If your baby is approaching the six-month mark, you’ve likely noticed exciting changes in their physical growth, social skills, and language development. 6 month milestones offer practical insight to help you support and celebrate these achievements.
Developmental milestones act as helpful benchmarks, giving parents a clearer understanding of important stages in their baby’s growth. While every baby develops at their own pace, tracking these milestones can provide reassurance and guidance, helping you offer age-appropriate activities, encouragement, and support throughout your little one’s journey.
Explore Boppy’s playtime favorites to support your baby’s development through every exciting milestone.
Why 6 Month Milestones Are Important for Child Development
The 6 month mark is an exciting stage in a baby’s development. At this age, babies are growing rapidly, not just physically but also socially, emotionally, and cognitively. 6 month baby milestones serve as guideposts to offer reassurance and insight, not pressure or panic. They are meant to help parents notice progress, suggest ideas for age-appropriate activities, and identify when it may be helpful to consult a pediatrician.
- Track Progress: notice changes in your baby’s social, emotional, and cognitive skills
- Encourage Development: use age-appropriate toys and play to enhance learning and development
- Provide Reassurance: celebrate every achievement, no matter how small
- Spot Concerns Early: reach out to your pediatrician if your milestones seem delayed
Learn more about baby milestones at every stage of development in our blog on 0-12 month milestones.
Growth Milestones at 6 Months
At 6 months of age, babies are undergoing rapid physical changes that set the foundation for new skills. You’ll see increases in baby’s weight, motor strength, and coordination that will help them with key milestones like reaching for objects, rolling over, and sitting up with support. Understanding physical growth patterns, like a 6 month old’s weight, can help you track your baby’s progress.
6 Month Baby Weight
Although every baby grows at their own rate, it’s common for 6 month old babies to have doubled their birth weight. This means that the average weight of a 6 month old is around 14 to 18 pounds. If your baby does not fall within this range, it does not mean that your baby is unhealthy. Healthy babies can fall anywhere on the growth chart. Your pediatrician will be looking for consistent growth over time.
Language Milestones at 6 Months
At 6 months, you may notice your baby experimenting with a wider range of sounds such as squealing, cooing, and stringing together vowel sounds. These 6 month old language milestones show that your baby is starting to use vocalizations to express their needs and curiosity, the very beginning of language development. Continue to talk to your baby throughout the day, read to them aloud, and respond to their noises to support their language development.
Speaking Milestones
While babies may not be forming words quite yet, these early coos, babbles, and imitations of your tone and rhythm of speech are key communication milestones that help set the stage for future speech. Help them build those communication skills and bond with you by engaging in back and forth interactions. Respond to their noises, maintain eye contact, and name out loud any objects that they point to or are drawn to.
Find the latest play mats and tummy time pillows to support your baby’s development.
Cognitive Milestones at 6 Months
Cognitive milestones include things like pattern recognition, problem solving, and understanding cause and effect relationships. At around 6th months old, babies will become more curious and engaged with the world around them. They may study and interact with faces and objects, start to recognize faces and patterns, and focus their attention for longer periods of time. While seemingly small, these cognitive changes are very important for future learning.
Characteristics of a 6 Month Old Baby
At this stage, babies will start to show signs of memory development, like recognizing familiar people, voices, and routines. They will also begin engaging more with their surroundings and demonstrating curiosity and problem-solving skills by reaching, grasping, and exploring new objects. Some babies will even start to respond to their name. Encourage their exploration and support cognitive development with stimulating activities like peek-a-boo, textured toys, and interactive books.
Help your baby’s brain grow with fun, easy activities designed to encourage cognitive development.
Social Milestones at 6 Months
Babies interact more and more with the people around them everyday, and at 6 months old they start recognizing caregivers and forming deeper connections. They may show clear preferences for familiar faces by smiling and reaching for those they know best and respond to the emotions of others. Support your baby’s social development by maintaining eye contact and acknowledging and responding to them (often referred to as “serve-and-return” interaction).
