Puts items in mouth
Typical Timing & Development Window
Visual Timeline & Milestone Benchmarks
What these numbers mean
The average age babies first begin showing early signs of this skill. Before this, it's simply too early — there's nothing to worry about.
The midpoint age: half of babies have reached this milestone by here, half a little later. It's a typical target, not a deadline.
How spread out the timing is. About two-thirds of babies achieve it within one standard deviation of the median (the shaded band, wk 21–27). Wide bands mean a normal range of variation.
A gentle check-in point. If your baby hasn't shown this by around here, it can be worth mentioning to your pediatrician — most often it's still perfectly fine, just later.
About this milestone
The infant purposefully brings toys, teething rings, or fabrics to their mouth to bite, chew, or explore. This oral exploration is a primary cognitive method for learning about shapes, textures, temperatures, and densities. It indicates active sensory-motor learning and environmental curiosity.
- 1. Provide a variety of clean, baby-safe teething toys with different textures (like ribbed rubber or soft fabric).
- 2. Wash toys regularly with mild soap and water, ensuring they are clean and ready for safe exploration.
- 3. Sit with the infant during play, offering them safe items and describing their textures ('This ring is bumpy!').
- 4. Allow them plenty of supervised floor play with safe, non-toxic objects that they can explore freely.
- 1. Avoid leaving small, sharp, hot, or toxic objects within their reach, as everything will go directly into the mouth.
- 2. Do not scold the infant or pull toys out of their mouth; oral exploration is essential for their learning.
- 3. Avoid using toys with small, loose parts that could break off and pose a choking hazard.