Spatial awareness develops in stages in toddlers. From around 18 months to 2 years, your little one understands the simplest words: “in”, “on”, “under”, “up”, “down”. “In front of”, “behind” and “between” become clearer between 3 and 5 years, and “left” and “right” are usually only mastered between 5 and 7.
These milestones come from a fact sheet by the French-language parenting website Naître et grandir, reviewed by a speech and language therapist, and from English-language charts of language development. They are a guide only. Here is the order in which spatial concepts fall into place, why your child understands them long before saying them, and how to help without turning everyday life into a lesson.
Spatial awareness: the age milestones
No French public body publishes an official timeline for spatial concepts. The milestones below draw on three sources: the fact sheet “L'orientation dans l'espace” from Naître et grandir, updated in July 2025; the “Developing linguistic concepts” chart from Children and Family Health Devon (NHS, 2024); and the milestones of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Before 18 months: space is felt through the body
Your baby first explores space by moving around. They crawl under the table, climb onto the cushion, put an object in a bowl and take it out again. They already understand “up” and “down” when you lift them or put them down. The word isn’t there yet, but the physical experience that will give it meaning is.
18 months to 2 years: in, on, under
This is the age of the first spatial instructions understood without a gesture: “put the block in the box”, “put it on the table”. The NHS chart places following simple instructions with “in” and “on” between 1 and 2 years, followed by using two or three prepositions. Naître et grandir puts understanding of “in”, “up”, “down”, “on” and “under” at around 18 months to 2 years.
2 to 3 years: the distinctions sharpen
Between 2 and 3, your child clearly tells “in” from “under”, and understands “out”, “together” and “far from”. They start using these words in their own sentences, with perfectly normal mistakes: “under” for “behind”, for example.
3 to 5 years: in front of, behind, next to, between
Words that require a point of view come later. ASHA places between 3 and 4 years the point at which a child understands and uses more position words such as “in”, “on” and “under”. The NHS places “next to” and “between” at 3 to 4 years, with “behind”, “in front of” and “around” in the same age band. Naître et grandir describes an understanding that is still hesitant between 3 and 5.
5 to 7 years: left and right
“Left” and “right” come last. Both sources place them at around 5 to 7 years. A 3-year-old who still mixes up their left and right hands is perfectly normal. This stage is linked to handedness, which we cover in our article on when you can tell whether your baby is left- or right-handed.
At what age does a child understand on top and underneath?
Most often between 18 months and 2 years for “on” and “under”, when the object is real and in front of them. In a picture, it comes later: Naître et grandir notes that “behind” is harder to understand in a drawing than in three dimensions, because perspective hasn’t been grasped yet. Children understand in real life first, then on paper.
Why children understand before they speak
Understanding always comes before speaking. A 20-month-old can put their cuddly toy under the chair when you ask, without ever saying “under”. This gap is normal and applies to every word, as we explain in our article on when your baby understands simple instructions.
The order of learning follows a logic described by Naître et grandir. Children first understand positions in relation to themselves, then in relation to other objects. They grasp concrete words before abstract ones. And they understand in three dimensions before they understand in two.
There’s a simple reason for this. “In” and “on” describe contact or a container that you can see and touch. “Behind” means picturing what an object is hiding. “Left” means finding your bearings on your own body, then mentally flipping them when you face someone else. Each step calls for an extra ability to form mental images.
All of this builds on an earlier milestone: knowing that an object still exists when you can no longer see it. We describe it in our article on object permanence.
How to help your baby find their way around space every day
Naître et grandir’s advice comes down to a few habits, with no special equipment needed.
Name what you do, don’t quiz
Say what you’re doing as you do it. “I’m putting your hat on your head”, “your socks are in the drawer”, “the cat is under the table”. Use words your child already knows for the objects, so that only the position word is new. Vary the settings: the same “under” at the table, in the bath, out on a walk.
Show before you ask
Before asking “put the ball in the basket”, do it yourself a few times while saying it. Your child learns by watching, then by copying. When they get it right, repeat it back: “yes, the ball is in the basket”. When they get it wrong, show them again without labouring the correction.
The talked-through obstacle course
Crawling under a chair, walking on cushions, going behind the sofa, jumping into a circle of rope: the course links the body’s movement to the position word. It’s the most effective activity between 18 months and 3 years, because it brings both ways of learning together. A soft floor matters here as much as the instructions. Our Treelys play mats mark out the space for the course and cushion the tumbles that come with it.
Books and opposites
Picture books about opposites almost all contain position words: on top–underneath, in front–behind, inside–outside. Shared together, they fix the vocabulary to simple pictures. Our tips on the right age and how to go about it are in our article on when to start reading a book to your baby.
Spatial awareness games by age
From 12 to 24 months
- Put objects into a box, then take them out, saying “in” and “out”.
- Throw a ball or blow bubbles “up” and then “down”.
- Hide a toy under a cushion and look for it together.
- Hide under the table or behind a curtain, saying where you are.
- Stick magnets on the fridge, “up high” and “down low”.
At this age, children open and close everything they find. This love of containers feeds straight into learning “in” and “out”, as we describe in our article on the baby who opens and closes everything.
From 2 to 3 years
- Play with a lorry and a small figure: the driver is “in”, “on”, “in front of”, “behind” the lorry.
- Ask your child to set out the cutlery at mealtimes: “the spoon next to the plate”.
- Organise a mini treasure hunt: “look under the cushion”, “behind the door”.
- Build with blocks and ask them to put one “between” two others.
- Stick “inside” and “outside” labels on either side of a door, and point to them as you go through.
These games are taken from Naître et grandir’s activity sheet “Dedans, dehors et autour”, designed for 1 to 3-year-olds. The key is to slip them into everyday life, a few minutes at a time, rather than making a session of it.
Should you worry if your child still mixes up positions?
Not before the milestone age, and not for the later concepts. A 2-year-old who doesn’t understand “behind”, or a 4-year-old who mixes up left and right, is following the usual timeline. Mistakes in use carry on long after understanding.
What’s worth a professional opinion is a broader picture. For example, a 2-year-old who doesn’t follow any simple instruction with “in” or “on”. Or who doesn’t point and doesn’t show parts of the body when you name them. These milestones are described in our article on when your baby points to parts of the body. The doctor who sees your child, or a speech and language therapist, will be able to put things in perspective.
One point often reassures parents: the NHS chart and the Naître et grandir fact sheet give wide ranges, one to two years for each concept. Variation is the rule.
Key takeaways
- Spatial awareness is learnt in stages: in, on, under at around 18 months–2 years; in front of, behind, next to, between at around 3–5 years; left and right at around 5–7 years.
- Children understand before they speak, in relation to themselves before in relation to objects, in real life before in a picture.
- Naming everyday actions and talking through an obstacle course on the floor beat any exercise.
- Mix-ups in use are normal for a long time; only a combination of delays warrants a professional opinion.
Sources
- Naître et grandir, “L'orientation dans l'espace”, scientific review by Agathe Tupula Kabola, speech and language therapist, updated July 2025.
- Naître et grandir, activity sheet “Dedans, dehors et autour”, “Jeux d'enfants” programme, ages 1 to 3.
- Children and Family Health Devon (NHS), “Developing linguistic concepts: ages and stages”, last modified 7 March 2024.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), “Communication Milestones: 3 to 4 Years”, accessed 26 October 2026.
