Between the ages of four and six months, a baby’s ability to use their hands continues to grow. At four months, infants should be able to grasp a rattle in a supported sitting position and can hold and shake objects. At five months, they can grab their feet, bring their feet to their mouths, are showing a developing ability to transfer objects between their hands, and are starting to reach with one hand. At six months, babies are able to reach with one hand or both hands.
Books
It’s never too early to encourage a love of books and reading. Texture books in particular are fantastic for helping babies at this age to develop fine motor skills. You can help your baby to interact with the books while you read them. Doing this during tummy time is very beneficial. Make sure they open their hands in order to touch and feel the various textural elements that are present. There are important sensory benefits in addition to the fine motor ones with this activity.
Reaching and Grasping Continued
The ability to reach for objects with both hands and with one hand is continuing to improve at this age. Babies are learning to obtain and grasp objects placed near them. Continue to assist them in developing these important skills by placing them in various positions like on their backs (supine), on their tummies (prone), in side-lying, and in supported sitting while holding their favorite toys out for them to reach and grasp. You can also encourage these skills during bath time, by helping your baby reach for and grab floating toys, which is also good for their hand-eye coordination.
Transferring Between Hands
As your baby masters holding objects in their hands, they will start learning to transfer toys between their hands. You can assist with this process physically by gently prompting the transference of a toy from one hand to both hands in the middle of their bodies to the other hand. You can also give your baby a preferred toy and then offer another one they like to the hand that is already holding a toy. Though they may initially just drop the first toy to take the second, you can use physical prompting to show them how to transfer the first toy and then take the second one.
Shake, Shake, Shake!
Teach your baby to shake their toys! Give them noisy rattles and toys and get some for yourself. See if you can get your baby to imitate you while you shake a rattle. Your baby may initially need some physical assistance, but will learn to shake their toys independently with practice. You can also teach them to bang their toys while in a sitting position, such as in a high chair, by using a similar strategy of having them imitate and interact with you. These activities are great for fine motor development, but also have important sensory and social implications.
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