Your baby's hand-eye coordination will help him to explore the world around him, experience cause and effect and play with a variety of toys. It will also help him later in life as he learns to write and do puzzles. For now, you can encourage his hand-eye coordination by understanding his developmental milestones and providing appropriate activities.
Birth to 4 Months
Your baby's hand-eye coordination skills are not highly developed in the first few months of life, but your baby may begin to bat at objects that she sees in front of her. She is also likely to be fascinated by her hands, and she will explore them and put them in her mouth. To encourage her hand-eye coordination at this age, provide her with a lot of opportunities to bat at toys. Keep her hands clean so that she can safely bring them to her mouth.
4 to 7 Months
Your baby's hand-eye coordination skills are just starting to strongly develop around 4 months of age. While staring at an object, he may slowly reach for it and try to grab it. From 4 to 7 months, you can help encourage your baby's hand-eye coordination by providing a variety of objects for him to grasp and feel. Try different textures and colors to make it more interesting for him.
7 to 9 Months
Between 7 and 9 months of age, your baby may be able to move objects from one hand to the other. When she wants an object on the floor, she can start pulling it toward her by using a raking motion. According to the Mayo Clinic, she will begin putting toys in her mouth while playing with them. To help her hand-eye coordination development during this stage, make sure she has a safe environment to explore. Keep her toys clean so that she is free to practice her coordination skills with anything around her.
9 to 12 Months
Around 9 to 12 months of age, your baby will be able to pick up small items, such as cereal. This means that his hand-eye coordination is becoming more precise. He will be able to use his pincer grasp, which requires the use of his thumb and index finger to pick up small objects. To help support his development in this stage, provide him with plenty of supervised opportunities to pick up smaller items. Make sure he experiments with things such as cereal that can dissolve quickly in his mouth, rather than marbles or other choking hazards.
Considerations
Keep in mind that every baby is different and develops at her own pace. Continue to encourage her hand-eye coordination skills. Kids Health suggests that you talk with your baby's doctor if she does not show an interest in reaching by 7 to 9 months or does not appear to have good hand control by 12 months of age.
