Week-by-week library · about 3.5 months old
Week 14
Quick answer
What is my baby up to at about 3.5 months old?
This week, reaching for a toy is starting to look like it's on purpose.
What's developing
Motor
Purposeful reaching toward toys is emerging for many babies, even if grabbing is still hit or miss.
Motor
Rolling front-to-back can start to appear for some babies now, though the typical window for rolling spans roughly three to six months (WHO), so timing varies widely.
Try this together this week
- Dangle a toy just within reaching distance and let them practice the whole reach-grab sequence, even the misses.
- Supervised floor time with room to roll, on a soft surface with nothing nearby to bump into.
- Continue call-and-response babbling games; the sound palette keeps growing.
- A play gym with different textures to bat at and grab.
What parents often notice
If rolling has not started, that is completely typical; it is one of the widest-ranging motor milestones and many babies do not roll consistently until closer to five or six months.
Sourced to
- World Health Organization, Motor Development Study (WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study)
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org
Last reviewed by the This Week Baby editorial team.