Kidora Parent Hub

Baby Development Guide

Babies develop at different rates. Some gain physical skills early, while others focus first on communication, social interaction or observation.

Development is not a race, and milestone charts should be used as broad guides rather than strict deadlines.

This UK guide explains the main areas of baby development, how parents can support learning through everyday care and play, and when to speak to a health visitor, GP or other professional.

How to Use This Guide

This page summarises general NHS development and play information. It is not a developmental assessment and should not be used to diagnose or exclude a condition.

Babies develop at different rates. Contact a health visitor, GP or the baby’s clinical team whenever development, movement, hearing, vision, feeding, communication or loss of a skill concerns you.

Trusted UK Development Links

• NHS baby development information
• NHS baby health and development reviews
• NHS play and learning guidance
• NHS speech and language activities
• UK Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls

The Main Areas of Development

Baby development is often considered across several connected areas:

• Physical movement
• Fine motor skills
• Communication and language
• Social and emotional development
• Thinking, attention and problem-solving
• Vision and hearing

Progress in one area can support progress in another.

Every Baby Develops Differently

Development varies between babies and between different areas of development. Premature babies may be assessed using an adjusted age for a period, as explained by the health-visiting or neonatal team.

Milestones can help families notice change and discuss concerns, but they are not a pass-or-fail test and cannot diagnose a condition.

Use the baby’s personal child health record and NHS reviews, and raise concerns without waiting for the next routine appointment.

Use Milestones as a Guide

Milestones describe skills that many babies develop within a general age range.

They are not exact deadlines.

Use the current NHS baby development guidance for UK information.

Physical Development

Physical development includes:

• Head control
• Rolling
• Sitting
• Reaching
• Crawling or other ways of moving
• Pulling to stand
• Walking

Not every baby follows the same sequence.

Newborn Movement

Newborn movements can appear jerky and uncoordinated.

Babies gradually begin to:

• Move more smoothly
• Bring hands towards the face
• Turn towards sounds
• Lift the head briefly
• Stretch arms and legs

Tummy Time

Tummy time helps strengthen the neck, shoulders, back and upper body.

Start with short, supervised periods while the baby is awake.

Tummy time can happen:

• On a firm floor mat
• Across an adult’s chest
• Across an adult’s lap
• With a rolled towel under the chest where appropriate

Always supervise and place the baby on their back for sleep.

If the Baby Dislikes Tummy Time

Some babies tolerate only a few seconds at first.

Try:

• Several short sessions
• Getting down at the baby’s eye level
• Using a mirror or simple toy
• Trying after a nappy change
• Avoiding it immediately after a feed

Head Control

Head control develops gradually as neck and upper-body strength improves.

Support the baby’s head and neck until they can control them reliably.

Rolling

Babies may first roll from front to back or back to front.

Once rolling begins:

• Never leave the baby unattended on a raised surface
• Keep changing supplies within reach
• Stop swaddling when the baby shows signs of rolling
• Check the sleep space remains clear

Sitting

Sitting develops through:

• Head control
• Core strength
• Balance
• Using hands for support

Avoid placing the baby in unsupported positions they cannot maintain safely.

Crawling and Moving

Some babies crawl on hands and knees, while others:

• Bottom-shuffle
• Commando crawl
• Roll to reach objects
• Move directly towards standing

Not all babies crawl in the same way.

Standing and Walking

Babies may begin by:

• Taking weight through the legs
• Pulling to stand
• Standing while holding furniture
• Cruising sideways
• Taking independent steps

Walking age varies widely.

Baby Walkers

Traditional seated baby walkers can create access to hazards and require close safety consideration. They should not be relied on to teach a baby to walk.

Use floor-based play and age-appropriate activities suggested by the NHS. Check recalls, stability, stairs and the exact manufacturer instructions for any mobility or activity product.

Fine Motor Development

Fine motor skills involve smaller movements of the hands and fingers.

Babies gradually learn to:

• Open their hands
• Grasp objects
• Transfer objects between hands
• Reach accurately
• Pick up smaller items
• Point

Support Hand Skills

Offer safe objects that are:

• Easy to grasp
• Different shapes and textures
• Large enough not to be a choking hazard
• Suitable for the baby’s age

Communication Development

Communication begins before words.

Babies communicate through:

• Crying
• Facial expressions
• Eye contact
• Body movement
• Sounds
• Gestures

Talking to Your Baby

Parents can support communication by:

• Talking during everyday routines
• Responding to sounds
• Copying expressions
• Pausing to allow the baby to respond
• Naming familiar people and objects
• Singing songs and rhymes

Babbling

Babbling develops as babies experiment with sounds.

Responding to babbling helps create early back-and-forth conversation.

First Words

First words may emerge around the end of the first year or later.

Understanding often develops before clear speech.

Do not compare the number of words too rigidly between babies.

Hearing and Communication

Hearing supports language development.

Seek advice if the baby:

• Does not react to loud sounds
• Does not turn towards familiar voices
• Stops responding to sound
• Has repeated ear infections

Vision Development

Newborn vision is still developing.

Babies gradually become better at:

• Focusing on faces
• Following moving objects
• Judging distance
• Reaching accurately
• Recognising familiar people

Seek Advice About Vision Concerns

Speak to a health visitor, GP or optometrist if you notice:

• A persistent eye turn
• Unusual eye movements
• One eye not opening fully
• A white reflection in the pupil
• Difficulty following faces or objects

Social Development

Babies gradually learn to:

• Recognise familiar people
• Smile socially
• Enjoy interaction
• Copy facial expressions
• Show preferences
• Seek comfort

Bonding

Bonding can develop gradually rather than immediately.

