CHILD DEVELOPMENT: 3 to 6 months

Social and Emotional Milestones 

At four months:

• Smiles spontaneously, especially at people 
• Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops 
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• Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning 
• Knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger 

At six months:

• Likes to play with others, especially parents 
• Responds to other people’s emotions and often seems happy 
• video iconLikes to look at self in a mirror

Communication Milestones 

Language/Communication

At four months:

• Begins to babble 
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• Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears 
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• Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired

At six months:

• Responds to sounds by making sounds 
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• Strings vowels together when babbling (“ah,” “eh,” “oh”) and likes taking turns with parent while making sounds 
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• Responds to own name 
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• Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure 
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• Begins to say consonant sounds (jabbering with “m,” “b”)

Physical Milestones 

Gross motor/Fine motor

At four months:

• Holds head steady, unsupported 
• Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface 
• May be able to roll over from tummy to back
• Can hold a toy and shake it and swing at dangling toys
• Brings hands to mouth 
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• When lying on stomach, pushes up to elbows 

At six months:

• Rolls over in both directions (front to back, back to front) 
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• Begins to sit without support 
• When standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce 
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• Rocks back and forth, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward 
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Cognitive Milestones

Learning, thinking, problem-solving

At four months:

• Lets you know if he is happy or sad 
• Responds to affection 
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• Reaches for toy with one hand 
• Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it
• Follows moving things with eyes from side to side 
• Watches faces closely 
• Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance 
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At six months:

• Looks around at things nearby 
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• Brings things to mouth
• Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach
• Begins to pass things from one hand to the other