Starting to jump forward with both feet
Your toddler may have been jumping on the spot for some time now and may have used this skill when playing games and joining in with action songs. They may have bounced along to songs they like when they heard them. These bouncing movements have helped prepare your toddler’s understanding of how to bend using their hips and knees whilst swinging their arms. These movements are necessary for more advanced jumping.
Reacts to their reflection when looking at a mirror
Your baby has been interested in people since they were born. As they are awake and alert for longer and their vision develops, they will notice and respond to their reflection when looking in a mirror.
Starting to follow the motion of your hand if you point to something
Your baby has been interested in watching you and people around them and has started to show more interest in interactions. You might have noticed they initiate interactions in a variety of ways, perhaps by smiling, moving, or making sounds.
Your baby's strength and control
Many of your baby's early movements are the result of primitive reflexes which result in movement in response to stimuli. Now, your baby will be starting to show more control of their movements and you will notice their movements are starting to look smoother.
Uses sounds to attract your attention
You and your baby have been engaging in lots of activities and conversations that have required shared attention. Your baby has been learning how to respond to you and has been using all their skills to engage you in tiny moments of joint attention. Up until now, you have heavily relied on your baby using body movement and simple facial gestures in order to communicate with you.
Explores changes in tone and volume
Your baby has been listening to the sounds around them since before they were born and has started to explore the sounds they can make. You might have noticed they are making different sounds and even starting to repeat sounds, for example saying ba-ba or da-da. They will as they develop control of the sounds that they make begin to explore changes in tone and volume.
Starts to use a sound or sounds consistently to mean the same thing
Your baby's babble has been picking up pace, and they've progressed from duplicating the same babbling sounds to introducing a variety of babbling sounds. They are becoming more connected to their environment, and the art of communication is steadily becoming mastered. Your baby is now able to link some of the variegated babble to objects, people, and routines after hearing many words repeated many times.
Grabs objects, moves them around with hands and brings them to their mouth
Your baby has been using their sense of taste to gather information about their world since they were born[1]. Now that they are mastering their manual and visual coordination skills, your baby will thrive on being able to access even more information about fascinating things as they reach for, grasp and move objects with their hands.
Holds a spoon and brings it to their mouth
Your baby has been using their hands to help them explore their world. They will have been coordinating their manual and visual skills to bring items to their mouth as they find out more about objects using their senses, including touch and taste.
Uses their fingers to pull objects to their palm so that they can hold them
Your baby is learning how to adjust their hand’s position to grasp items of different shapes and sizes. They will be using their strengthening gross motor skills, alongside their developing fine motor skills, to attempt new ways of picking objects up.
