6 month developmental milestones

Young baby sitting on the floor smiling as her mum is reaching round her with a hand puppet.

There are some key physical and communication milestones you will expect your 6 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 baby to other babies 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 6 months old you can expect your baby to be able to:

Physical

roll from their back to their tummy
when on their back, play with their feet
when on their tummy, pushing their whole chest off the floor and straightening both arms
sit up with support
lean on their hands when they sit on the floor
get into a crawling position
grasp a toy using both hands at once
reach a small object using their finger and pick it up using their thumb and all their fingers
pick up a small toy with one hand and pass it to the other
try to get a toy that's out of reach by rolling, turning on their tummy or crawling
start teething

Communication

holds hands up to be lifted
makes sounds like 'ba', ‘da’, ‘ga’, and ‘ka’
squeal and laugh
when playing with sounds they will growl, grunt, and make other deep-toned sounds
repeats sounds back to you
enjoy looking at themselves in a mirror
act differently towards strangers than you or other familiar people such as staring, frowning or crying

Encouraging development

Activities and games you can explore with your baby:

trip to the park
nursery rhymes and peekaboo
ready, steady, go games
playing with your baby by getting down to child’s level (lying down or crouching)
playing with things they are interested in
picture books (using the same books helps with familiarity)
speaking with your baby and talking about what they are looking at
using different voices and actions when reading, singing and playing
talking to them in short simple sentences
responding to their babbling by copying back the sounds they make

Baby girl sitting up on a playmat holding a toy in one hand

Babies 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:

not reaching for and holding (grasping) toys
not bringing hands to midline
clenching their hands frequently
not exploring objects with hands, eyes and mouth
not holding head and shoulders up with good control when lying on tummy
not holding head with control in supported sitting

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 babies aged 6 months old

Mother and baby on floor with soft fabric ball. Baby is laying on their stomach on a rug, in a living room.

Child development and growing up
Moving and being active

Learning to move

Babies are limited in the amount they can move. They're strengthening their muscles with small movements throughout the day. Many parents worry about their babies developing flat head syndrome. Babies spend a lot of time sleeping and travelling on their back. It is important for babies to move around during the day.

Two women kneeling down in front of their babies. The two babies are lying on their back. One baby is looking at the other, whilst the other baby is looking at the camera.

Child development and growing up
Speech, language and communication

Communicating with your baby

Babies can communicate from the moment they are born. As soon as they arrive, your baby is learning about speech, language and communication. When communicate with your baby, you are helping them learn to communicate. It's also important for you to understand how your baby is trying to communicate with you.

Sleeping newborn baby being held with an adults finger gently pulling down on their lower lip to reveal the baby's first tooth.

Child development and growing up

Hygiene for infants

It's important to try to keep your baby clean and healthy by bathing them and brushing their teeth. It can help your baby to build up their immunity to infections and stick to good personal hygiene as they get older.

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6 month developmental milestones

Explore the topics on this page:

At around 6 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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