Fine motor development
An infant practices reaching for a toy while lying on his/her back or tummy.
Be Prepared: Stacking rings are used as separate toys in this activity, not as items to stack.
[Sit on the floor facing an infant who is on his/her back or tummy. Place the infant on his/her back if the infant is not able to push up with his/her arms and hold up his/her head/neck. Comment on the colorful ring when you present it to the infant as follows:
[Encourage the infant to reach toward the ring with either hand. Move the ring slightly if the infant does not look at the ring you offer.
Invite the infant to play with the ring.
Describe the infant’s actions. Examples: “You reached for the red ring.” “You reached for the red ring and held it.” “You moved the red ring to your mouth.”]
Would you like to see another ring?
[If the infant is on his/her back: Hold another ring near the center of the infant’s chest so he/she can see it and reach it.
If the infant is on his/her tummy: Place another ring directly in front and within reach of the infant.
Move the ring slightly if the infant does not look at the ring you offer.
Watch and enthusiastically describe the infant’s reaction. Examples: “You are looking at the ring. Maybe you would like to touch the ring later.” “You reached for the ring.” “You are touching the ring.” “You are touching the big ring with your fingers.”]
[Optional: If the infant manipulates the ring, even in a slight manner, pick up and show a different ring.]
I am going to hold a ring, too. I am going to move my ring just like you move your ring.
[Copy the infant’s movements with the ring. Example: If the infant moves the ring, move your ring in response.
Use a casual conversational tone to describe what the infant is doing with his/her ring. Examples: “You have a good grip on your ring.” “Now you are putting the ring in your mouth.” “You can move the ring by yourself.”
Wait for the infant to react to your comments or actions with the ring. Acknowledge the infant’s reactions. Example: “You smiled when I told you what you are doing with your ring!”
If the infant remains interested in the ring, continue the activity for about another minute by copying the infant’s actions with his/her ring.]
You are learning how to look at (or touch or hold) a toy!
[Describe the infant’s main actions in the activity. Examples: “You watched the ring I was holding for you.” “You reached for the ring and touched it with your hand.” “You reached for a ring and held it with your hand.” “You put the ring in your mouth.” “You let go of the ring and rolled over!”]
This activity builds on an infant’s typically keen interest in looking at and touching objects. Age and development will determine the emerging skill most interesting to an individual infant. Pay close attention to the infant’s abilities and preferences regarding each of the separate skills involved in the activity: reaching, touching, grasping, and maybe manipulating. An infant may be able to reach for and grasp a ring but prefer to simply hold it rather than manipulate it. Or an infant may hold the ring and bring it to his/her mouth. Some infants may let go of the ring soon after they grasp it. Other infants may not be able to voluntarily let go of the ring. Focus on the specific skill(s) that seems to be enjoyable to the infant and offer gentle encouragement for actions that may be challenging for the infant to do.
Extra support
Enrichment
Fine motor development
An infant practices reaching for and grasping a toy while sitting.
Be Prepared: Select rings of different colors. Stacking rings are used as separate toys in this activity, not as items to stack.
Invite an infant who can sit with support or sit independently to explore several colored rings with you. Describe the rings as you arrange them on the floor where the infant can see them. Hold out a ring near the center of the infant’s chest to encourage the infant to use one hand to reach to his/her midline. Encourage the infant to hold the ring with either hand. Watch and describe the infant’s movements. Examples: “You are holding a colorful ring!” “You held the ring, and then you let go of the ring. The ring fell to the floor.”
Copy the infant’s movements. Example: If the infant shakes the ring, shake your ring in response. In a casual conversational tone, describe how the infant handles the ring. Example: “You have a good grip on your ring. You were shaking the ring and now you are putting the ring in your mouth. You can move the ring by yourself.” Pause for the infant to react. Enthusiastically respond to all vocalizations and non-verbal responses.
Offer the infant a second ring. Patiently hold the ring close to the infant so he/she may grasp it. The infant may need a few seconds to reach for the ring you offer. The infant may take the ring with his/her other hand. The infant may let go of the first ring to get the second ring. Pause for and describe the infant’s reaction. Examples (which include opportunities to point to a ring and/or hand you describe):
Ask the infant “Would you share a ring with me?” Hold out your hand to receive a ring. If the infant holds on to the ring, simply say “I would like to hold the ring.” If the infant releases a ring to you, describe the infant’s action.
Example: “You let go of a ring. You are sharing a ring with me.” If the infant remains interested, continue offering and receiving a ring for several more minutes.
The activity does not involve a particular pattern or sequence. What’s important is to offer supportive opportunities for an infant to reach, grasp, hold, and maybe manipulate. The activity includes an opportunity for you to copy the infant’s movements with a ring. The intent is to draw the infant’s attention to his/her manipulation of the ring. Be careful to not allow this segment of the activity to shift into a pattern of do what I do, with you offering actions you’d like the infant to copy.
Extra support
Enrichment
Fine motor development
An infant practices reaching for, grasping, and holding toys of different shapes while sitting.
Be Prepared: Toy possibilities include Slide and Click or Big Sensory Squigz.
This option is designed for infants who sit independently and can also crawl or walk. Sit on the floor facing an infant and offer a cylinder-shaped toy. Hold the toy near the center of the infant’s chest to encourage a reach toward the middle of the infant’s body. The infant may hold the shape using either hand. Describe the infant’s actions and respond to his/her vocalizations. Offer a toy with a different shape. Watch and describe how the infant adjusts his/her grasp of the new shape. Examples: “You moved your fingers so you could hold the toy better.” “You are trying different ways to hold the toy.”
At this age, exploring play materials with the mouth is an important way to learn. You may see an infant attempt to put a novel toy into his/her mouth, even if it is too large. Infants often bang toys on a surface. If the toy is dropped, encourage the infant to get the toy. Observe as the infant adjusts his/her position to reach for the toy.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: small soft toys, small pail
Position the infant on the floor on his/her tummy. Arrange 3–4 small toys on a mat for the infant to reach. Sit next to the infant and encourage exploration of the toys. Carefully monitor the infant and never leave the infant unattended.
Early mobile infants enjoy removing small toys from a small pail. Place a pail with easy-to-grasp toys in a location where crawling infants will discover them on their own.
Place several toys on a low table for standing and walking babies to discover. Soft toys that are easy to grasp are suggested. Infants who walk may enjoy carrying items from place to place.
Materials Needed: small gift bag or pillowcase or lunch bags; small toys, such as little blocks and balls, small tongs; little objects, such as counters; cloth bag or box with a hole
Below are suggestions for engaging toddlers and older children in grasping and releasing different objects while infants work with you on reaching, grasping, and/or holding.
Find a small gift bag. Place two types of small toys on a low table, such as little blocks and small balls. Ask the toddlers to hold one little block and one ball. Encourage the toddlers to drop the toys into the bag. Give each toddler a turn to reach into the bag and grasp one of the toys. Toddlers will enjoy reaching in to grasp one ball and one block. An alternative to use of a bag is a pillowcase folded down at the top. Older children will enjoy having individual lunch bags to hold small objects. Encourage older children to identify an item by touch.
Toddlers may enjoy a game of dropping items into a container. Add challenge for older children by providing small tongs for grasping little objects, such as counters used in preschool-age activities.
Place several familiar toys into a cloth bag or a box with a hole. Toddlers will enjoy reaching into the box to recover a toy. Help a toddler name the toy after he/she can see it. Preschool-age children will enjoy placing their hand into the box and identifying an object by touch. Older children may help find a variety of small items to place in the bag or box.
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