4 signs your baby will start talking soon (and how to help them)

Your baby is getting ready to chat long before they say their first words. Here are the early signs they’re trying to communicate with you, along with some practical tips for encouraging their very first ‘mama’ or ‘dada’.

Does your baby beam when you smile at them? Or copy sounds you make, like blowing raspberries? You might not realise it, but these are both early signs that your baby is communicating with you. And pretty soon they’ll be chatting away and telling you exactly what they want!

While your baby is picking up new skills from watching and listening to you, there are other ways to boost their early language development … and have loads of fun at the same time.

Fisher-Price toys are expertly designed to help babies reach their developmental milestones with a big smile. These ‘Smilestones’, including learning to crawl, walk and talk, are big moments in your baby’s life. And reaching them through play makes it waaaay more fun!

Keep reading for the early signs your baby is getting ready to talk, and the best toys to help them. And here's all you need to know about your baby's Smilestones.

The colourful Fisher-Price® Linkimals™ Learning Narwhal™ includes words, phrases, letters of the alphabet and more than 135 songs. 

1. They’re watching and listening to you

Your baby has a lot of words to learn. So it’s no wonder they’re paying close attention to you when you talk.

Not only will they be hearing different words, your baby will also be learning different sounds and seeing how your mouth moves as you make them. In fact, you’ll probably notice your baby moving their mouth and tongue as they try to copy you.

How to help: Keep talking! Research shows chatting to your baby helps boost their vocabulary. 

Another lovely way for your baby to hear new sounds is with the Fisher-Price® Linkimals™ Learning Narwhal™ toy. They can spin a wheel or press the fish-shaped buttons to hear sounds and music. The colourful Narwhal includes words, phrases, letters of the alphabet and more than 135 songs. 

Your baby will love 'talking' as they play with the Fisher-Price® Little People® Light-Up Learning Garage™

2. Your baby is babbling

This early ‘baby speak’ is an important step towards your baby’s ‘Smilestone’ of saying their first words.

Babies usually start babbling from around 6 months. You’ll notice your little one is practicing their consonant and vowel sounds like ‘ga-ga’ or ‘ba-ba-ba’. You might even hear a ma-ma (our hearts!) but it might be a while before they connect this word with you. 

How to help: Answer back when your baby is babbling. They’ll probably babble a bit then stop and look at you. Answer them as though they’ve asked you a question. This helps them learn about turn taking in conversation. 

Playtime is also a great opportunity to have a ‘conversation’ with your baby. The Fisher-Price® Little People® Light-Up Learning Garage™ teaches colours, sounds, and shapes. You can help your baby by translating their babble as they play with the little characters.

For example, if they point at the playset car and say ‘ca-ca’, reply with, ‘that’s right, a car’. This helps them learn their vocabulary and they’ll love that you’re chatting with them.

Your baby will love the Fisher-Price® Linkimals™ Learning Narwhal™

3. They respond to their name

Does your baby turn to you when you say their name? This is another early sign they’re communicating with you and usually happens somewhere between 6-9 months. It will be a while before they can say their own name, but recognising the sound of it is a key part of language learning.

How to help: Repeating words like their name is a way to help your baby learn. Another great way is through songs and nursery rhymes. Research shows nursery rhymes can help babies learn the sound patterns in language.

The Fisher-Price® Linkimals™ Learning Narwhal™ features songs, lights and phrases to help your baby hit their language Smilestone as they play.

The Fisher-Price® Little People® Caring For Animals Farm helps your baby make connections with words and objects

4. They point, clap and wave

When they’re around 7-9 months your baby will start to use gestures. This could include pointing at what they want, waving back at you and clapping.

Even though they’re not saying anything, these are important language skills for your little one.

How to help: Reading with your baby is a great way to boost these gestures. Point at different characters while you’re reading. And when you are talking or playing, point and wave at different toys as you’re talking. The Fisher-Price® Little People® Caring For Animals Farm helps your baby associate words with objects like cow, sheep or tractor.

When do babies start talking?

Babies usually start saying recognisable words anywhere between 10-18 months. And while you’re probably hoping it’s mama or dada it could be something completely random like ‘ball’ or ‘hi’.

By the time they’re around 18-24 months they’ll start putting words together, like, ‘all gone’ and ‘sleepy time’.

Every baby is different though, so don’t worry if they’re a bit later in chatting. Talk to your health visitor if you’re worried.

And for all your baby’s Smilestones, there’s a Fisher-Price toy that can help! 

Smilestones by Fisher-Price

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