Fine motor development
A young infant watches a caregiver manipulate toys, with opportunities for the infant to grasp and hold a toy.
Be Prepared: Select different toys that appeal to the infant and are easy for the infant to grasp.
Warmly greet the infant and lay him/her on his/her back on a firm mat or carpet. Sit on the floor with the infant’s feet toward you. Hold one of the toys about 13 inches in front of the infant so he/she can see easily it. Talk with the infant as you move the toy slightly. Example: “Angel, you see our toy. I am moving our toy side to side.”
Move the toy to one side and back to center. Next move the toy to the opposite side and back to the center. Observe and describe the infant’s eye movements and his/her reaction to seeing the toy. Example: “I think you are excited about seeing our little toy. You watched the toy as it moved from side to side!”
Offer the infant an opportunity to hold the toy. Place it in the infant’s hand if interested. Some infants may hold the toy briefly.
Present the next toy by holding it a few inches from the infant. Observe the infant’s reaction. Some infants may see the toy and reach for it. Allow the infant to grasp the toy. Some infants may be more interested in their own hands and not actually touch the toys.
If the infant does not appear to pay attention to the toy, observe to learn where his/her focus is directed. Talk with the infant about what he/she is doing at that moment. If the infant is looking at another object, make another attempt to engage the infant by saying his/her name cheerfully. Infants enjoy seeing a familiar caregiver smiling and saying hello.
If the infant is uncomfortable, take action to relieve the discomfort. A young infant may need to be held upright. Try patting the infant’s back. If you notice the infant pulling his/her knees to the chest, it may indicate pressure in the tummy. Hold the infant and rub his/her back. Often patting the back and/or holding the infant upright with light pressure on the tummy gives relief. Allow time for the infant to bring his/her attention back to the activity. Reintroduce a toy. Watch the infant’s reactions and respond as if you are having a conversation.
Extra support
Enrichment
Fine motor development
An older infant practices releasing an infant snap-lock bead.
Be Prepared: Snap-lock beads are available commercially for infants six months and older.
[Sit on the floor facing the infant. Invite the infant to play with you and some pretty beads. Place the snap-lock beads on the floor where the infant can easily reach them. Describe the colorful beads. Hold one snap-lock bead close to the center of the infant’s chest. Encourage the infant to reach for and grasp the bead.]
[Describe the infant’s actions. Example: “You are holding a big bead! You looked at the bead and got it with your hand.”
Hold one bead in your hand for the infant to see.]
You have a bead. This is my bead.
[Hold your bead between your thumb and finger(s). Let the bead drop to the floor when you describe your “let go” action. Emphasize the words let go.]
I am holding my bead with my fingers. Now I am going to let go of my bead.
Look at what happened to my bead when I let it go. I let go of my bead. My bead dropped to the floor.
[Move the tub close to the infant. When the infant is watching your actions, point to the tub.]
This is our tub. Our beads can go into the tub.
[Hold one bead between your thumb and fingers so the infant can see it. Explain that you are going to let go of your bead. The bead will drop into the tub. Use the infant’s name. Emphasize “let go.” Example: “Daniel, I am holding a red bead. I am going to let go of my bead. The bead will drop into our tub. Watch what happens.” Release your bead. Wait for the infant’s verbal or nonverbal response. If appropriate, acknowledge the infant’s attention to your action. Example: “You watched me let go of the bead. The bead dropped into our bucket.”]
Would you like to let go of your bead?
[Encourage the infant to let go of his/her bead. Describe the infant’s actions. Offer the infant another bead and encourage him/her to let go of the bead so the bead can drop into the tub. Comment on the infant’s actions. Example: “You let go of some more beads!” Respond to all vocalizations and nonverbal reactions.
Hold several more beads, one at a time, and release each so it drops into the tub. Your actions will provide a model for the infant or serve as a parallel activity. When all beads have been dropped into the tub, pour them onto the floor so the infant can repeat the activity, if interested. Describe your pouring actions.
Ask whether the infant wishes to hold and release more beads. Example: Pick up one of the beads on the floor. Show it to the infant and then release it into the tub. “I let go of a bead. Do you want to drop more beads into our tub?” The infant may show signs of wanting to continue the activity or may be ready for another activity.