Emotional Milestones
Emotional milestones include the ability to express feelings, respond to others, and develop trust and a sense of security with caregivers. At this stage, you’ll probably notice a wider range of emotions from joy to excitement to frustration. They often will start responding to their name and seeking comfort and engagement through eye contact and facial expressions. These milestones help babies build strong emotional bonds, learn how to communicate their needs, and set a foundation for healthy relationships.
Play Milestones
As babies interact with you and the world around them more and more, play becomes purposeful. At around six months of age, they will begin to reach for toys and objects around them, explore shapes and textures, and laugh and smile with you. Play is an essential part of healthy emotional and physical development, helping to strengthen bonds with caregivers, build muscle, and sharpen their coordination.
Spark curiosity and creativity with the Learn & Grow Garden, a soft and engaging play space for little ones.
Movement & Physical Milestones at 6 Months
At six months old, development of all five senses, especially motor skills, really accelerates. Babies start to make movements that reflect their growing muscles and coordination skills, helping them build up to sitting, crawling, and eventually walking. Many babies begin to roll both ways, sit up with support, and push up to their arms during tummy time. Interactive play continues to be important during these months to help stimulate brain development, body awareness, and strength building.
To support these emerging postural and motor milestones, the Boppy Proper Posture Floor & Booster Seat can offer an ergonomic and safe sitting solution for babies starting around four months. Developed with a pediatric physical therapist and JPMA certified, this versatile seat transitions from a floor seat to a booster, providing gentle core support, healthy hip positioning, and a secure, convertible tray design that adapts as babies grow.
Support your baby’s posture and development with the Boppy Proper Posture Floor & Booster Seat.
Food & Eating Milestones at 6 Months
Many six month olds begin showing signs that they’re ready to start solid foods, such as becoming interested in and reaching for food during meals, sitting up with support, and having good head control. While breastmilk or formula should still remain the primary nutrition source for a 6 month old, eating and exploring new flavors and textures will help them get used to a range of foods. Try incorporating 6 month baby food items like fruit or vegetable purees and cereal or oatmeal during mealtimes.
Sleep Milestones at 6 Months
6 month old sleep often includes longer nighttime stretches, sometimes up to 8 hours, but it can still be unpredictable. Around this age, sleep and feeding routines are more consistent, and self-soothing skills are improving. Increased awareness of their surroundings may cause disruptions in the baby’s sleep and more frequent night waking. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine and a calm environment can help support healthy sleep habits. Understanding wake windows by age can also help with more restful sleep for you and your little one.
6 Month Sleep Regression
At around the 6 month mark, some babies experience a 6 month sleep regression, waking more frequently at night or resisting their naps. This can be caused by cognitive leaps, discomfort from teething, or the introduction of solid foods. While it can be a challenging time, remember that it’s temporary. Most babies will soon adjust and settle back into a more consistent sleep routine.
Struggling with sleep regression? Get tips to help your baby sleep in their bassinet and rest more soundly.
Boppy is Here to Help Your 6 Month Old Reach Baby Milestones
Every baby is unique and develops at their own pace and in their own way. The six month stage is an exciting one, with rapid changes in their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive skills. These developmental milestones are paving the way for future learning and independence, and providing a safe, loving environment is one of the best things you can do to help them thrive.
At Boppy, we design products that blend comfort, safety, and fun to support your little one’s development from 0-12 months and beyond. From booster seats that build strength to tummy time props that encourage play, our playtime collection is full of milestone-friendly favorites.
Baby Development FAQs
When do babies start sitting up?
Most babies begin sitting with support around 4 to 6 months and may sit independently closer to 6 to 8 months as their core strength improves.
When do babies start rolling over?
Babies typically roll from tummy to back by 4 months and from back to tummy between 5 and 6 months as muscle coordination develops.
When do babies start laughing?
Laughter often begins around 3 to 4 months when babies become more socially responsive and enjoy playful interactions. By 6 months, babies may laugh more frequently during play or when interacting with familiar faces.
When do babies start talking?
Babbling usually begins around 6 months as babies experiment with sounds, laying the groundwork for first words in the coming months.
How much should a 6 month old weigh?
The average 6-month-old weighs about 16 to 18 pounds, though healthy weights vary based on growth patterns and birth size.