Development & play
Tummy time, talking, and simple play by age
When to get help: fever, breathing, feeding and other warning signs. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
Tummy time
- From the first days, while your baby is awake and someone is watching: a few minutes at a time, several times a day.
- Build up to about 15 to 30 minutes in total a day by around 2 months. It strengthens the neck, shoulders and arms.
Talk, read, sing
- Talk about what you are doing, copy your baby’s sounds, and pause so they can “answer”. This back-and-forth builds the brain.
- Read and sing every day, from birth. Point to pictures and name things.
Play by age
- 0–3 months: faces, high-contrast pictures, gentle rattles, lots of holding.
- 4–6 months: toys to grab and mouth, mirrors, rolling on a blanket.
- 7–12 months: peekaboo, stacking cups, banging pots, crawling games.
- 1–2 years: pushing toys, simple puzzles, pretend play, scribbling.
Screens
- Under 18 months, avoid screens other than video calls with family. Real play and talking matter most.
Milestones
- The Milestones card in the Log has the CDC checklists from 2 months to 2 years. Every baby develops at their own pace; talk with your doctor if your baby isn’t doing things most babies do by that age, or loses skills they had.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- World Health Organization
General information for most babies, not medical advice. Your doctor, nurse or midwife knows your baby: always ask them, and call your local emergency number in an emergency.