When do babies clap, wave, and point for the first time?

It’s very exciting when your baby begins to communicate with you in ways beyond . Before they can express themselves with words, your little one will likely start using gestures like clapping, waving, and pointing — from that first clapping milestone to waving “bye-bye” and beyond. These non-verbal milestones are both adorable and important for connection and future speech and language development. 

In this article, we’ll take you through when you may expect your child to clap, wave, and point. We’ll also provide tips to encourage your baby to use these gestures and give you an idea of how communication develops from there.  

Why do babies clap, wave, and point?

Clapping, waving, and pointing might seem like simple actions, but they’re actually doing a lot of developmental heavy lifting. These gestures serve as your baby’s first real attempts at communication and social connection — and they lay important groundwork for speech and language down the road.

Communication development

Long before your baby says their first word, they’re already communicating. Gestures are a big part of how they do it:

• Receptive language: Understanding words and using gestures generally comes before expressive language (talking).

• Non-verbal communication: Gestures like clapping, waving, and pointing are forms of non-verbal communication that help your little one learn to express themselves, even when the action precedes the intention. For example, a baby typically has the fine motor skills to clap a few months before they actually begin clapping to show excitement. (Still adorable from day one, though!)

• Signs of communication development: Your baby’s use of gestures is also a good way to gauge their communication development [] before they’re able to talk.

• Big gestures, big vocabulary: Typically, children who use more gestures early on have larger expressive vocabularies [] later.

Social development

Gestures aren’t just about communication — they’re also your baby’s earliest tool for connecting with the people around them. Skills like clapping, waving, and pointing (which also help build hand-eye coordination and physical coordination) help your child develop social skills through before they can talk, and this form of social communication helps them bond with you and other loved ones [] , learn language, and understand how to interact with others. 

When do babies clap, wave, and point?

Every baby hits these milestones on their own timeline, but clapping, waving, and pointing generally start to emerge somewhere in the 6 - 15 month window. Here’s a closer look at when you might expect each gesture to make its debut.

When do babies clap? 

By around 9 months old [], babies are often able to bang two things together — and clap their hands too. Then, around 15 months [], little ones typically use clapping to show emotion, like excitement.  

When do babies wave? 

Little ones may start to wave at the tail end of the 6 - 9 month age range. They may wiggle their hand [] to wave closer to and then meaningfully wave "bye-bye" around their first birthday [].

When do babies point? 

Pointing usually begins at around 9 months []. After a baby’s first birthday, they may begin pointing to show you things, indicate something they want, or get your attention. At this age, children typically reach with an open hand [], with their fingers spread. Around [], children may be able to point with an index finger to call attention to something farther away too.

Baby social communication milestones by age

Gestures like clapping, waving, and pointing are part of a broader arc of social communication that begins the moment your baby arrives. From their first eye contact to two-word sentences, here’s a look at how social communication — and cognitive development — typically unfold from birth through . 

Clapping, waving, and pointing unlocked: What’s the next step for toddlers?

Babies’ communication skills continue to grow and develop after they’ve learned how to clap, wave, and point. Even these gestures become more complex as children grow — they’ll use pointing to direct attention to an object or event, for instance. Here are speech and language milestones you may expect from  1 - 2 year olds. 

Around 12 months 

• Understands the names of things they see or use often (“ball,” “dog” etc.) 

• Says at least 1 word []

• Babbles with intonation

• Responds to their name most of the time 

Around 15 months 

• Follows directions [] given with both a gesture and words (“Give me the toy” and hold your hand out) 

• Points to ask for something or request assistance 

• Looks at a familiar object when you name it 

Around 18 months 

• Tries to say 3+ words [] (besides “mama” or “dada”)

• Follows simple instructions without corresponding gestures 

Around 24 months 

• Points to many body parts, common objects, and some pictures in books

• Says about 50 to 100 words []

• Says 2-word sentences and phrases (“All gone,” “mama go,” etc.)

4 tips to encourage your baby to clap, wave, and point

Most of what you need to encourage your baby’s development comes down to everyday interactions. Here are four simple (and fun!) ways to motivate clapping, waving, and pointing.

Tip #1: Model gestures for your baby 

A great way to encourage your little one to clap, wave, and point is by modeling these gestures for your child. Be sure to say the word and use the gesture at the same time [] to help reinforce the meaning of the word. Try saying something like, “Wave bye to grandma!” as you wave your hand or “Point to the garbage truck” as you point to one coming down the street. 

Tip #2: Respond to your baby’s gestures 

Once your little one starts using these gestures, it can be helpful to acknowledge them when they do (as much as possible). This can look like copying the gesture they made and you saying the word too. Children learn through repetition and can benefit from repeated exposure to the word and action.  

Tip #3: Talk, read, and sing to your little one

Exposure to language in all forms is very important for your child’s early communication development. When you talk or , try pointing out and naming objects to help your baby learn to point and begin to learn new words. Singing exposes children to different sounds and tones and you can incorporate gestures into songs too. 

Tip #4: Play games like pat-a-cake 

Social games like peekaboo and pat-a-cake are good ways to teach your little one gestures. Pat-a-cake already incorporates clapping and pointing, and you could even include a wave at the end. When you play peekaboo, try waving after the “peek!” or point to your baby when you say, “I see you!” 

What to do if your baby isn’t clapping, waving, or pointing

It’s expected that babies will reach milestones at different times. There’s a wide range of what’s “normal” when it comes to infant communication skills, so your child may begin clapping, waving, and pointing before or after the listed age ranges. 

Usually, this is not cause for concern. However, the AAP recommends [] letting your child’s pediatrician know if they are not using gestures or pointing to objects or pictures at all by their first birthday. If your toddler isn’t pointing to objects [] or pictures when asked, “Where’s the… ?” by 15 months, let their doctor know, as well. 

Takeaway

• Skills typically emerge around 9 - 12 months: Often, the action comes before the intention — a baby develops the motor skills to clap first, then, a few months later, uses them to express excitement.

• Gestures are a window into future communication: Babies who use more gestures early on tend to have larger vocabularies later.

• Encourage gestures through everyday interactions: Model them by saying the word and using the gesture at the same time, and respond when your baby uses gestures to show you’re paying attention.

• There’s a wide range of normal: If your little one hasn’t hit these milestones right at 9 - 12 months, that’s usually OK. But if they aren’t using gestures at all by 12 months, check in with their pediatrician.