Everyday bonding activities include:

• Holding
• Feeding
• Talking
• Comforting
• Skin-to-skin contact where appropriate
• Responding to cues

Speak to a health visitor or GP if you are struggling to feel connected or are experiencing persistent low mood or anxiety.

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety can develop as babies become more aware that familiar adults can leave.

Helpful approaches include:

• Short, predictable separations
• Calm goodbyes
• Consistent carers
• Familiar comfort items used safely

Emotional Development

Babies learn emotional regulation through repeated support from adults.

They may need help to:

• Calm after distress
• Cope with tiredness
• Manage new environments
• Recover from overstimulation

Thinking and Learning

Babies learn through repetition, exploration and cause and effect.

Examples include:

• Shaking a toy to make a sound
• Dropping an object repeatedly
• Looking for a hidden toy
• Pressing a button
• Copying an action

Play Is How Babies Learn

Babies do not need complicated educational toys.

Useful play can include:

• Face-to-face interaction
• Singing
• Reading
• Floor play
• Simple rattles
• Textured objects
• Peekaboo
• Water play with close supervision

Reading to Babies

Reading supports:

• Language
• Attention
• Bonding
• Listening
• Recognition of rhythm and sounds

Board books, cloth books and simple picture books can be used from early infancy.

Choose Age-Appropriate Toys

Check:

• Age guidance
• Small parts
• Loose batteries
• Sharp edges
• Broken seams
• Long cords
• Recall status

Avoid Too Much Container Time

Babies need opportunities to move freely on a safe floor.

Limit unnecessary time in:

• Car seats outside travel
• Bouncers
• Rockers
• Seated walkers
• Restrictive activity centres

Screen Time

Babies learn best from direct interaction with people and the physical world.

Use current NHS and UK public-health advice and avoid relying on screens for routine play or calming.

Outdoor Time

Outdoor time can support:

• Sensory development
• Visual interest
• Family wellbeing
• Movement
• Awareness of different sounds and environments

Use weather-appropriate clothing and sun protection.

Health Visitor Reviews

In the UK, health visitors and local child health teams may review development at different stages.

Reviews can cover:

• Growth
• Feeding
• Movement
• Communication
• Hearing and vision
• Sleep
• Family wellbeing

Arrangements vary between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and between local services.

Use the Personal Child Health Record

The Personal Child Health Record, often called the red book, may include:

• Growth records
• Vaccinations
• Health reviews
• Developmental information
• Professional notes

Take it to relevant appointments where requested.

Development and Prematurity

For babies born prematurely, professionals may use corrected age when considering development.

Corrected age is based on the baby’s original due date rather than only the birth date.

Follow the neonatal or paediatric team’s advice.

Loss of a Previously Used Skill

A clear loss of a skill the baby previously used should be discussed promptly with a health visitor, GP or the baby’s clinical team.

Examples may include changes in movement, communication, social response, muscle tone or another established ability. This guide cannot identify the cause.

Call 999 for an immediate emergency, such as unresponsiveness, severe breathing difficulty, a seizure or sudden serious weakness.

When to Speak to a Health Professional

Contact a health visitor, GP or relevant clinical team whenever you are concerned. Possible reasons include differences in movement between sides, very stiff or floppy muscles, hearing or vision concerns, feeding difficulties, limited interaction, loss of skills or development that appears to have stopped.

This list is not diagnostic and is not exhaustive. Parents do not need to wait for a scheduled development review.

Use the NHS baby-review guidance to understand routine reviews and where concerns can be discussed.

Do Not Rely Only on Online Milestone Checklists

Online charts cannot assess:

• Muscle tone
• Hearing
• Vision
• Interaction quality
• Medical history
• Prematurity

A professional assessment is more useful when there is a genuine concern.

Support Development Through Daily Routines

Development does not require a formal lesson plan.

Everyday opportunities include:

• Talking during nappy changes
• Singing during dressing
• Naming objects during walks
• Allowing safe floor play
• Reading before sleep
• Letting the baby explore safe household objects

Do Not Compare Babies Constantly

Frequent comparison can create unnecessary anxiety.

Look at the baby’s overall pattern of progress rather than one isolated skill.

Developmental Toys on Kidora

Kidora is a UK-only marketplace where parents can buy and sell new and suitable preloved baby and children’s items.

Parents may find board books, play mats, rattles, stacking toys and other age-appropriate products. No toy guarantees development or replaces interaction, play or professional support.

Check age warnings, condition, small parts, magnets, battery compartments, hygiene, instructions and official recalls.

Sellers pay no selling fees and keep 100% of the item sale price. Suitable items can be listed at £0 as FREE rather than being thrown away, helping another family. FREE listings are collection-only and do not include a Buyer Protection fee.

A Baby Development Checklist

• Use milestones as a broad guide
• Offer supervised tummy time
• Provide safe floor play
• Talk, sing and read every day
• Respond to sounds and gestures
• Offer simple age-appropriate toys
• Limit unnecessary container time
• Attend health visitor reviews
• Consider corrected age for premature babies
• Seek advice for loss of skills or concerns

Frequently Asked Questions

Should every baby meet milestones at exactly the same age?

No. Milestones happen across broad age ranges, and development varies between babies.

How much tummy time should a baby have?

Begin with short supervised periods while the baby is awake and build up gradually according to comfort and ability.

Is crawling essential before walking?

No. Some babies crawl, bottom-shuffle, roll or move directly towards standing and walking.

When should I seek advice about development?

Speak to a health visitor or GP whenever you are concerned, particularly if the baby loses skills, appears unusually stiff or floppy, or has difficulties with movement, hearing, vision or interaction.

Do babies need expensive developmental toys?

No. Babies learn through interaction, floor play, books, songs and simple safe objects. Expensive equipment is not required.