I was anxious about my baby’s motor skill development. There was no reason to be anxious, but I still worried. So, I studied a lot. I didn’t want to be in a position where I would wish I had looked for some cures earlier. So, it’s better to get the shock earlier than later. Now, while researching throughout the internet, reading blogs of numerous doctors, and listening to different podcasts, I was able to jot down some ideas that could be super helpful during the journey of motor skills development for your little one.
Within 6 months of age, your baby should be able to grab a toy and play with it independently, without any help from mom or dad. But to reach that point, your baby needs to pass a series of smaller milestones over time. There are many things to facilitate to speed up the process. Firstly, the baby needs to be able to track with its eyes while the toy is being moved. And they should be able to hit the toy with their hands or legs. To help the baby fixate their vision on a single moving object, you can use high contrast cards. These cards usually have black icons on a white background.
You can move your hands holding these cards while your baby is lying on their back, tummy, or side. Once your baby is able to locate a moving object, it’s time to strengthen their hands or legs so they can reach out to a toy, grab it, move it, or hit it away. To help with this, you can use a baby gym. These usually have some hanging toys from the ceiling, which are so enticing that your baby can’t help but hit those little toys with their hands or legs. This way, their hands and legs get stronger and more responsive.
Once the baby is able to hear the toys, you want them to grab the toy. By this time, 3 months should have already passed. Now, to master the holding skill, you want to give your baby an Oball. It’s a ball made of plastic, with some hollow inside so the baby can grab through it. I’m so fond of this toy that I sometimes gift it at my friend’s baby showers, if there is any. It’s very lightweight, so no worries if it falls on your baby. Its multiple holes make it very easy for the baby to grab and transfer to another hand, which is another milestone usually seen at around 5 months of age.
My most favorite one is silicone Montessori toy. It usually have 6 different strings of different color and texture. Some of them are easy to pull out and some of them are quite challenging. The combination of different textures and feelings of pulling those strings out gives your baby’s brain perform a lot of functionalities; which eventually help growing motor skills. Some of this toys have some popping bubble and sliding button which will give your baby more sensory fun!
Another toy which is extremely helpful is soft cylindrical rattles. This long soft handle is ideal for your baby to grab easily, and the soft texture makes it change shape according to the way the baby holds the toy. Your baby is going to drop it, put it in their mouth. But no worries, as it is very lightweight and the materials are baby-friendly, there is nothing to worry about.
A fabric book is one of my all-time favorite toys for babies. It’s a book made out of fabric, and there could be some items that can be played with inside the book. So your baby will be able to grasp it, mouth it, whatever they want honestly. In each page, there may be 4-5 pages in total (made out of fabric), there should be different sizes and shapes, which could be touched and felt by hand. This touch makes your baby’s brain exercise and makes it smarter and stronger for more critical thinking. Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of this toy during my first pregnancy. I have lost some of my favorite book pages because of my baby’s mouthing, and that’s not amusing at all, I can guarantee that.
Now let’s talk about some toys that are completely useless for their intended purpose. I was not quite sure enough when I bought these. But, yeah, after trying those for a while, I decided to stop using them. Baby floor sits are a kind of toy that doesn’t help your baby develop motor skills. It’s a low laying seat that is molded exactly in a way that the baby’s hips perfectly sit on it. Their legs will stay a little outward. This perfect fit prevents any need to adjust their position in this seat. They are unable to move back and forth or to the sides, which are an essential part of neural development.
Another toy which is more dangerous than it is useful is a baby walker. Despite this toy allowing your baby to keep their feet on the ground and walk from point A to point B, the sheer speed of it (1 meter/sec) deters parents from preventing an accident from happening. Head injuries, cut lips, broken teeth are common types of injuries that occur from baby walkers. On top of that, it doesn’t help strengthen the muscles required to stand upright and start walking. So, the whole purpose of it is actually not served.
So, yeah, these were my little tips on baby toys for motor development. I hope they can help you choose the right toy for your baby at the right time.