Your 10 to 12 month old: what to say and do

Give and take the car

Your baby is holding a car and looking at you during floor play.

Try

Ask for the car, pause, then hold out your hand.

How to do it

1. Ask once, then count to three in your head before you open your hand.
2. Zoom the car once across the floor, then give it right back.
3. Let them play a moment, then ask again.

Conversation guide

Parent

'Give me the car?' [pauses, then opens hand]

Child

[puts the car in your hand]

Parent

'Thank you! Vroom!' [zooms it once, gives it back] 'Your turn.'

Child

[pushes or bangs the car]

Parent

[after a moment] 'Give me the car?' [pauses, then opens hand]

Child

[puts it in your hand again]

Why this matters

Your baby learns to follow a simple request and take turns. Pausing before you open your hand lets words lead.

What not to do

• Avoid pulling the car from their hand; let them choose to let go.

Big splash, little splash

Your baby is splashing water in the bath with their hands.

Try

Make a tiny splash with a tiny 'splish'.

How to do it

1. Make a tiny splash with a tiny voice.
2. Make a big splash with a big voice.
3. Stop and wait to see which one they do.

Conversation guide

Parent

[tiny splash] 'Little splish.'

Child

[watches]

Parent

[big splash] 'BIG SPLASH!'

Child

[splashes hard, squeals]

Why this matters

Your baby practices copying sounds and actions together. A tiny voice for a tiny splash gives them both to copy.

Go bye-bye?

You are about to leave the house, and your baby is playing on the floor.

Try

Say 'go bye-bye?' with your keys in hand.

How to do it

1. Say 'go bye-bye?' holding your keys or bag.
2. Wait for a wave, a look at the door, or crawling over.
3. Name what they did and head out.

Conversation guide

Parent

[holds up keys] 'Go bye-bye?'

Child

[looks at the door, waves]

Parent

'Yes! We go bye-bye.'

Child

[crawls toward you or reaches up]

Why this matters

Your baby learns words for everyday routines, like going out. Holding up your keys links the words to leaving.

Morning wave from the crib

Your baby is standing up in the crib, looking at you as the day begins.

Try

Wave and sing your morning hello.

How to do it

1. Wave as you sing hello.
2. Stop at the end of the line and wave again.
3. Wait for their wave, smile, or sound.

Conversation guide

Parent

[waves, sings] 'Hello, hello, good morning!'

Child

[bounces, flaps a hand]

Parent

'You waved!'

Child

[waves again or babbles]

Why this matters

Your baby practices waving, one of their first gestures. Pausing after each wave in the song lets them join in.

You pull, it comes off

You are undressing your baby and have loosened one sock at the toes.

Try

Loosen the sock and let them pull.

How to do it

1. Wiggle the sock halfway off.
2. Say 'pull!' and wait.
3. Name it as it comes off, then wait for the other foot.

Conversation guide

Parent

[loosens sock] 'Pull!'

Child

[grabs the sock and tugs]

Parent

'Off! Sock off.'

Child

[waves the sock or reaches for the other one]

Why this matters

Your baby learns to help undress themselves. Naming what happens as they pull gives them the words.

More... all gone

Your baby is eating pieces of banana from the high-chair tray.

Try

Say "more" when you add pieces and "all gone" when the last one goes.

How to do it

1. Add a few more pieces and say "more".
2. When the tray is empty, show your open hands and say "all gone".
3. Use the same words each time.

Conversation guide

Parent

[adds two pieces] 'More banana!'

Child

[grabs one, eats]

Parent

[tray empty, shows open hands] 'All gone!'

Child

[pats the tray, looks at you] 'Uh!'

Why this matters

Your baby learns to notice amounts changing, from more to none. Naming each change on the tray points it out.

What not to do

• Avoid "Eat it all up!"; save "all gone" for when it's gone.

Blow a night-night kiss

You are at the last step of bedtime, saying goodnight before you leave the room.

Try

Blow a kiss, then wait at the door for their try back.

How to do it

1. Blow a kiss and say 'night night' the same way each night.
2. Stop at the door and wait a few seconds, looking at them.
3. Name any lip smack, wave, or hand to mouth as their kiss, then go.

Conversation guide

Parent

[blows a kiss] 'Night night.' [stops at the door, waits]

Child

[watches, smacks their lips or lifts a hand]

Parent

'You blew a kiss! Night night.' [blows one more, leaves]

Why this matters

Your baby learns to copy gestures, like a kiss. Waiting at the door gives them time to blow one back.

What not to do

• Avoid asking 'blow me a kiss' again and again; one wait is enough.

Ball! Bounce, bounce

You're looking at a board book page with a few pictures your baby knows, like a ball, a cup and a dog.

Try

Say one picture's name, wait for their eyes to find it, then make it come alive.

How to do it

1. Name one picture, then pause before you point.
2. When their eyes land on it, bounce your finger on it or make its sound.
3. If they look at a different picture, play with that one instead.

Conversation guide

Parent

'I see a ball.' [pauses]

Child

[looks across the page, then at the ball]

Parent

[bounces a finger on the ball] 'Bounce, bounce, bounce!'

Child

[laughs, pats the ball]

Parent

'And a doggy. Woof!'

Child

[looks at the dog] 'Uh!'

Why this matters

Your baby learns to understand words before saying them. The pause gives their eyes time to find the picture.

What not to do

• Avoid pointing the moment you say the word; the pause is what gives them the chance to find it.

Goodbye in your home language

You're handing your baby to their caregiver, and at home you say goodbye in another language.

Try

Say your usual home-language goodbye, with a wave.

How to do it

1. Say goodbye in your home language, with your usual wave.
2. Tell the caregiver the word so they can use it too.
3. Leave once, without sneaking away.

Conversation guide

Parent

[kisses, waves] '[goodbye, in your home language]'

Child

[flaps a hand, reaches back for you]

Parent

[to the caregiver] 'That's our word for bye-bye.' [leaves]

Why this matters

Your baby recognizes the goodbye they hear every day. Using it at drop-off keeps goodbyes familiar.

What not to do

• Avoid switching language for drop-off; your everyday goodbye is the point.