Can you believe that your baby is almost one year old? These last months leading up to their first birthday are some of the most exciting, so prepare yourself for all the fun that’s about to happen!

Month 10

Your little one isn’t so little anymore. By now, expect your baby to continue feeding themselves more independently and explore independently around the room. As your baby grows, their attitude can start to show itself as well. If your baby replacescrying fits with hair pulling, head banging, or teeth grinding, don’t be alarmed. This is all a normal part of their development.

Developmental Milestones

● squats and sits down from a standing position

● stacks items like blocks or cups

● repeats common gestures (i.e. waves goodbye or blows kisses)

Activities To Do

Now that your baby understands how to grab and hold objects, it’s the perfect time to start drawing and coloring with them! You can roll out a large sheet of paper, dump out some crayons, and let them go to town on their mini masterpiece. Although they can’t draw discernible shapes at this age, coloring helps your child practice theirfine motor skills, which are critical for development.

Month 11

As your baby nears their first birthday, your little one is probably starting to look a little taller and leaner as their baby fat becomes toned muscles instead. Your 11-month-old is likely starting to take steps on their own, even though they may not fully walk until after their first birthday.

Developmental Milestones

● stand up unassisted

● take steps independently

● drinks from a cup

Activities To Do

Though your baby probably isn’t speaking just yet, they have definitely reached an age where they recognize colors and understand words. This makes a modified version of the gameI Spy a perfect activity to play with your child. For this game, you can ask them simple questions like, “Where is the dog?” or “Do you see the red ball?” Then, give your child a moment to respond by pointing or showing you where the object is. If they don’t spot it right away, you can always help them since any communication with you helps with their language development.

Month 12

You’re probably busy preparing for their first birthday celebration. However, don’t forget to sit back and watch your baby continue to grow, because chances are they’ll start walking and talking very soon!

Developmental Milestones

● independent, unassisted movement

● responds to simple spoken requests

● can identify common objects when asked (point to animals, colors, etc.)

● communicates with gestures or sounds (i.e. hands you a book or asks for food)

Activities To Do

Sensory play can be beneficial at this age because it exposes them to different textures, forces them to practice their fine motor skills, and helps them learn how to explain things in greater detail. You can use items like spaghetti, shaving cream, or dried beans to provide your child with different textures to play with. It’s fun and educational!

Your baby’s first birthday is here! They’ve come a long way and it’s been an incredible journey to watch. Now it’s time to break out the birthday cake and celebrate all the memories from the past 12 months!