At six months, babies are learning through active movement, shared attention, and repeated social interaction. They are beginning to roll, reach, sit with support, and explore objects with their hands and mouths, while also becoming more responsive to voices, sounds, and familiar routines. Development at this age is shaped by opportunities to move on the floor, interact face-to-face, hear language connected to what they’re seeing and doing, and practice calming with caregiver support. Everyday play, caregiving routines, and simple back-and-forth interactions help babies build the coordination, communication, and confidence that later skills depend on.

You can support development by:

• Singing to your baby and playing music. Listening to rhythm, melody, and changes in sound supports early brain development and attention.

• Talking about what your baby is looking at. When your baby focuses on an object, point to it and describe it. This helps build early understanding of words, objects, and shared attention.

• Placing toys just out of reach during tummy or back play. Encouraging your baby to roll or move toward a toy supports coordination, strength, and problem-solving.

• Playing on the floor or a play mat every day. Floor play gives babies space to move, explore, roll, and practice new motor skills.

• Holding your baby while they practice sitting. Let your baby look around and explore toys while you provide support as they learn to balance.

• Supporting your baby in a standing position. Holding your baby securely under the arms while they bear weight on their legs helps build strength and body awareness. Naming what you see together adds language to movement.

• Introducing different sounds and voices. Whispering, clapping, or making playful noises helps your baby notice differences in sound and encourages curiosity and listening.

• Responding to your baby’s emotional cues. If your baby is engaged and happy, keep going. If they become upset or overwhelmed, pause and comfort them. This teaches emotional regulation and trust.

• Helping your baby practice calming. Holding, rocking, singing softly, or allowing them to suck on fingers or a pacifier helps babies learn how to settle themselves with support.

• Paying attention to hunger and fullness signals. Noticing cues like opening the mouth for food or turning away helps babies learn body awareness and communication.

• Playing simple cause-and-effect games. When your baby drops a toy and you pick it up and return it, they begin to learn that actions have predictable outcomes.

• Using back-and-forth play: when your baby smiles, you smile back; when they make sounds, you imitate and respond.

• Reading or “talking through” colorful pictures in books or magazines and responding to their babble.

• Pointing out and naming new things, such as cars, trees, or pets, during moments like walks or playtime to help build early awareness of the world around them.

These interactions do not teach milestones directly. Instead, they create supportive contexts where your baby can practice and naturally build toward them. They do not need to be structured or perfect; repeated, responsive moments are what matter most.