Small Muscle Movement and Dexterity, Hand-Eye Coordination

Pinching, Passing, and Grabbing (Oh my)!

There are so many motions we can make with our hands, and they come quite naturally to an adult, but to your baby, each one of these motions still requires a great deal of coordination. You'll see your baby working hard to pass an object from one hand to another or bang a block on the table. He'll start using simple gestures, like waving bye-bye as he's seen you do many times before. Up until now, he's been grasping with his whole hand, but his current level of Small Muscle Movement and Dexterity will let him begin using the pincer grasp (i.e. thumb and forefinger), making it possible to pick up much smaller objects more easily. Make sure that the things that are within his reach are now clean and child-safe, for they will most likely end up in his mouth!

Has your baby achieved the following Small Muscle Movement and Dexterity and Hand-Eye Coordination developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) he has already mastered to date!