Hands (fine motor)
Grasping and reaching
Many babies — 3–5 months
Reaching for and holding onto toys, and bringing them to the mouth to explore.
What’s happening
Reaching and grasping mark the start of hand-eye coordination — a baby sees something, and now the hand follows, usually landing straight in the mouth for exploring. Early reaches often overshoot or swat before they connect; the aim gets more precise over a few weeks of practice.
How to support it
- Offer light rattles and textured toys within easy reach — graspable, not too small.
- Hang something safe just within reach during tummy time or on a play gym to invite the reach.
- Vary textures (soft, crinkly, smooth) — the mouth is doing as much exploring as the hands right now.
Worth knowing
- Everything that gets grasped goes to the mouth — keep small, hard, or detachable pieces well out of reach.
Often leads to passing objects hand to hand
Where this comes from
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