6 Month Old Child Development and Key Milestones You Should Know About

Do you want to learn about 6 month old child development? Babies have a huge leap in their physical skills at this age. They’re now doing so much more, compared to just 3 months ago. And they’ll start to talk and babble a lot more too!

There are so many other great things they’ll achieve at this age. So today, we’re sharing a list of typical developmental milestones. Including how much a 6 month old can understand and what they should be saying.

We’ll also share some fun and easy activities your little one will love. So make sure you keep reading until the end.

Let’s take a look!

What Should a 6 Month Old Baby Be Doing?

Your 6 month olds muscles are now much stronger. So they’ll soon be able to roll and sit on their own. Your baby is also now ready to try their first foods (if they haven’t already)!

Here’s a list of other physical, language, social and emotional milestones you can expect your baby to achieve around this age.

Typical 6 Month Old Child Development – Physical Milestones

Raises their head and moves their arms up to be lifted, when laying on their back
Will brace their shoulders and pull themselves to sitting when you hold their hands
Rolls from their front to their back (5 to 6 months) and back to front (6 to 7 months)
Lifts their head and chest well during tummy time. Will support themselves on extended arms with their palms flat
Bares weight on their feet and actively bounces up and down when you’re holding them
Takes everything to their mouth
Starts to eat smooth pureed food. But will spit it out using forwards and backwards tongue movements at first
Sits independently (around 7 months

Eye Sight

Stares at small objects or toys that are 15-30cm away
Follows adult’s or children’s activities across the room
Uses their eyes and hands to search for a toy that falls out of their field of vision. But will soon forget about it (known as early object permanence)

Fine Motor

Expertly reaches for things and grasps small toys and will pass objects from one hand to the other
Stretches out both hands at the same time to grasp an object. And will drop an object when they’re offered another one

6 Month Old Child Development – Communication and Language Milestones

Says sing song vowel sounds like ‘muh, goo, der, adah, er-leh and aroo’
May seem uninterested in interaction when they’re exploring objects by themselves
Friendly with strangers as long as they don’t approach them quickly or get too close. Will start to become more shy around them at 7 months

6 Month Old Child Development – Emotional and Social

Laughs, chuckles and squeals aloud in play
Recognises your facial expressions (happy, sad etc)
Responds happily to rough and tumble play
Follows an adult pointing towards an object or person

Want to keep track of your little one’s milestones? Download our free printable checklist.

Now you know what your 6 month old should be doing, let’s talk about how you can help their development.

How Can I Help My 6 Month Old’s Development?

There are lots of different activities, games and toys that will help your 6 month old’s development. Check out our fun ideas and tips below.

Fun and Easy 3-6 Month Activities

How to Start Treasure Basket Play With Your Baby

How to Make Fun Sensory Bottles For Infants

Conclusion

6 month old child development is so exciting! Your baby is now able to do so much more. They’ve gone from needing to be fed and sleeping all the time. To trying their first foods, rolling over and sitting by themselves!

Don’t forget to download our free printable checklist of all of the 6 month old milestones.

This is just a guide, so don’t worry if your baby seems a little slow at meeting their milestones. Every child is different.

But do make sure you talk to a health professional if you’re worried that your infant’s development isn’t normal. Or if you are seeing red flags or delays like not laughing or making vowel sounds.

References

Sharma A. & Cockeril H. (2014) Mary Sheridan’s From Birth to Five Years: Children’s Developmental Progress, 4th Edition. Oxon: Routledge (Accessed 20th February 2021)