**Core Concept**
At around 12-18 months of age, children develop the cognitive and motor skills necessary to imitate scribbling, a crucial milestone in their fine motor development and cognitive maturation. This skill is a reflection of the maturation of the corticospinal tract and the development of the frontal lobe, particularly the primary motor cortex.

**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Imitation of scribbling is a complex process that involves the integration of sensory information from the hands and the visual feedback from the scribbled marks. The child's brain must coordinate the movement of the hands, fingers, and arm to produce a pattern that resembles scribbling. This process is facilitated by the maturation of the corticospinal tract, which enables the transmission of motor signals from the brain to the muscles. The development of the frontal lobe, particularly the primary motor cortex, also plays a crucial role in this process by enabling the planning and execution of complex motor movements.

**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** This age is too early for the child to imitate scribbling, as at this stage, they are still developing their fine motor skills and are more likely to be engaged in exploratory play with toys and objects.

**Option B:** While some children may start to show interest in drawing or scribbling at this age, they are not yet able to imitate the action consistently or with precision.

**Option C:** This age is too late for the child to imitate scribbling, as most children have already developed this skill by around 18 months of age and are starting to show more complex forms of drawing and creativity.

**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
The ability to imitate scribbling is a reliable indicator of normal cognitive and motor development in children. Delayed or absent scribbling can be an early sign of developmental delays or disorders, such as cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder.

**Correct Answer:** B. 18 months.