How Does a Baby’s Memory Develop?

We adults often say our earliest memories start around age three or four. But what can a baby remember before that? It’s not only memory that’s fascinating here—face recognition is one of the very first and most important abilities in social, communication and cognitive development, as sight, hearing and other senses mature.

How well does a baby remember events?

Episodic memory (memory for events) is about recalling past happenings. Before age two, babies don’t reliably recall earlier events in a detailed, narrative way. Still, the impressions they receive from the world do stay with them—they can later reproduce fragments of experiences, especially the more intense bits. These impressions may seem to vanish, but they’re far from trivial: they shape the child directly, spark curiosity and motivation, and support development.

What does a baby remember?

By around three months, babies visibly remember parts of the daily routine—bathtime, bedtime and familiar settling cues. They also recognise close family members they see frequently. By six months, they remember people and places they encounter at least weekly. Around nine months, babies can recall events from three to four weeks earlier—and yes, unpleasant experiences can resurface too, such as a trickier visit to the GP.

By twelve months, many little ones learn rhymes and songs by memory. By 18 months, some can remember events from two to three months ago; by two years, their memory may reach back up to six months.

Face recognition: a key ability

From birth, babies are wired to recognise the faces they see most often. This ability emerges earlier than you might think—within the first weeks. From the moment your little one first takes in their surroundings and sees you, they begin to focus and to remember familiar faces.

Face recognition at 2–3 months

At this age, your baby shows strong signs of recognising you. The part of the brain responsible for processing faces is rapidly developing. Notice how they light up and smile when you come back after a short time away? They remember you. It’s a lovely milestone: your presence soothes more quickly, and that recognition helps deepen your bond.

How can you tell your baby recognises you?

They look at you longer than at strangers. If you step away and return, they brighten. They turn towards your voice, glance around or move when they hear you. Your presence, voice, touch and face calm them faster than anyone else. They become animated and engaged when you interact.

By 4–6 months, babies notice facial details

They can tell people apart more easily—by features and expressions. They also begin to read your mood, which supports emotional connection. Fascinatingly, research shows that at this age babies may still recognise a familiar person even if a mask covers part of the face, suggesting they’re not only matching the whole face but also learning distinctive features.

Remember, vision and memory are developing quickly alongside face recognition—this helps your baby focus more effectively.
If you’d like to read more about how a baby’s vision develops, see our earlier article: [on how your baby’s vision develops].

Who do they see in the mirror?

Around six months, many babies become interested in mirrors. They may smile or laugh, but full self-recognition typically clicks around 18 months—a very sweet moment. With repeated exposure, your baby will notice that the face in the mirror is familiar, even before they realise it’s themselves.

Object permanence develops around 6–8 months

This is when your baby begins to understand that people and things continue to exist even when out of sight. It’s a wonderful step because it hints at a reassuring idea: you are still there, even if you’ve popped into the next room. Naturally, they may still miss you, and some separation anxiety is common once they realise you exist even when invisible.

Between 9 and 12 months: deeper connection

As social and cognitive skills sparkle, your baby becomes far more interactive. With memory strengthening, they imitate, reach out, respond, signal back, smile, worry, and seek comfort. Recognition and memory don’t grow by passive exposure alone; they thrive on interaction—eye contact, playful facial expressions and responsive turns build the social experiences babies need.

Worried about delays?

Every baby develops at their own pace, but if by after six months you rarely see eye contact, smiles or responses to familiar faces, mention it to your GP or health visitor. Around 2–3 months, look for eye contact; by 4–6 months, some response to familiar faces; by 6–9 months, do they track faces and movement with their eyes? Do they show interest in people?

Stranger anxiety between 9–12 months is common. If it’s extremely intense—or if familiar faces don’t seem to interest your baby at all—it’s a good idea to talk to a professional.

Memory-boosting play ideas for babies

To round things off, here are some simple, engaging ideas if you’d like to support your child’s attention, recognition and concentration.

• Shape and colour toys: blocks and figures to strengthen visual recognition and memory.

• Picture matching: pair images with items or associate sounds with pictures.

• Hide-and-reveal games: support object permanence by hiding items, then showing where they are.

• Simple memory cards: older babies and toddlers enjoy basic matching games.

• Songs and nursery rhymes: brilliant for recall and rhythm—most babies love repeatable tunes and chants.

• What’s missing? Show a few objects, then hide one—can they spot what’s gone?

• Tactile play: explore different textures and match them to objects they belong to.

• Book-sharing time: label shapes and characters—a timeless favourite.

• Reassuring routines: babies remember predictable sequences more easily; a consistent daily routine supports memory too.

These games build memory through fun, while also nurturing attention, perception and vocabulary.
If you’d like to read more about daily routines, see our earlier article: [daily routine].

References:

American Academy of Pediatrics — HealthyChildren.org: Cognitive Development in Infants (4–7 Months; 8–12 Months) — overview of early memory and object permanence, with practical play ideas.
ZERO TO THREE: Supporting Thinking Skills From 0–12 Months — accessible guide to early memory development and everyday ways parents can support it.