Child Development: 4 - 8 Months

Babies from 4-8 months may explore objects with their mouth and by kicking, reaching, grasping, pulling, and letting go. They love discovering new skills. Babies at this age can smile, laugh, coo, and reach out to interact with their parents and other caregivers. They love to listen and respond to language by copying the sounds and rhythms of what they hear.

Take a look at the categories below to see different ways you can help your child develop.

How Children Grow and Stay Healthy

Babies 4-8 months old are growing and physically developing their little bodies every day. Check out the chart below to learn ways you can support their growth and development.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    
		Children This Age May:
Look at an object in their hand, mouth it, and then take it out to look at it again.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Expose them to a variety of sensory experiences—like sights, sounds, tastes, textures, movements, smells—both indoors and outdoors.
    
      Children This Age May:
Listen to the sounds that people use while talking in the language they use at home, and use these same sounds while babbling.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide infants with both calming and exciting experiences depending on their signals.
    
      Children This Age May:
Kick feet while lying in the crib, feel the crib shake, and then kick feet again.

Show they enjoy physically active play by repeating actions (e.g., kick, wave arms, roll over).

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Gently turn, roll, bounce, and sway them to increase their muscle strength and help develop important connections between the brain and muscles.

Provide periods of unstructured movement every day, allowing the infants to move freely on the floor.

      Children This Age May:
Hold head, roll from back to stomach and from stomach to back; Sit without support; Move from a sitting position onto hands and knees.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide opportunities for them to move and engage in a variety of physical activities, such as lying on a blanket on the floor in a safe area.

      Children This Age May:
Reach for and grasp an object, using one hand.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide safe (i.e., no small parts or pieces) objects and toys and play games to encourage the infants to move and do things for themselves.

Give infants appropriate finger foods to eat when they are ready (e.g., dry cereal, cooked vegetables).

Place objects of interest just beyond their reach to encourage stretching and coordination.

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Children This Age May: Look at an object in their hand, mouth it, and then take it out to look at it again.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Expose them to a variety of sensory experiences—like sights, sounds, tastes, textures, movements, smells—both indoors and outdoors.
Children This Age May: Listen to the sounds that people use while talking in the language they use at home, and use these same sounds while babbling.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide infants with both calming and exciting experiences depending on their signals.
Children This Age May: Kick feet while lying in the crib, feel the crib shake, and then kick feet again. Show they enjoy physically active play by repeating actions (e.g., kick, wave arms, roll over).	How You Can Help Them Develop: Gently turn, roll, bounce, and sway them to increase their muscle strength and help develop important connections between the brain and muscles. Provide periods of unstructured movement every day, allowing the infants to move freely on the floor.
Children This Age May: Hold head, roll from back to stomach and from stomach to back; Sit without support; Move from a sitting position onto hands and knees.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide opportunities for them to move and engage in a variety of physical activities, such as lying on a blanket on the floor in a safe area.
Children This Age May: Reach for and grasp an object, using one hand.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide safe (i.e., no small parts or pieces) objects and toys and play games to encourage the infants to move and do things for themselves. Give infants appropriate finger foods to eat when they are ready (e.g., dry cereal, cooked vegetables). Place objects of interest just beyond their reach to encourage stretching and coordination.

How Children Learn to Interact With Other People

During this time frame, babies will interact more, connecting with you and others in ways they hadn’t before. Watch the video and take a look at the chart below for tips on how to support this stage of development.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    
		Children This Age May:
Engage in playful, face-to-face interactions with an adult, such as taking turns vocalizing and then smiling or laughing.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide regular interactions with them; Make eye contact with them during routine activities such as feeding or diaper changing. Talk and coo during interactions with them; imitate their sounds.
    
      Children This Age May:
Show interest in familiar and unfamiliar children.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Provide them with opportunities to be around and observe other children, including those slightly older.

Allow older children to talk, smile, and laugh with the babies.

      Children This Age May:
Cry when hearing another baby cry.

Stop playing and look at a child who is crying.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Talk to them about what other children are feeling or expressing with their sounds, gestures, or facial expressions.
    
      Children This Age May:
Turn excitedly and raise his arms to greet a family member at pick-up time.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Respond consistently to them, using warm facial expressions and words.

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Children This Age May: Engage in playful, face-to-face interactions with an adult, such as taking turns vocalizing and then smiling or laughing.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide regular interactions with them; Make eye contact with them during routine activities such as feeding or diaper changing. Talk and coo during interactions with them; imitate their sounds.
Children This Age May: Show interest in familiar and unfamiliar children.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Provide them with opportunities to be around and observe other children, including those slightly older. Allow older children to talk, smile, and laugh with the babies.
Children This Age May: Cry when hearing another baby cry. Stop playing and look at a child who is crying.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Talk to them about what other children are feeling or expressing with their sounds, gestures, or facial expressions.
Children This Age May: Turn excitedly and raise his arms to greet a family member at pick-up time.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Respond consistently to them, using warm facial expressions and words.

