Age-by-age milestones from 6 weeks to 2 years, alongside the signs worth mentioning to your health visitor or GP. Two columns per age band — what to expect on the left, when to seek advice on the right. Searchable.
👶 6 weeks to 2 years📋 7 age bands🔍 Searchable reference
The wide range of normal is real. Development is not a race and does not follow a fixed timetable. The milestones in this guide are averages across a broad population — many healthy, typically developing children reach them earlier or later. The "mention to your HV/GP" items are not diagnoses — they are conversations worth having. Early referral, when needed, is always better than waiting.
Important: This guide is a reference tool, not a diagnostic service. If you are worried about your child's development — at any age, for any reason — mention it to your health visitor or GP. Trust your instinct. Early intervention for any developmental concern is always more effective than a wait-and-see approach.
How to read this guide
Each age band shows two columns: what most children are doing around that age, and the signs that are worth raising with your health visitor or GP. One item is shown in black — this is a firm clinical threshold that always warrants referral, not just a mention.
✓ What to expect around this age→ Worth mentioning to HV/GP🚨 Always refer — firm threshold
🌱 6 WeeksFirst GP check · NIPE screen · Social smile just arriving
What to expect around this age
Fixes gaze briefly on a face or high-contrast object
Startles to a loud sound
Quiets or turns toward a familiar voice
Hands mostly fisted, beginning to open
Some head control when pulled to sitting — not steady
Cries to communicate different needs
Social smile beginning to emerge (often from 5–6 weeks)
Worth mentioning to your HV or GP if…
No reaction to loud sounds
Not fixing on faces or objects at all
No social smile by 8 weeks
Persistent squint — eyes not moving together
Head consistently turning to one side (possible torticollis)
💡 The 6-week review is a routine check — the right time to raise any concern, however small. 'I'm probably worrying about nothing' is a valid reason to mention something.
🌿 3–4 MonthsSmiling, cooing, beginning to reach · Rolling on the horizon
What to expect around this age
Smiles responsively and frequently
Follows moving objects with eyes across midline
Turns head toward sounds
Holds head steady when supported upright
Brings hands together at midline
Vocalises — cooing, vowel sounds
Recognises familiar faces
Worth mentioning to your HV or GP if…
No social smile by 3 months
Not following moving objects with eyes
Not responding to voices or sounds
Not holding head at all with support by 4 months
No vocalisations (cooing or similar)
Persistent squint
Any regression — loss of a skill previously present
💡 Development in this period is rapid and variable. 'Is everything OK?' at 3–4 months is one of the most common questions at health visitor appointments — you are in good company.
🌼 6 MonthsReaching and grasping · Beginning to sit · Weaning approaching
What to expect around this age
Reaches for and grasps objects
Transfers objects from hand to hand
Sits with support (some beginning to sit briefly alone)
Rolls front to back
Responds to own name
Babbles — early consonant sounds beginning
Recognises familiar people; may begin showing stranger anxiety
Bears weight on legs when held standing
Worth mentioning to your HV or GP if…
Not reaching for or grasping objects
Not rolling front to back
Not bearing any weight on legs when held
Not babbling or making consonant sounds
Not responding to name
Not showing interest in surroundings or people
Not turning toward sounds
Any loss of a previously gained skill
💡 Rolling timing varies considerably — some babies roll early, some not until closer to 7 months. The direction of rolling (front-to-back before back-to-front) also varies. What matters is that movement and exploration are generally progressing.
🌻 9 MonthsCrawling or creeping · Pincer grip · Object permanence · Separation anxiety peaks
What to expect around this age
Sits independently and steadily
Moving across the floor — crawling, creeping, bottom-shuffling, or rolling (method varies widely)
Pulls to standing holding furniture
Pincer grip developing — beginning to pick up small objects with finger and thumb
Responds clearly to own name
Waves bye-bye and plays peek-a-boo
Points with index finger at things of interest
Looks where you look or point (joint attention beginning)
Worth mentioning to your HV or GP if…
Not sitting independently
Not moving across the floor in any way
No babbling — no consonant sounds at all
Not responding to name
Not interested in people, toys, or environment
No pointing, waving, or showing objects to others
Not bearing any weight on legs
No joint attention — not following a point
Any regression in social engagement or communication
💡 There is a wide range of normal mobility methods — crawling, bottom-shuffling, rolling, and commando crawling are all valid. The timing of first standing and walking varies considerably from this point; what matters is that some form of purposeful locomotion is developing.
