Developmental Milestones: 9 Months to 3 Years

Your little one will do things at their own pace, but you can watch for certain developments around certain times. Here is a rough guide of developmental milestones to celebrate with your child as they learn and grow.

Developmental Milestones: 9 Months

Cognitive

• Recognizes people and objects at a distance
• Recognizes and responds to familiar words

Motor

• Holds an object in each hand
• Scoots or begins to crawl

Communication

• Looks for and reacts to sounds outside line of vision
• Babbles echo actual words with vowels & consonants

Social

• Distinguishes between strangers and family
• Shows frustration when limits are set and tests limits

Developmental Milestones: 10 Months

Cognitive

• Understands how to use many objects
• Expanding attention span, from two to three minutes at eight months / 15 minutes at 12 months

Motor

• Rolls over quickly and suddenly
• Crawls
• Sits up unsupported for long periods
• May stand

Communication

• Recognizes own name
• Shakes head or frowns to express “no”

Social

• Accurately mimics expressions and sounds
• Enjoys being around other babies (but can’t yet play)

Developmental Milestones: 11 Months

Cognitive

• Understands that objects have names
• Attracted to new toys and objects

Motor

• Points and pokes with index finger
• May briefly stand on their own

Communication

• Gestures to communicate
• Understands many things said to them

Social

• Imitates actions of adults and other children
• Waves good-bye

Developmental Milestones: 12 Months

Cognitive

• Looks and listens simultaneously
• Follows one-step commands, “Lift your arm”

Motor

• Crawls up stairs
• May take first steps or walk

Communication

• Responds to simple questions and one-step commands
• May use “Mama” and “Dada” to refer to parents

Social

• Shows separation anxiety when you leave the room
• Shows increased affection with family

Developmental Milestones: 12-15 Months

Cognitive

• Actively explores objects by touching and moving
• Points to objects you name (nose, pictures in a book)

Motor

• Takes first solo steps or may even walk fairly well
• Climbs stairs and scoots down

Communication

• Uses at least one to two words around first birthday
• Responds to questions and requests

Social

• Shows preferences for certain people and things
• May say “no” to express frustration

Developmental Milestones: 15-18 Months

Cognitive

• Puts objects in and takes them out of containers
• Imitates real life in play, like feeding a doll or talking on the phone

Motor

• Climbs on furniture
• Removes some clothing; helps when being dressed

Communication

• Uses a single word as a sentence. Ex: Juice
• Understands concepts of up, down, off, and hot

Social

• Easily frustrated
• Increasingly understands that they are a separate person from you with their own preferences, feelings, and ideas

Developmental Milestones: 18-21 Months

Cognitive

• Knows how household items are used, like a spoon to eat
• Points to at least one body part when asked

Motor

• Jumps in place or from a bottom step to the floor
• Walks

Communication

• May say up to 30 words by 18 months
• Tries longer, multi‐syllable words

Social

• May have tantrums when upset, however tantrums peak between 18 and 24 months
• May have quick emotional shifts

Developmental Milestones: 21-24 Months

Cognitive

• Names simple objects in a book
• Follows two‐step requests

Motor

• Walks with balance along curbs or logs
• Able to turn knobs, push buttons and turn pages

Communication

• Uses simple phrases or puts words together, like “All gone"
• May refer to self by name instead of saying “I“

Social

• Makes broad, often quick emotional shifts
• Becomes more interested in playing with other children

Developmental Milestones: 24-36 Months

Cognitive

• Figures out simple mechanical toys
• Completes puzzles of three or four pieces

Motor

• Runs with more coordination
• Jumps
• Learns to kick a ball

Communication

• Uses pronouns: I, we, you
• Says name, age, and gender

Social

• Plays with other children rather than just side‐by‐side
• Understands the concept of possessives like mine, hers

From rolling over to running around and talking, their developmental milestones are worth celebrating at every turn.