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Reach for things

Activity

Reach for things

What to do with this activity?

Encourage your baby to reach for things.

When your baby is very small, a baby gym (a mat that your baby lies on that has toys hanging down) or a mobile give your baby opportunities to reach.

When your baby is sitting up, encourage them to reach for brightly coloured toys, by putting them slightly out of reach.

Give your baby plenty of opportunities to explore their surroundings by moving - rolling over, sitting up, crawling and walking.

Put their toys in a big box so that they reach in and get them out to play, and reach in to return them to the box later on. 

Reaching activities will develop your baby's co-ordination skills.

 

  • Why am I doing this?

    Learning to move, reach and grasp helps children develop the muscles and skills to scribble and learn to write when they get older. Body awareness and learning to do big movements (like crawling and walking) and small movements like the pincer movement (where you lift up things with your index finger and thumb) are important parts of your child's development. It is part of awakening and developing your brain. For your young child, reaching for objects helps build their coordination and will help them hold crayons later on.

  • How can I do more?

    Have fun with your child dancing to music. This helps their coordination. If your child is moving their arms or body at all they are dancing!

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