12 month developmental milestones

Baby sitting on the floor playing with blocks in front of them. Dad smiling and lying next to them on the floor also playing with the blocks.

There are some key physical and communication milestones you will expect your 12 month old to reach. These milestones should be treated as a rough guide, as each child is unique and will develop at their own pace. It is often unhelpful to compare a toddler to other toddlers or their siblings.

Explore the topics on this page:

Physical milestones

Communication milestones

Encouraging development

Possible developmental concerns

Last reviewed: 1 November, 2023

At around 12 months old you can expect your baby to be able to:

Physical

sit in a good position and are able to get into a sitting position alone
pull to stand from sitting position and can sit down again
walk around furniture (also known as cruising)
may crawl or bottom shuffle
may stand alone
help turn the pages of a book
throw a small ball
pick up a piece of string with first finger and thumb
pick up small objects with the tips of their fingers

Communication

point at an object
respond to their own name
hold out arm or foot to help when being dressed
make more meaningful sounds (for example, ‘mamma’ and ‘dadda’)
look at an object when you ask where it is
offer a toy when you ask for it, they may not let go of it
play with a soft toy or doll by hugging it

Encouraging development

Activities and toys to explore include:

containers to put toys into and then take them out
picture books
push and pull toys, musical toys, and stacking toys
messy play
thick crayons and paint brushes
chatting at mealtimes
blowing raspberries

Young child's hands covered in different colour paints and pressing their hands against some pieces of paper.

Toddlers do not need lots of toys or devices to have fun or to encourage development.

They learn a lot of early skills by playing and spending time with you.

Possible development concerns

Sometimes development can be slower than you expect, or you may notice something different about your child or young person. It's normal to feel worried but there is lots of support out there.

Contact the health visiting team if you notice your baby is:

has no form of independent mobility (such as crawling, commando crawling, bottom shuffle)
is not pulling to stand from a sitting position
is not standing independently

If your child needs more help or has additional needs, you can visit our specific section for extra support.

Child development and growing up for additional needs

If you have any questions or concerns about your baby's development, a health professional in our team will be able to offer advice and support.

You can Call Us on 0300 029 50 50 or Text Us on 07520 649887 to start a conversation.

Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

Need more information?

Local Cambridgeshire support

Information for 12 month old toddlers

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Weaning and introducing solid foods

Weaning is when you steadily introduce solid foods (also known as family foods) to your baby. The two main types of weaning are traditional weaning and baby-led weaning. Find out more information on the common weaning concerns and understand the signs your baby is ready to wean.

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Feeding and eating

Breastfeeding advice

There are many benefits to breastfeeding your baby. Any amount of breastfeeding is beneficial to your baby. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends to breastfeed for at least the first 2 years. Find information on the benefits of breastfeeding, how long to breastfeed for and restarting breastfeeding.

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Responsive feeding

Responsive feeding is when a parent responds to their baby’s feeding cues as well as their own want to feed their baby. Learn more about the differences between responsive breastfeeding and responsive bottle feeding.

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Feeding and eating

Bottle feeding advice

Bottle feeding refers to feeding baby milk with a bottle. Formula feeding refers to feeding a baby using formula feed milk. Find information on how much to feed your baby, the equipment needed to formula feed and how long to formula feed for.

Girl sitting down fiddling with her hair and smiling. She is facing a man who is smiling back at her.

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Speech, language and communication

Speech, language and communication advice

Communication and language skills are vial for your child’s development. These skills will affect their future life chances and relationships. It can also impact your child’s ability to learn, make friends and develop ideas and opinions.

Baby lying in a cot with their arms stretched out

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Sleep
Staying safe and accident prevention

Keeping your sleeping baby safe

Young babies need a lot of sleep during their first few months of life. For the first 6 months, the safest place for your baby to sleep is in their own sleep space, in the same room as you. Always place your baby on their back on a flat, firm surface, in a clear cot or sleep space. This will help to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

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Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Cambridgeshire

Peterborough

12 month developmental milestones

Explore the topics on this page:

At around 12 months old you can expect your baby to be able to:

Physical

Communication

Encouraging development

Possible development concerns

Need more specific support for your child?

Who can help

Need more information?

Local Cambridgeshire support

Related pages

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