When your baby is born, they cannot do anything on their own. It’s up to the parents to help them develop their fine motor skills as they grow. The human brain is especially adept at learning new skills and forming new connections early in life. By learning fine motor skills, babies can develop hand-eye coordination and achieve their milestones faster and more efficiently. These milestones include being able to pick up objects with their hands and learning how to crawl and walk. This ability to learn new motor skills is essential and can help them in their personal and professional lives. Here are some ideas for helping your little one develop those skills.
Get Involved in Your Baby’s Playtime
The more you play with them, the better they will understand how to use the objects around them. Kids simply love toys, which are an important part of any baby’s development. Holding toys and even books is a great way for babies to expand their horizons and develop a curiosity about the world around them. Encourage your child to hold an object (e.g., a toy). Try giving them small toys that fit in their hands, such as rattles or stuffed animals that can be squeezed or shaken. Take them out to the park in their stroller and let them enjoy the greenery and meet other kids. This will also help them develop socialization skills down the line. Play games together such as Simon Says or peek-a-boo. You could also play with them using PlayDoh. This helps them squeeze and press the dough and realize they can make different shapes. Babies need more active play that develops their motor skills and coordination as they age. Teach the alphabet by giving them toys with letters like blocks or dress-up clothes. You can also teach colors by giving them crayons, markers, or paints and letting them color pictures of their creation. Use toys that encourage exploration, like building blocks such as LEGO. These toys will go a long way in increasing your child’s hand-eye coordination and boosting their creativity levels, which will help them in their life.
Tummy Time
Tummy time is a crucial time for your child; without it, they might have developmental problems. During tummy time, your baby can practice making eye contact with you and begin tracking objects across their vision line. Tummy time also helps develop your baby’s small muscles—particularly around their mouth and hands. These are some of your baby’s first attempts at using their fingers to grab toys, grasp objects and even pinch you!Finger Food Fun
Babies are fond of finger food because it develops their hand and eye coordination. By allowing them to handle finger foods, they practice picking things up and working them around in their mouths. In turn, that helps them learn how to control their tongue and lips and maneuver their hands for many other skills. It may seem like a small step now, but eating with your fingers aids fine motor development—make sure you stick to soft foods!
Help Them Stand Up
When your baby reaches the age of 6 months, you need to start teaching them how to stand. This will help them grasp how their body parts have different functions. By holding them while they stand, they will learn to move their legs and develop strength in their legs. After learning how to walk, they will progress toward running and, who knows, maybe one day become one of the leading athletes of the world!