The MyHealth.Alberta.ca Network showcases trusted, easy-to-use health and wellness resources from Alberta Health Services and Alberta-based partner organizations. The network is led by MyHealth.Alberta.ca, Alberta’s source for consumer health information. Our partners are committed to helping Albertans better manage their health and wellbeing. Health experts across Alberta make sure that the information on these sites is accurate and up-to-date.

MyHealth.Alberta.ca Network
I'm a Parent
2–6 Months: Growth & DevelopmentYoung Babies: 2-6 Months

Introduction

2–6 months is a time of rapid development as your baby becomes more aware of their surroundings. On this page, you’ll find the developmental tasks and milestones that your young baby is working on.

You’ll also learn about your baby’s developing brain and find examples of serve-and-return interactions – like copying your baby and playing peek-a-boo – that strengthen your baby’s brain cell connections.

Young babies

Over these next few months, things will change as your baby develops and grows. Your days and nights may be starting to become more predictable and some routines are developing. You’ll see that your young baby is starting to communicate more with smiles, babbles and by reaching. They’re also beginning to learn how to soothe themselves. Your baby is still fragile in many ways and needs your gentle care, kindness and patience.

Looking after your baby’s physical needs and building their trust is important during this time. Your baby needs to know that you’ll care for and comfort them when they need you. This helps make your attachment with your young baby stronger. Learn more about attachment.

Developmental milestones

2–4 months: The ‘being’ stage

Tasks

During this stage, your baby is continuing to practice these tasks to learn to:

  • trust: knowing that good, dependable and loving care is always there for them
  • form a secure attachment: a close emotional bond between you and your baby and how you relate to each other

Milestones: Physical

  • holds their head more steady and starts to turn their head with purpose
  • feeds and sleeps at more predictable times
  • starts to follow moving objects with their eyes
  • starts to reach for and hold a toy for a few moments
  • starts to kick and squirm
  • begins pushing up on their elbows when they’re lying on their stomach
  • might start to roll from their tummy to their back
  • brings their hands to their mouth by 4 months

Milestones: Emotional

  • cries in different ways to signal what they need
  • starts to cry less at 3−4 months
  • begins to learn how to self-soothe

Milestones: Social

  • likes you to talk, sing and play with them
  • smiles, especially at other people and when you smile at them
  • copies some facial expressions
  • likes the sound of your voice

Milestones: Cognitive (thinking and communicating)

  • lets you know if they’re sad or happy
  • starts to laugh and copy some sounds they hear
  • explores by looking around and looks at things that interest them
  • begins to turn their head towards sounds
  • starts to recognize familiar people and objects at a distance

4–6 months: The ‘being’ stage

Tasks

During this stage, your baby is continuing to practice these tasks to learn to:

  • trust: knowing that good, dependable and loving care is always there
  • form a secure attachment: a close emotional bond between you and your baby and how you relate to each other

Milestones: Physical

  • starts to put things in their mouth
  • may roll from tummy to back or from back to tummy
  • tongue movements change to get ready for eating solid foods and making new sounds
  • starts to pass things from one hand to the other
  • puts their hands together
  • doubles their birth weight by 4–5 months
  • begins to sit for short periods of time with support by 6 months
  • pushes up on their hands, lifts their chest and may start crawling backwards by around 6 months

Milestones: Emotional

  • has different cries for different needs
  • starts to settle themselves back to sleep during the night, but still needs you to comfort them
  • shows emotions with their face, body, voice and actions
  • forms an attachment to their main (primary) caregivers; begins to know who is a stranger

Milestones: Social

  • looks at your face and smiles
  • makes sounds, laughs and likes to be copied
  • is aware of and prefers familiar faces
  • starts to look at you when you call their name
  • enjoys being near people
  • responds to people’s voices and facial expressions
  • likes to play with people by around 6 months old
  • looks at themselves in the mirror

Milestones: Cognitive (thinking and communicating)

  • explores by reaching, grasping and putting things in their mouth
  • turns their eyes and head to look for sounds
  • starts to babble, makes lots of sounds, and may start to use the sound of letters such as ‘m’ and ‘b’; may put letters together to make sounds such as ‘ah’ and ‘oh’
  • repeats actions and sounds to get a response from you and others
  • starts to make different sounds for when they’re happy or unhappy
  • is more curious and tries to reach for things they want
  • starts to get excited at the sight of food

If you have concerns about your child’s development, call Health Link at 811 or talk with your health care provider. You can also visit your nearest Family Resource Network and ask about the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). To find your local Family Resource Network, visit Government of Alberta – Provincial Family Resource Networks – Service Provider Search

“Developmental milestones cannot be forced. Parents can worry if they compare their child too much to others.”

~Alison, mom of two children

Your young baby's developing brain

Brain development

Your baby continues to grow and change every day. All areas of your young baby’s development are interconnected and the development in one area affects development in all other areas. Your baby’s development is guided by their brain.

When you know how the brain works, it’s easier to understand what you can do to support your child.

The names of four interconnected areas of development – physical, emotional, social, and cognitive – surround an image of a brain.
Tap or click image to expand

Brain connections continue to be formed and become stronger with everyday experiences. These connections become stronger when you and your baby engage in serve-and-return interactions. Here are some examples of what this might look like with your young baby. You can also access printable activities for serve-and-return with your young baby.

 

Serve-and-return interactions

Examples of serve-and-return interactions: 2–6 months

Your baby serves when they:You return their serve when you:
  • look at people, things and sounds that interest them
  • talk about or give them the things they’re looking at or reaching for
  • try to move while on their tummy
  • get down on the floor and copy them
  • coo and babble with sounds such as ‘uh’, ‘ah’, ‘ma’ and ‘buh-buh’
  • copy your baby’s sounds and actions
  • smile at you when you talk and sing
  • sing, talk and look at books with your baby
  • laugh, giggle and shout
  • keep doing the things that they’re enjoying—play peek-a-boo, make funny faces, or stick out your tongue
  • wait to see if they copy you, then do it again

Learn more about the developing brain and serve-and-return interactions.

Peek-a-boo

‘Peek-a-boo’ is a game where you briefly hide your face with your hands or a blanket, then you remove your hands or the blanket and say “Boo!” or “Peek-a-boo!” It’s a fun way to learn that you go away and come back.