Category: Activities

Materials
Sets of plastic measuring cups and measuring spoons

Directions
Place the cups and spoons on the floor around your baby. Observe as he reaches to grab the toys.  If his aim isn’t quite accurate yet, place the measuring spoons in his hand and encourage him to hold them. Most likely the spoons or cups will go right in his mouth since gumming and mouthing  objects is how babies learn about the world at this age. 

As your baby manipulates the cups and spoons by dropping them, picking them up, and placing them in his mouth, your baby learns about using his arms and hands. Exploring objects by mouth helps a baby learn about physical properties such as smooth, rough, cold, hard, heavy, and light. 

Materials
Bath towel

Directions
Place your baby on his tummy on a carpeted area. Using a rolled bath towel, give you baby a boost in moving forward by placing the towel or your hands at the end of his feet and let him push against them with his feet. Don’t push, but support his fet with your hands as he inches forward each time. Soon, your baby will be moving down the path toward greater mobility. 

This exercise helps strengthen your baby’s legs and gives him a taste of what it takes to get some forward motion. 

Movement Practice

Materials
Baby blanket

Directions
Place your baby on her stomach or back on one side of a towel or blanket and gently lift it a bit, so she rolls onto her side. Or, gently push her back and forth so she learns how to swing her weight correctly. You may need to help your baby lift her arm out of the way as she starts to roll. 

Learning how to roll over is usually preceded by several weeks of rocking from side to side. it’s generally not until a baby is about five months old that she is strong and coordinated enough to go from back to stomach or stomach to back.  This activity helps babies practice using both sides of their bodies which is required for this basic movement. 

A Body-Awareness Activity (0-3 months)

Place your baby on his back on a blanket on the carpet. Facing your baby, very gently and very slowly move his legs in a bicycling motion, all the while talking and smiling at him to encourage him to wiggle his legs without your help. By moving his legs for him, you let your baby feel his little legs and feet moving in a new way – each side of the body working in reciprocal movement. You also mimic an action he’ll be using later on as he learns to crawl.

Eye-Hand Coordination, Visual Development, and Fine Motor Practice

Attach a small plush toy or teething ring to a brightly colored ribbon or plastic links. Place your baby on a blanket and dangle the toy in front of your baby – making it sway from side to side, and encouraging your child to reach across her body.  Praise her efforts as your baby reaches out and swipes at – or even grabs – the toy. Reaching for moving objects helps your baby fine-tune the coordination of both sides of her body. 

Extension Activity

Big Bouncing Ball

Using a brightly colored punchball (available at toy stores) or a beach ball with a colorful ribbon tied to it, lie your baby on his back and dangle the ball in front of him. Three- to six-month-olds can swat it with their hands, kick it with their feet, and eventually try to get both arms around it. This takes eye-hand and eye-foot coordination, as well as an understanding of just how far their arms and legs extend – all of which come from steady swatting and kicking practice.