How Children Learn to Communicate and Develop Skills to Read

From 4-8 months, you may see exciting changes in the way your baby starts to communicate with you. Watch the video below and read the chart to understand how to better support your baby’s growing communication skills.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    

  
		Children This Age May:
Repeat sounds when babbling, such as “da dadada” or “babababa.”
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Respond to their cooing and babbling as if they understand everything you are saying. Imitate sounds or gestures that babies make and allow time for them to imitate you.
    

      Children This Age May:
Respond to a wave by waving and saying, “Bye-bye.”
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Use everyday routines to play games, like waving goodbye or blowing kisses.
    

      Children This Age May:
Look at pictures that a parent or caregiver points to while reading a storybook or hold a book and try to turn the pages.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Read to babies and provide cloth or cardboard picture books for them to hold.
    

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Children This Age May: Repeat sounds when babbling, such as “da dadada” or “babababa.”	How You Can Help Them Develop: Respond to their cooing and babbling as if they understand everything you are saying. Imitate sounds or gestures that babies make and allow time for them to imitate you.
Children This Age May: Respond to a wave by waving and saying, “Bye-bye.”	How You Can Help Them Develop: Use everyday routines to play games, like waving goodbye or blowing kisses.
Children This Age May: Look at pictures that a parent or caregiver points to while reading a storybook or hold a book and try to turn the pages.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Read to babies and provide cloth or cardboard picture books for them to hold.

How Children Learn to Think

The growing brain of a 4-8 month old is starting to learn how to think and take in new information around them. The tips below can help you support that growth.

	
      Children This Age May:
		How You Can Help Them Develop:
    
		Consideration for Adults:
Shake a toy, hear the sound it makes, and then shake it again.

Loudly bang a spoon on the table, notice the loud sound, and do it again.

      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Allow babies time to explore and examine objects and new things. Offer toys that they can grasp and explore. Shake sound toys so babies can hear and respond. Respond to them, pointing out the effects of their actions on toys. For example, say, “Look how you made the ball move!”
    
      Consideration for Adults:
Imitate a familiar gesture, such as clapping hands together or patting a doll’s back, after seeing someone else do it.
      How You Can Help Them Develop:
Play with familiar toys, such as shaking a rattle or patting a soft toy, and allow time for babies to imitate your actions.

Children This Age May:	How You Can Help Them Develop:
Consideration for Adults: Shake a toy, hear the sound it makes, and then shake it again. Loudly bang a spoon on the table, notice the loud sound, and do it again.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Allow babies time to explore and examine objects and new things. Offer toys that they can grasp and explore. Shake sound toys so babies can hear and respond. Respond to them, pointing out the effects of their actions on toys. For example, say, “Look how you made the ball move!”
Consideration for Adults: Imitate a familiar gesture, such as clapping hands together or patting a doll’s back, after seeing someone else do it.	How You Can Help Them Develop: Play with familiar toys, such as shaking a rattle or patting a soft toy, and allow time for babies to imitate your actions.

How Children Learn to Learn

Games and activities that use repetition and memory are key ways we see babies 4-8 months “learn to learn.” Read the tips below to help support their learning.

	
      Children This Age May:
		Examples of Responses:
    
		Children This Age May:
Start to remember things. For example, they may turn toward the front door when hearing the doorbell ring or toward the phone when hearing the phone ring, or they may look for their parents or caregivers after they briefly step out of the room.
      Examples of Responses:
Play games that involve repetition (e.g., peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, finger rhymes).

Children This Age May:	Examples of Responses:
Children This Age May: Start to remember things. For example, they may turn toward the front door when hearing the doorbell ring or toward the phone when hearing the phone ring, or they may look for their parents or caregivers after they briefly step out of the room.	Examples of Responses: Play games that involve repetition (e.g., peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, finger rhymes).

Check out the video below to hear more about the parent / caregiver experience of babies 4-8 months.

View the CO Early Learning and Development Guidelines 4 - 8 Months Tip Sheet for more information on milestones and behaviors for children this age.

The Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines

Are you interested in learning about the expectations for your child's development based on their age? The Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines describe the path of children’s learning and development from birth to 8 years old. Broken down by age and major milestones, the guidelines are a sort of map, helping parents and caregivers navigate their child's early years. Experts from across Colorado developed these guidelines to create a shared understanding and a coordinated approach to learning and development.

Curious about what your little one is thinking at this age? Wondering what you can do to help them thrive and reach their developmental milestones? Check out the guidelines using the link below.

Browse the Guidelines

Download the Guidelines Document

Spanish version