What is typically a significant milestone for children at the age of twelve months?

At twelve months, a significant milestone in a child's development is the ability to walk without support. This milestone reflects a crucial phase in gross motor development, where children transition from crawling or cruising along furniture to independent walking. By this age, many children demonstrate increased strength and balance, allowing them to take their first independent steps.

Walking is not only a physical achievement but also represents independence and the child's growing ability to explore their environment. It opens up new opportunities for interaction with their surroundings, which is vital for cognitive and social development. As children begin to walk confidently, they also start to engage more with other children and adults, enhancing their social skills.

While starting to run, engaging in imaginative play, and sorting objects are important developmental skills, they typically appear after the milestone of walking independently. Each of these skills builds on the foundation established by being able to walk without support, illustrating the interconnected nature of physical, cognitive, and social development in early childhood.