At 3-6 months, don’t be surprised if your baby starts grabbing different things within reach, like your necklace or hair! He is now developing his Small Muscle Movement and Dexterity and Controlled Movement skills, learning to “use [his] hands in more coordinated movements,”¹ such as stretching out an arm to try to reach objects with one hand and draw them closer.² Combined with his growing Initiative and Curiosity to learn about all the amazing new things around him and the growing ability to control his muscle movements, you may find your baby grabbing at anything that interests him!

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His hand and arm movements may still be a bit uncoordinated, but by four months old he will have more control and be able to make fluid motions that achieve goals, such as touching your face when you snuggle up close!³ He may not release items easily or still hold onto items with both hands. Know that he is working on mastering these skills!

Your baby is probably becoming better at getting his fingers and toys into his mouth as well as holding on to interesting objects as he figures out how to mold his hand to the shape of the object being held. Because he is now more aware and better able to interact with objects, you’ll see him taking an interest in any objects he can grab and handle. This includes you! When you hold him, you may find him grabbing your nose, your hair, your glasses, or anything else that isn’t nailed down. So, it’s important to be aware and careful about what objects are within his reach. Start child-proofing your house by safely storing all potential choking hazards and fragile objects that he may come across and consider taking a child CPR course,⁴ if you haven’t already done so.

As he approaches six months of age, a great way for your baby to practice his small muscle movements is self-feeding.⁵ Cereal O’s, dissolvable baby puffs, green peas, or little bits of cooked carrot or sweet potato are great starter foods for your baby.¹ You may notice him using a “raking grasp” to bring his food towards himself with his four fingers² rather than picking things up in a pincer grasp. This is a normal step in his development. Although you will probably find your messes multiplying as you let your baby experiment with self-feeding, by allowing him to explore his own movement, you are setting him up for greater fine motor development later on (as well as promoting independence and healthy eating!).⁵

Finally, don’t forget that reading with your baby can also develop his fine motor muscles! By showing him board and fabric baby books, you are allowing him to become familiar with the “work” of reading books.¹ Namely, he will have an opportunity to practice reaching for books, pointing to interesting images, feeling different textures (with “touch and feel” books), turning pages, and tracking objects as you read!

Play Tips:

Do you want to know how you can support your baby’s development of these Small Muscle Movements and Dexterity and Controlled Movement skills at this age? It’s easy! Read on for some simple tips to incorporate into your daily play time together.

1. Offer your baby small pieces of food to self-feed.¹ Try allowing your baby to self-feed himself toward the later stages of his 4-6 month period, and under parental supervision. Consider foods such as diced, cooked (and cooled!) sweet potato and dissolvable puffs. It is also a really good idea to learn what to do in case of choking at this stage. The local American Red Cross, community college, or adult education program are great resources for infant CPR and safety classes.
2. Offer a variety of novel toys and place them just beyond his reach to encourage movement.² Capture your baby’s attention by showing him an interesting toy or object. Model its use slowly and then place it just beyond his reach. Encourage him to reach for the toy and explore it. Be sure to rotate toys often as novelty is one of the keys to stimulating his curiosity and initiative.⁶ Do not use toys or objects that are choking hazards.
3. Introduce a variety of infant books to explore. Offer your baby a variety of board and fabric books with different textures to explore, including books made of fabric, vinyl, and cardboard. Exposing him to different types of books will not only build his dexterity and sensorimotor skills, but it will also develop his love for reading.
4. Play the “Container Game” with your baby. Give your infant a container and a variety of hand-sized, infant-safe objects, such as wooden blocks, plastic balls, or wooden puzzle pieces. As a rule of thumb, be sure to test the size of your play materials by passing them through a toilet paper roll. At this age, only use toys that are too big to fit through the roll. Show your baby how to pick up and drop the objects into the container, watching the toys “disappear.” This activity will prime his interest in filling and dumping containers on his own.
5. Sing fingerplay songs together. Not only do fingerplay songs help children develop their communication skills, but they also build muscle control by exercising their arms, hands, and fingers.³ While you will initially need to help move your baby’s fingers to the timing of your words, he will eventually learn to do the motions on his own through repetition and muscle memory. Try singing “Where is Thumbkin,” “This Little Piggy,” and “Itsy Bitsy.

(SPECIAL OFFER: Sign up for Playful Bee’s Bee Well developmental learning program to give your baby the best start in life. The first 10,000 children enroll for FREE! Sign up today.)

Developmental Milestones:

Has your baby achieved the following Small Muscle Movements and Dexterity and Controlled Movement developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) he has already mastered to date using Playful Bee’s developmental milestones tracker. It’s absolutely FREE and easy to use, just click HERE!

• Reaches for objects with one hand.

Sources:

¹Maryland State Department of Education (2010). Healthy Beginnings: Supporting Development and Learning from Birth through Three Years of Age. Retrieved on January 26, 2014, from http://www.marylandhealthybeginnings.org/.

²Illinois State Board of Education. For Children Birth to Age Three: Illinois Early Learning Guidelines. Retrieved on January 26, 2014, from http://www.isbe.net/earlychi/pdf/el-guidelines-0-3.pdf.

³Nugent, Kevin, and Morell, Abelardo (2011). Your Baby is Speaking to You. New York, NY: HoughtonMifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

⁴Cronan, Kate M. (2012). CPR. Kids Health. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/cpr.html#.

⁵Song, Sora (2012). Skip the Strained Peas. Let Babies Feed Themselves. Time: Health & Family. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/10/skip-the-strained-peas-let-babies-feed-themselves/.

⁶Stamm, Jill, Ph.D., and Spencer, Paula (2007). Bright from the Start. New York, NY: Gotham Books.

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Playful Bee

Education Team at Playful Bee

Playful Bee is an e-Preschool that delivers inquiry-based preschool learning from the classroom to your home. Our preschool curriculum was created by our talented team of rock star teachers. With years of hands-on preschool and Kindergarten teaching experience, they've developed a high-quality preschool experience that is convenient-to-use and easy-to-teach by you, grandparents, or your nanny at home.

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