At what age can a child typically walk backwards for the first time?

Typically, children begin to walk backwards around 18 months of age. This milestone indicates further development of their gross motor skills, balance, and coordination. Walking backwards requires children to engage different muscle groups and further refine their spatial awareness compared to walking forward.

At 12 months, most children are just beginning to master walking forward, and may not have developed the strength and stability needed for walking backwards. By 15 months, some may start experimenting with moving in reverse, but it is generally not until about 18 months that many children can confidently walk backwards. By 24 months, walking backwards is more commonly observed as a refined skill, but it is usually already achievable by 18 months. Thus, the age of 18 months aligns well with developmental expectations for this specific motor skill milestone.