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What to expect at 6 months
At 6 months, your baby is becoming more active in play but still wants to be near you. Give your baby safe toys and experiences to help with their development.
Every baby is different and may reach developmental milestones at their own time. If you are worried about your baby's development, you can talk to a Child and Family Health Nurse (CFHN) or a family doctor. They can provide guidance and support is you have any concerns or questions.
What your baby is learning at around 6 months
Social and emotional
- Knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger
- Likes to play with others, especially parents
- Responds or reacts to other people’s emotions
- Likes to look at themself in a mirror
Language and communication
- Makes sounds to talk to you like "ah," "eh," and "oh"
- Enjoys taking turns with you when making these sounds
- Responds or reacts to their own name
- Makes sounds to show you they are happy and sad
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
- Looks around at things nearby
- Show interest in things
- Tries to reach and get things
- Pass things from one hand to the other
- Puts things in mouth to learn
Movement/Physical Development
- Roll over in both directions (front to back, back to front)
- Begin to sit without support
- Bounce up and down using their legs when standing
- Rock back and forth on their hands and knees, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward
Things your baby might enjoy
- Playing with water in a shallow basin or tub with your close supervision
- Waving ribbon or scarves
- Watching things move like bubbles floating in or trees swaying in the wind
- Listening to music, singing, and outdoor sounds like birds, planes, or rain
Safety tips
- When using a rocker, high chair, or pram, make sure to use the safety straps or belt
- Create a clean and safe play area on the floor away from small objects for the baby to play
- Limit or avoid screen time for your baby
Your baby pays attention to your voice, so be thoughtful of how you speak to them and others, including changes in your tone, how loud you are, and your emotions.
Everyone gets frustrated, angry, sad, sometimes, you may even feel like that with your baby. If it is happening regularly, or others have tried to talk you about how you are feeling, it is worth doing something about it.
There is help, you and your baby’s wellbeing matters. Read more information here.
