Your child at 9-12 months

What should my baby be learning?          

Gross motor skills: Big body movements

By 9 months

• Use arms to pull up to sit from lying down.
• Reach for toys during tummy time while pushing up on straight arms.
• Easily move in and out of sitting from various positions.
• Push off on their feet and bounce when held in standing.
• Stand briefly while holding on to a steady surface.
• Sit without support and use hands to play. 
• Crawl forward on hands and knees. 

By 12 months:

• Start to pull themselves to stand using a steady surface.
• Stand alone for up to 3 seconds with feet wide apart and arms up in the air for balance.
• Take steps if you hold both their hands
• Walk along furniture on their own.

Fine motor skills: Play and self help

• Copy waving or clapping.
• Point at objects using their index finger.
• Hold crayon in their fist and make marks on a paper.
• Put small objects in and out of containers.
• Use fingers to pick up small objects using a pinching grasp.
• Hold their bottle and begin to feed themselves on their own.

Language and social development

• Throw objects and watch where they go.  
• Look at pictures in a book.
• React to the word “no” or “no no”.
• Recognize short words like “da-da”.
• Babble when playing alone.
• Show toys and objects to other people. 
• Feed themselves finger food. 
• Hold a spoon and hold a cup to drink.
• Repeat gestures or sounds when playing.
• By 12 months:
• Use words like “da-da” or “ma-ma”. 
• Do pretend play like feeding a baby doll and putting it to bed.
• Follow simple one-step commands.

Sensory Processing: Understanding sights, sounds, tastes, touch, smell and body movement

• Drool less except when teething.
• Explore toys with their mouth.
• Eat foods with different textures.  
• Start to help dress and undress like taking off socks and shoes.
• Enjoy moving in different ways like bouncing or swinging.
• Use hands to protect themselves when they fall.

How can I help my baby?

Gross motor skills 

• Limit time spent in an Exersaucer®, jumper, walker or stander.  These toys can lead to poor walking habits like toe walking.  They can also cause poor hip development.
• Have fun with play time on the floor. Put toys at different places in the room and have your child move to get them. Make sure to have a safe area. Remove any cords or tiny items that may be dangerous to your child.
• While your child is standing at a surface, put objects on the floor. Hold on to your child and have them squat to pick up the objects.  As this gets easier you can try to do it without hand support and instead place your hands at your child’s hips.
• Play sitting games with your child. Do things like rolling or throwing a ball back and forth.
• Give your child chances to help them walk. Have your child push a laundry basket that is filled with clothes around the room. 

Fine motor skills

• While your child is sitting in a high chair, show them how to pick up blocks with each hand and work to bang them together. Make sure the blocks are not a choking hazard.
• Have your child copy different arm movements while you are sitting.  Have your child try to raise one hand in the air, clap their hands or cover their eyes.
• Put a ring stacker in front of your child. Show your child how to take the rings off. 
• Pick up a crayon and make marks on the paper. Help your child copy you.
• Practice grasping small items with 2 or 3 fingers. Try foods such as Cheerios or bite size snacks that dissolve.
• At 12 months, start pretend play with your child.  Wipe a table or put a blanket over a doll.  Make sure to use both hands.

Feeding skills

• Start to use a cup with a spouted lid (Sippy cup). Try to not use a bottle.
• Let your child practice using a spoon to eat.
• Start finger feeding with small, soft, solid foods. 
• If your child has teething pain, use chewing toys like a teething ring that has been cooled in a refrigerator. They can chew on it or you can rub it on their gums.
• Play games that offer movement to your child such as lifting them up in the air gently.  Try bouncing or swinging your baby, or tilt them side to side on your lap.
• Offer your child foods that have different textures.  Make sure food pieces are large enough that they do not cause a choking hazard.

• Books with simple photos on a page
• Books with different textures
• Rattles and other toys that make noise
• Large balls
• Large crayons and paper