Fine motor development
A young infant engages in rattle play with a caregiver, with the opportunity to use two hands to reach for a rattle.
Sit on the floor facing an infant who is on his/her back, or place the infant on your lap so his/her back and head are fully supported by your body. Hold one of the rattles where the infant can easily see it. Slowly move the rattle to one side and then to the opposite side. Talk with the infant about the rattle. Depending upon level of development, some infants may watch the rattle, and some infants may attempt to reach for the rattle. Describe the infant’s actions. Example: “You reached for the rattle with both hands.”
Hold the rattle near the middle of the infant’s chest with both of your hands. Encourage the infant to reach for the toy. Touching or grasping the toy may be exciting for the infant. The infant may kick his/her legs in excitement. Typically an infant who can grasp a rattle will bring the rattle to his/her mouth for discovery.
Look for and describe instances of the infant using both hands to reach for or grasp the rattle. If the infant grasps the rattle in one hand and makes no attempt to use both hands at the same time with the rattle, offer a second rattle for the hand the infant is not using to hold the first rattle. This provides an opportunity for the infant to use both hands at the same time, each one for a different object.
Conclude the activity when the infant begins to lose interest or show fatigue. Positively acknowledge the infant’s actions with the rattle(s).
About four months of age, many infants begin reaching for an object with both hands at the same time. This may or may not occur in the current activity option. Offering a second rattle potentially supports the infant’s use of two hands at the same time. The infant may drop the first rattle to hold the second rattle in the same or other hand. Holding two rattles, one in each hand, is more challenging for the infant to manage than coordinating two hands to hold one rattle. It is beneficial for the infant to direct his/her exploration of the rattle. Do not use your hand to position the infant’s hand on a rattle. Bring the activity to a close if the infant is getting tired or overstimulated. Help an infant feel calm by repositioning or holding the infant while talking with a quiet voice.
Extra support
Enrichment
Fine motor development
Infants practice using two hands to take care of pretend babies.
Be Prepared: Place one doll (or soft animal) in each of the containers, which serve as pretend beds in the activity.
Sit on the floor close to 2–3 infants who are able to sit with or without support. Explain that we are pretending to take care of some babies. The babies are sleeping in their beds. Give each infant a pretend bed with a doll in it. Point to the dolls and pretend beds as you describe each. Pointing is important because the infants will not understand many of the words you use.
Invite the infants to remove the dolls from their pretend beds. Example: “Our babies are waking up! We need to take the babies out of their beds.” Demonstrate using two hands to gently take the dolls from their beds.
Next, invite the infants to give their baby a good morning hug. Demonstrate how to give the doll a hug with both of your arms while enthusiastically saying “good morning!” Encourage the infants to hug their doll with two arms.
Finally, explain that our babies are getting tired. It is time to go to bed. Example: “It is night night time. We put our babies in their beds.” Demonstrate how to use two hands to gently put the doll in a pretend bed. Encourage the infants to put their doll in the pretend bed.
Describe the infant’s efforts with your requested actions. Emphasize use of both hands. Example: “Andre, you are using two hands to hold your baby doll.”
It will be much easier for an infant to manage the doll by using both hands. Demonstrating how to put the babies to bed may not be necessary. Use the activity plan flexibly, so infants can include their interests in caring for a baby doll. Some infants may enjoy laying down on the floor with the doll to pretend to sleep and wake up.
If infants remain close to you at the end of the activity, extend the play by suggesting that we help the babies dance. Demonstrate using both hands to move a toy doll from side to side.
Extra support
Enrichment
Fine motor development
An older infant practices using two hands to manipulate a large ball.
[Sit on the floor close to an infant who is able to balance in a sitting position. Offer the infant a ball.]
Here is a ball for you! You can hold the ball with two hands.
[Describe the infant’s actions with and responses to the ball. Example: “I see you smiling and patting the ball with two hands. Your hands make a little sound when you pat the ball!”
Provide time for the infant to explore the ball on his/her own. Then create an opportunity for the infant to reach with both hands by beginning a little game of handing the ball back and forth.]
May I have the ball?
[Hold your hands out toward the infant. If the infant does not hold the ball toward you, he/she may not understand the game of passing it back and forth. If the infant is willing, take the ball and hold it for a moment and then pass it back.
Use a cheerful voice to announce the exchange. Example: “Mr. Brendon holds the ball. Next, Mikal holds the ball!” Lead the game of passing back and forth several times.]
You got ahold of our big ball with two hands.
[If the infant remains interested in moving the ball, explain that you will roll the ball. Encourage the infant to get the ball with both hands.
Describe the infant’s reaction, including how he/she connects with the ball. Example: “You got the ball.”
Continue a back-and-forth interaction with the infant. If the infant enjoys getting ahold of the rolling ball, roll it to him/her a few more times. Some infants may be more comfortable handing the ball back and forth to you.]
[Describe what happened, especially any uses of both hands with the ball. Example: “You held our ball with two hands. We handed the ball back and forth. You got the rolling ball with two hands.”]
In addition to the opportunity to use two hands, this activity option offers an important element of handing the ball back and forth. The turn-taking pattern of the game is comparable to turn-taking the infant experiences when you talk with him/her and wait for a response. A ball rolling toward the infant may be very exciting! As the ball rolls toward the infant, he/she has the cognitive challenge of figuring out how and when to reach for it. Let the infant deal with this problem-solving task. Avoid using the activity as instruction in rolling and catching a ball.
Some infants will be happy to hand the ball back and forth. An infant may not wish to release a ball when he/she first receives it, at least initially. An infant may tap or slap the ball as part of his/her exploration. Remain close and give the infant time to explore the ball independently. Gently reintroduce the idea of handing the ball back and forth by describing and demonstrating what you mean. Positively accept that some infants may not be interested in this plan!
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: balls, lightweight sensory tubes, teddy bears and dolls, books
Infants engaged in tummy time will enjoy simply looking at balls placed near them. Balls of several sizes can be displayed where infants can easily reach them.
Provide play materials that infants will enjoy exploring and holding with two hands, such as lightweight sensory tubes or long narrow toys.
Arrange teddy bears and dolls in the boxes used in Option 2 for continued play. To support Option 3, place a ball next to a book opened to a bold picture of a ball.
Materials Needed: ball, bin of infant snap-link beads
Encourage mobile infants and toddlers to manipulate and hold items with two hands. During play periods, sit with children to roll a ball to them. Preschool- and school-age children will enjoy the challenge of carrying one or two items on a tray. Toddlers will enjoy carrying a small container with non-breakable objects inside, such as a bin of infant snap-link beads.
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