How does a baby develop between 7 and 9 months old?

This stage is all about exploration, the freedom to move, and a growing desire to communicate and engage.

Your baby’s vision develops further for tiny details and depth

By around 6 months, babies notice the tiniest bits of fluff and crumbs on the carpet and try to pinch them between their fingers, pick them up, inspect them and explore them with their mouth. Do be careful and keep small items out of reach that could be swallowed.

With a strong need to move – as long as you give them enough space – your baby looks into the distance, recognises objects, and constantly trains their eyes through movement. What catches their eye? Raised edges, holes and gaps, different textures. They examine these with their fingers, for example by poking fingers into holes, then explore with their mouth too. Mouth exploration is a very important part of development because it allows highly sensitive discovery.

When you give your baby floor time, place a few toys about 1 to 1.5 metres away that they will be keen to reach. This supports both vision and movement. There are plenty of toys made with fine details, and you can also find interesting textures in the kitchen, such as a perforated colander.

What risks are common at this age?

There are many possible risks, but the most frequent are falls, choking on small items, grabbing dangerous objects, and bumps from furniture.
Children are just starting to understand depth but cannot judge it reliably, so never leave a baby on a raised surface. They can easily roll off a bed.
They will spot tiny bits on the floor straight away and pop them in their mouth, and they move quickly towards items left out in the home. Keep rooms baby safe. You can secure certain cupboard doors if opening them could be risky.

Anything that makes a sound is exciting

Why are pots and spoons so fascinating? Because you can bang them together and they make loud, bright, metallic sounds. Do not be surprised if your baby loves spending time in the kitchen and tries to open the cupboard where these treasures live. They know exactly where to find them.

Sound-making toys are very useful at this age too. Choose mini instruments that produce clear, in-tune sounds with good intonation. Intonation means each note fits the scale accurately – in other words, it is not out of tune. If you want to support your child’s musical ear, pay special attention to this.

Singing together continues to be one of the most valuable shared activities for development, learning and social connection. Babies quickly remember familiar tunes and words and increasingly want to say or sing them back. These shared singing moments also show your child that it is fine to sing when they feel happy, tense or sad. It helps them express themselves and their feelings, and it nurtures musicality.

Big leaps in movement 

This is when you may see the most visible changes in your baby’s movement. The motivation to get from place to place is so strong that a child can seem almost unstoppable, and the process of getting upright becomes much more pronounced.

As they discover the outside world, they also learn how their own body works. They realise what they can do and what they can affect. This builds confidence and encourages them. A sense of independence emerges as they experience their own abilities and skills. They slowly sit up, or get into a semi-sitting position, and move into all fours.

How do babies usually get into sitting?

Some shift their bottom to the side from all fours. Others push up from side-lying, first onto the forearm and then onto the hand. There are many other variations. The first sit can often happen by chance, and the same technique then sticks. By about 9 months many babies can sit upright steadily with a straight back.

How does crawling start?

Because moving forwards takes effort, babies often do not work it out at first. They push back with their hands and set off in reverse. This can be frustrating, because the desired toy gets further away, not closer. So they try harder until forward progress comes. Early commando crawling can be asymmetrical, then it becomes a pattern of opposite hand and knee movements.

The first step to hands-and-knees crawling is rising onto all fours. In this position babies begin to rock back and forth, then take the first crawling steps.
The period of commando crawling and crawling is very important. Try to ensure these stages are not skipped. If you feel there is a problem, contact a movement development specialist promptly. After an initial assessment they can give tailored exercises and effective support. This helps avoid later learning difficulties, because there is a strong link between motor development and learning abilities. It is important not to try to solve issues yourself and not to rely on generic exercise videos online. A specialist must tailor any programme to your child.

Your baby tunes into the sounds of their native language 

With lots of chatting, your child starts to weave the sounds of their native language into their own communication. Cooing gives way to babbling. They combine sounds more deliberately (tete, kekeke) as if speaking. This is an attempt to communicate with you and it is important that you respond. They notice they can affect you, and vocalising becomes purposeful.

Understanding words begins around 9 months. You can show and name objects. Step by step, this will guide your child from babble towards words.

Playing together matters 

Although babies love to explore independently – their sense of autonomy is growing – cuddling up with a parent and playing together is still deeply reassuring. Use objects in your play. Point to an object, then bring it closer and talk about it. This helps your child learn how to point.

Mums and dads often play in different ways, each passing on different strengths and supporting development differently. We explored this in an earlier article that shows the value of playing with Dad for children.

What is your baby learning? 

For example, that objects can affect each other. They can tap two items together to make a sound. They can put a smaller pot inside a larger one, at first by accident. They notice the properties of objects and begin to choose between them based on preference.
During shared play, babies imitate. They experience success when an adult praises and reinforces what they do.

In a previous article we shared a month by month overview of baby development. We warmly recommend that read too.

Sources:

NHS — Baby moves

NCT — Your baby’s development: 6–9 months