End the activity by describing the process of putting away the beads. Encourage the infant to help you put away the beads. Example: “We are all done. Let’s put all the beads in the tub. Here is a red bead. I put it in the tub. Now put a blue bead in the tub. Lots of beads go into our tub.”]
You can hold on and let go! We played a game with beads and a tub. You held a bead and then let go of a bead. We dropped our beads into our tub. We know how to hold and then let go of things.
Look carefully at how the infant manages each of the fine motor skills involved in this activity: reach, hold (grasp), let go. Some infants may pick up beads from the floor, and other infants will wait for you to offer a bead. Offer encouragement and just enough help for the infant to reach the beads and grasp them on his/her own. Let the infant lead the activity. If an infant prefers to hold, shake, and/or mouth the beads, adjust the activity to match the infant’s interest and ability. Some infants may want to look into the tub to see the bead. Ask the infant “Where did it go?” Or look into the tub with the infant. “There is your blue bead. You let go of your blue bead. Your bead dropped into the tub!”
At this age, it is not important for infants to prefer one hand or the other. The infant may be interested in the activity for a few minutes or longer. Infants are not expected to understand or contribute to “cleanup” although some will enjoy putting the beads into the tub at the end of the activity.
The activity involves elements that will be appealing to most infants. Infants will enjoy the sound of the beads landing in the tub. Infants also may enjoy looking at the different colors of the beads while you describe them and then let go of each.
Extra support
Enrichment
Fine motor development
Older infants together practice picking up and releasing infant snap-lock beads, including dropping beads into a small container.
Be Prepared: Snap-lock beads are available commercially for infants six months and older.
Sit on the floor next to mobile infants. Show and describe the pails and snap-lock beads. Demonstrate how to pick up and then let go of a bead (one at a time) so it drops into a pail. Invite each infant to join you in picking up and then releasing a bead into his/her own pail.
Describe infants’ actions. Emphasize let go when an infant releases a bead. You may wish to place snap-lock beads in a central spot so all infants can reach them or hold a snap-lock bead for each infant to grasp. Draw attention to the sound of beads landing in the buckets. Connect several beads to create a slightly louder landing sound. Use your pail of beads to demonstrate pouring beads onto the floor. Invite the infants to do the same. An infant who is crawling may enjoy manipulating the small pail or pulling it along as he/she crawls. Walking infants will enjoy carrying the pail.
You may observe that infants who sit well balanced are increasingly focused on fine motor skills, like filling a pail or putting their index finger into the bead hole. Playing with toys changes once an infant has the strength and balance to sit independently. Gains in fine motor and gross motor skills make it possible for infants to broaden their explorations. The infant has more skills for getting toys, including the items involved in the current activity option.
Playing with pails and beads offers valuable sensory experiences for infants. You can enrich the play by paying attention to each infant and making comments to support learning. Examples: “Your beads are in the pail.” “You took all the beads out.” An infant may respond to a comment with a look, an action, or a vocalization. Some infants may enjoy taking turns putting beads into the pail with you.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: pail with small toys, infant snap-lock beads, star builders, sensory tub with water
Provide different objects for infants to view from the floor. Also, create an attractive arrangement a non-mobile infant can see when he/she is held by a caregiver. Non-mobile infants may enjoy holding a toy after a bottle feeding. Take a few moments to reintroduce the toy and observe the infant’s reaction.
Infants who are crawling will enjoy finding a pail of small toys to empty. Place several beads on a low surface where standing infants can reach them. Encourage the infant to drop the beads into a container. On another day, provide different toys (such as linking star shapes) to let go into a container.
Place two inches of water in the sensory tub and encourage infants who stand to drop snap-lock beads into the water. Draw attention to the sound and feel of the splashing water.
Materials Needed: plastic jars or bottles, small toys, muffin pan, set of small items, set of tongs
Older children in your setting can experience expanded versions of the plan’s three options. Provide an activity for toddlers to hold and then let go of small toys into plastic jars or bottles. Give each preschool-age child a muffin pan and a set of small items. Explain that the same number of items should go in each opening (hole) in the muffin pan. Provide one item per opening or increase the challenge by providing two items per opening. You also may wish to offer a set of tongs that an older child may use for picking up and releasing (letting go of) one or more items per opening.
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