What eight-month-olds typically do: they engage in parallel play, mouth toys, share toys, and show early naming recognition.

Eight months is a sweet spot for watching a baby’s personality start to peek through. If you’re studying early childhood development, you’ve probably noticed that the pace shifts from pure repetition to more deliberate exploration. Here’s a snapshot of what eight-month-olds typically do, and how those behaviors fit into the bigger picture of social and cognitive growth.

What eight-month-olds are often doing

At around eight months, you’ll see a mix of social curiosity and hands-on exploration. The behaviors you’re most likely to observe include:

• Playing in parallel with other babies

• Mouthing toys as a way to learn about the world

• Showing interest in toys and, sometimes, a budding sense of sharing

• Beginning to recognize familiar objects and people

Let me explain each piece, because together they paint a clear picture of development at this age.

Parallel play and social awareness

If you hang out with eight-month-olds in a playroom, you’ll notice something pretty common: they’re playing next to one another, not with each other yet. This is what grown-ups usually call parallel play. It looks like two babies with similar toys, each busy with their own activity, but there’s still a buzz of awareness—eye contact, glances, perhaps a quick reach toward a peer’s toy, a shared smile, or a pause to observe what the other baby is doing.

Why this matters? Parallel play is a stepping stone. It signals growing social interest without demanding complex cooperation. It’s the bridge between solitary play and planned group activities later on. For caregivers, the takeaway is simple: give opportunities for shared space and easy social cues—name a toy aloud, point to a toy, imitate a baby’s action, and celebrate those little interactions as they happen.

Mouthing toys: a sensory passport

Mouthing toys is another hallmark of this stage. Babies explore through taste and touch, and many eight-month-olds will happily bring a rattle, teether, or soft block to their mouths. This isn’t just about getting something chewy; it’s a crucial sensorimotor activity. Through mouthing, they learn textures, temperatures, and how objects move in their mouths and hands. It’s how they map the world, one little toy at a time.

If you’re guiding care or designing activities, safety comes first. Ensure toys are clean, age-appropriate, and free of small parts. A simple rule: if you can fit the object entirely into a small-mouth, it’s not suitable. But don’t be alarmed—mouthing is a normal, essential part of development, and it’s a good chance to model safe exploration by talking through what you’re doing as you play.

Discovering and sharing toys

Eight months also brings a flicker of interest in toys beyond solo use. A baby might show curiosity about another child’s toy, reach toward it, or attempt what looks like “sharing.” It’s not true sharing in the adult sense just yet, but the intention hints at a growing sense of social exchange. They may grab a sibling’s block or look toward a preferred toy and anticipate someone else acknowledging it.

What this tells us: social cognition is taking shape. The child isn’t just chasing the toy; they’re noticing others, testing whether an object is shared, and watching for responses. For families and educators, this is a cue to model turn-taking, to narrate what’s happening (“Your friend is playing with the toy now. Let’s see if we can hand it back and forth.”), and to offer gentle guidance that reinforces cooperative play without forcing it.

Naming toys and language beginnings

Let’s talk about language briefly. At eight months, many babies aren’t naming toys yet—speech is still in the early stages. They’re more likely to respond to familiar sounds, tones, and the names you use for objects. You might see a baby look toward a “favorite” toy when you say its name, or point to something and listen for a reaction. This is still early language work: listening, glancing, and maybe babbling. It’s not about verbal naming, but it lays the groundwork for vocabulary and comprehension.

Practical takeaways for caregivers and students

So, what do these eight-month behaviors mean for practice and observation? Here are a few practical notes you can apply in real life or in coursework discussions:

• Create safe, inviting shared spaces. A blanket on the floor with a few age-appropriate toys placed nearby invites parallel play and incidental interaction.

• Narrate what you see. Simple phrases like “You’re rolling the ball,” or “That’s a square block,” help with language development and object recognition.

• Encourage gentle back-and-forth moments. If a baby grabs a toy and another baby reaches for it, guide them in a soft exchange: “Your friend wants to play with the block—let’s trade!” This reinforces the idea that toys can be shared objects, not just possessions.

• Observe and note. When you see a baby reach toward a peer’s toy, jot down what happened right before, during, and after. Is there a smile? Does the other baby respond? These little observations are gold for understanding early social-cognitive progress.

Where this fits in the bigger picture

Eight-month behavior sits at a crossroads. The baby is developing motor control that allows more intentional play, and the social brain is starting to tune into people around them. The combination—grasping, mouthing, eye contact, and a hint of shared interest—signals healthy exploration and social learning. It’s not all about “milestones” ticking off a list; it’s about a dynamic sequence where the child learns to navigate objects, people, and moments of joint attention.

A note on the other options

If you’re studying the material that covers infant development, you’ll likely see multiple-choice questions that test your understanding of what’s typical at different ages. For eight months, option B—playing in partners, mouthing toys, sharing toys, and naming toys—best reflects the blend of social and sensorimotor activity you’d expect. The other options pull you into activities that belong to later stages of development or aren’t typical for this age:

• Running and jumping: that’s a toddler milestone, not an eight-month feat.

• Reading and drawing: those skills come much later and require more advanced cognitive and fine motor control.

• Playing alone and sleeping: while sleep is essential, this description misses the social and exploratory signs you’d expect at eight months.

The beauty of early development is how these pieces interlock. A baby who is quietly stacking blocks might also be glancing toward a caregiver to check if the action is understood. A baby who mouths a toy is learning about texture and cause-and-effect—“If I bite it, it makes a sound.” And that small moment when the baby looks at a peer and then back at you? That’s a spark of social awareness, a cue you can nurture with warm encouragement.

A touch of everyday wonder

If you’ve ever watched a baby explore a new toy, you know there’s a kind of orchestra going on. There’s touch, sight, sound, and the steady rhythm of trial and error. You might notice the baby’s eyebrows lifting as they discover the toy’s texture, or a tiny grin when they see a familiar face nearby. These are not random moments; they’re the early notes of a lifelong tune—the tune of curiosity, connection, and growing competence.

As future teachers, caregivers, or program coordinators, you’ll want to keep a balance between guidance and interpretation. Let the child lead where safe and appropriate, offer language that names what’s happening, and provide back-and-forth opportunities that promote social interaction. Remember: development rarely travels in straight lines. There are fits and starts, little detours, and then a few steps forward again. That normal ebb and flow is what keeps the learning alive.

A concluding thought you can take to heart

Eight months is a window into a child’s emerging social world. The behaviors you observe—parallel play, tactile exploration through mouthing, a budding sense of sharing, and recognition of familiar items—combine to form a foundation for later cooperative play, language growth, and cognitive curiosity. The more you tune in to these moments, the better you’ll understand how to support a child’s natural trajectory in the years ahead.

If you’re exploring this topic for coursework or professional growth, keep these ideas in your toolkit:

• Recognize the signs of healthy social-cognitive development at this age.

• Use simple, descriptive language to talk about what you see.

• Create safe, engaging environments that invite exploration and gentle social interaction.

• Observe with curiosity and note patterns over time to understand each child’s pace.

And if you ever wonder about the real-life heartbeat behind the theory, look no further than the playroom. There, eight-month-olds are not just playing with toys—they’re testing the world, one small gesture at a time, and you’re there to witness the next page of their amazing story.