🎂 12 MonthsFirst birthday · First words arriving · Walking imminent (but not always there yet)
What to expect around this age
Standing independently, even briefly
Walking with support or independently (some not walking until 13–15 months — normal)
Uses 1–2 recognisable words with consistent meaning ('mama', 'dada', 'no')
Points at things to share interest (not just to request)
Follows a point — looks where you point
Imitates actions and simple sounds
Waves, claps, plays peek-a-boo
Shows affection to familiar people
Understands simple instructions ('give me', 'no')
Worth mentioning to your HV or GP if…
Not standing even briefly with support
No consistent words with meaning
Not pointing or using gestures to communicate
Not following a point when you point at something
Not imitating sounds or actions
Not showing interest in sharing things with others
Any loss of babbling, words, or social engagement
Not responding to name consistently
💡 The 12-month check is a good opportunity to raise any speech and language concern. First words often emerge between 12 and 18 months — some children are just beginning at 12 months. What matters more than a specific word count is the presence of intentional communication — pointing, showing, responding.
👟 18 MonthsWalking established · Language expanding · Toddler independence asserting
What to expect around this age
Walking independently
10–20+ words with clear, consistent meaning
Points to named pictures in books
Follows simple two-step instructions ('get your shoes and bring them here')
Imitates household activities
Beginning simple pretend play
Plays alongside (if not yet with) other children
Feeds self with spoon
Worth mentioning to your HV or GP if…
NOT WALKING independently by 18 months — always refer for assessment
Fewer than 6–10 words with consistent meaning
Not pointing at things of interest to share them
Not following simple instructions
Not imitating actions or play
Any loss of language or social skills previously present
Not engaging in simple pretend play
💡 Not walking independently by 18 months always warrants referral for assessment — this is a firm clinical threshold, not a 'wait and see'. Everything else in this section is 'worth mentioning' — not independently alarming, but worth a conversation.
🎈 2 YearsLanguage combining · Social play developing · Second molars and independence
What to expect around this age
50+ words (range is wide — some have many more)
Combining two words consistently ('more milk', 'daddy gone')
Running, climbing, kicking a ball
Simple pretend play — feeding a doll, 'talking' on a toy phone
Follows two-step instructions consistently
Points to named body parts and pictures in books
Plays alongside other children and beginning to play with them
Refers to self by name or 'me'
Worth mentioning to your HV or GP if…
Not combining two words at all — only single words
Fewer than 50 words
Strangers can't understand more than 50% of speech
Not following two-step instructions
Not engaging in any pretend play
Any loss of language or social skill
Significant difficulty with social interaction or play
Rigid, repetitive behaviours significantly affecting daily life
💡 The 2-year development review (the 2-year check with your health visitor) is the right time to raise language concerns specifically. Speech and language therapy referrals made at this stage are well-timed — services are most effective when started early. Asking for a referral is not an overreaction.
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When to Act on a Concern
The right move with any developmental concern — at any age — is to mention it to your health visitor or GP. You do not need to wait for the next scheduled developmental review. You do not need to be certain something is wrong. A concern is enough.
If your health visitor or GP dismisses a concern you feel is genuine, you are entitled to a second opinion or a referral to a community paediatrician. Early referral to speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, or developmental paediatrics — whatever the appropriate service — produces better outcomes than delayed referral. There is no downside to raising something that turns out to be normal variation. There is a downside to not raising something that needs support.
Regression — the loss of a skill a child has previously demonstrated — is always worth mentioning promptly, regardless of age. This includes loss of words, social engagement, eye contact, or motor skills.
Useful services and resources
Your health visitor: First port of call for developmental concerns in the first two years.
GP referral to community paediatrician: If HV concern is insufficient or you want specialist assessment.
ICAN (now part of the Communication Trust): helpline and resources for speech and language concerns — ican.org.uk.
NHS Healthy Child Programme: Scheduled reviews at 6–8 weeks, 9–12 months, 2–2½ years, and school entry — all opportunities to raise concerns formally.