Cognitive development refers to the way your baby learns to think, remember, imagine, gather and organize information, solve problems and develop judgment. Sounds like a lot, but it all happens gradually. Here's what you can expect between six and nine months:
Cognitive milestones
At this age, a baby will likely:
- Notice the size of objects, reaching for smaller objects with her finger and thumb and larger objects with both hands.
- Know whether objects are near or far.
- Understand how objects can be used. For example, your baby may bang blocks on the floor, shake a noisemaker harder, or push buttons on a toy.
- Search briefly for an object when it's taken away.
Play and activity
You can nurture your baby's cognitive development in a variety of ways including:
- Continuing to breastfeed.
- Offering lots of praise for new skills.
- Providing a range of objects or toys (fill-and-dump toys; toys for stacking, nesting, and sorting; toys with a variety of textures, shapes, sounds, colours and weights; childproof books).
- Reading books to your baby.
- Playing copy games, such as sticking out your tongue or banging a pan.
- Playing hide and seek games.
- Playing in and out games, such as putting blocks in a container and taking them out.
- Dancing, playing music, and singing with your baby.
Other cognitive milestones
Between six and nine months your baby may also:
