10 - 12 months: what your baby’s doing

Crawling, shuffling or walking, your explorer's on the move! Learn how their little hands are developing too.

At around 10 - 12 months your baby will soon say their first real words and take their first unsteady steps - with a little support from you! The transformation from crawling baby to walking, talking toddler is amazing to watch and hear! Our advice is always to have a camera nearby – first steps can happen when you least expect them!

They may even take their first steps while holding onto your hand, furniture or walls. But don't worry if walking comes later – every baby develops in their own way and at their own pace.

Although you can expect quite a few wobbles, it won't stop your little explorer from 'cruising' - tottering around the house, while getting support from whatever or whoever happens to be around.

Now they’re having a go at walking, your baby just loves the freedom of being able to get around on two feet. But as they’ll still rely on furniture and other objects for support, they can often lack the confidence to take a big step into wide-open spaces.

Once your baby is stable on both feet, encourage them to take small steps by standing a little distance away and holding out your arms so they'll walk towards you. Make sure you praise every effort - especially if they make it into your arms without falling!

Your baby now has much more control over their hands and fingers too. It’s amazing how they can entertain themselves for ages simply by putting objects into containers and then dumping them out again… and again… and again!

They may be holding a spoon fairly well and enjoying being able to feed themselves, although this will probably be quite messy for some months to come. So keep the wipes handy!