Further Reading

Your child has used one object to represent another in their play and has been able to match pictures and objects for some time. They are now noticing familiar logos and recognise what these represent. For example, they might see the logo of the supermarket you go to on an advert and make a comment about the name of the shop or going shopping. 

Your child will have been able to remember things that are part of a routine and people they see regularly. You might have noticed that they have started to remember things that happened a bit longer ago and now they will remember things that are important to them from weeks or months ago. 

Your child might have shown some awareness of numbers and counting for a little while, perhaps imitating the rhythm and intonation of counting. As they become more aware that words can be used to represent different things, they might begin to use number names as they play.

Your child will have been using objects to represent other objects and might also have shown some awareness of the difference between toy objects and real objects. This recognition of the difference between objects is a first step towards developing an understanding of symbolic representation.  

When your baby is playing, you may have spotted them exploring toys and objects in different ways. Before this, they might have moved their hands or an object to their mouth to explore. Now, they are developing more control of their movements and are also starting to use their vision alongside touch to learn more about objects. They know the set of actions that need to be taken in order to pick up an object and bring it towards their mouth.^[1] 

Your baby has been exploring their movements and is beginning to link them with things that happen. They are also starting to remember things and move in anticipation of what is about to happen. For example, they might stiffen their body in anticipation of being picked up or open their hand when they see a toy.  

Your baby may be surrounded by a large family, or their circle might be a little smaller. There will be people your baby will see every day and will be showing warmth and affection towards. For example, they might be settled by your touch, or just seeing you, or might kick with excitement when hearing your voice.