breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed your baby. Your breastmilk contains nutrients and antibodies custom made for your baby to help them grow and fight off infections. There are many benefits to breastfeeding your baby. Any amount of breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby.

A woman sitting down and smiling whilst looking down at the baby she is holding, which is wrapped in a blanket, in her arms

0-1 Years

Feeding and eating

Responsive feeding

Responsive feeding is when a parent responds to their baby’s feeding cues as well as their own want to feed their baby. Learn more about the differences between responsive breastfeeding and responsive bottle feeding.

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12 month developmental milestones

Explore the topics on this page:

At around 12 months old you can expect your baby to be able to:

Physical

Communication

Encouraging development

Possible development concerns

Need more specific support for your child?

Who can help

Need more information?

Local support

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