The first year of a baby’s life is considered one of the most active periods when he develops at a tremendous pace: learning to hold his head, walk, roll, handle objects, crawl, sit, walk and even talk. Every day the baby becomes more mature and more interesting, parents need to devote as much time and attention to their child as possible so as not to miss important moments of his development. One of the first skills that the kid learns is a grasping reflex. The newborn is not yet able to control his movements, but already in the third week he eagerly watches his eyes for bright objects. And closer to two months, the baby is characterized by waving arms and legs, a little later he is able to consciously pick up and hold objects in his hands. You need to know when the child begins to hold the toy and how to help him in this difficult matter.
Child development from 1 to 3 months
During this time, the baby got a little stronger and gained weight. Already in two months the baby knows how to briefly raise and hold its head, distinguish colors, examine surrounding objects, recognize mom and dad, and also walk.
Many parents are interested in the question of when a child begins to hold a toy. Mastery of this skill comes, as a rule, in the third month of the baby's birth. At this age, he tries to pull his hands to the toy of interest and hold a small rattle. In addition, by the end of three months, the baby can independently remove the nipple from the mouth and insert it back.
Child development from 4 to 6 months
A four-month-old baby is already capable of lifting its arms, holding and turning its head, and responding to its name. To everything else, this is the same period when the child begins to hold the toys on his own more confidently, examine them and take them in his mouth. Starting from five months, the baby can independently turn from tummy to back, laugh, distinguish relatives from strangers, sit with support, and also suck fingers on hands and feet. At six months, the baby's movements become more confident. In addition to the fact that the child during this period knows how to sit down without help, get on all fours, pronounce syllables, he also learns to transfer the toy from one hand to another.
Child development from 7 to 9 months
From this age, the baby has a wild desire to learn something new and yet unknown. At this time, the child knows how to sit down, crawl, get up and walk with the support of his parents, hold books and toys in his pens, memorize parts of his body and show where his mouth, eyes, nose, etc. are. By nine months, the baby already knows speak a few simple words, move along the wall or crib, dance to the music. And also, in addition to toys, he is able to independently take food and put it in his mouth.
Baby development from 10 months to a year
In this age period, it becomes even more interesting for the child to play with toys and learn them: he already knows how to roll cars and throw a ball. In addition, the baby is able to play with small objects, for example, sort out cereals. In addition to the fact that by the year the child begins to sit, crouch, walk, bounce, he also knows how to drink and eat, take off his socks and hat, wave his hand in greeting or goodbye. A one-year-old baby is able to collect and disassemble the details of the designer, to help brush teeth, comb, wash.
How many months does the baby hold the toy?
According to the norms of development of the child, the baby is able to hold toys, reaching three months. But due to the grasping reflex, there are such cases when the baby begins to hold the toy in his hand already from two to three weeks after birth. This action occurs in the crumbs involuntarily, he is not yet able to control it. To attract the attention of the baby, it is worth using bright toys located at a distance of at least thirty centimeters from his face. For such cases, color rattles are suitable. But in order not to frighten the baby, it is important to choose toys without sharp and loud sounds. In addition, when the child begins to hold the toy, do not offer the baby heavy products, as he may drop them on himself. Thus, closer to three months the baby knows how to keep compact things in handles, examine them and pull them into his mouth. And how many months the child begins to keep the toys consciously, we will consider further.
When does a child pick up and hold items on his own?
From the age of four months, it is typical for a child to take more consciously those objects that fall into his field of vision. In addition, at this age, the baby is trying to squeeze the toys and pull it hard. Therefore, it is important to create the safest conditions for the child, as he can bite a tube of cream or grab a passing animal by the tail.
We teach a child to hold a rattle in his hands
Speaking about when the child starts to hold the toy in his hand, one should not forget that each baby is characterized by individual development. Therefore, do not panic if the four-month-old baby still does not manage to hold objects. You can help your child learn this skill with the help of simple exercises, which are presented below. Before classes, it is recommended to do a light massage on both arms of the baby. Further exercises should start with the tracking of the subject.
Eye contact
To do this, show the child a bright rattle thirty centimeters from his eyes. Make sure that the child is interested in the toy and carefully monitors it. And only after that slowly with shaking move the rattle first up and down, and then to the side directions. This workout must be repeated at least three times. It is important that the child does not lose the object from his field of vision.
Hand grip
A sure sign that the baby has begun to more actively explore the world is the connection of the pens over the chest. As a rule, these movements are accompanied by a pull towards a certain subject. To teach the kid the clutch, you need to connect his hands: so he can feel the shaking of his fingers. This exercise is best performed when the child is in his arms.
Put the toy in the palm of your hand
To arouse the child’s interest in the rattle, it is necessary that it falls into his field of vision next to his palm. Then touch the toy to the baby's fingers so that he draws attention to it. Attach the proposed item to your hand crumbs, most likely, he will try to grab it. The first attempts may look completely insecure and incorrect, but each time this action will turn out faster and better. In this exercise, the regularity of the workouts, which must be done about five times for each handle in turn, is important. Track the correct grip of the toy.
Handle control
At that moment, when the child holds the toy in his hand, take the baby by the forearm and move it with your hand with a rattle in different directions, but within the field of view. The final result of the exercise is that the baby in the process of training can independently hold the toy. An example of a game with a child can be seen in the next video.
If the previous exercise succeeded, then you can try to bring the second hand of the baby closer and touch the one in which the rattle is located. Such an action will contribute to the development of shifting an object from one hand to another.
Changing position
After the child has mastered the skill of stretching the handles to the toy while lying on the back, offer to reach for the rattle from the supine position. This option is the most difficult, therefore, it is first necessary to show these actions several times with the participation of the child. Do not forget to praise the child for the correctly completed task. This will allow him to realize the success, which in the future will become an incentive for subsequent exercises.
What toys to choose a child
We found out what time the child begins to hold the toy. But for safety and the formation of skills you need to choose the right rattle. The first toy of the baby should be light and bright with a finely fragmented filler, making a not sharp sound, so as not to frighten the child. It is best to choose a toy with a straight and long handle. Before you show a new rattle to your baby, do not forget to wash it in warm water with baby soap. The assortment of rattles in children's stores is diverse, therefore, in order not to be confused, as the first toy, a child should give preference to bright colors: red, yellow, orange or green. Objects should be of different shapes and textures, which will help develop fine motor skills and tactile sensations, as well as shape the taste and preferences in the future.
In the first six months, three toys that can be hung in a stroller or crib will be enough for the baby. For a six-month-old child, you can buy developing and moving toys, different in texture. It is important that they do not make loud noises and are not difficult for the baby. In addition, the child should be comfortable to hold them in a pen.
On a note
In the process of exercises, it is important to be in a good mood not only for the child, but also for the parent, you need to talk with the baby and conduct classes in a playful way. Do not forget that to develop a new skill, time, diligence from the baby and repeated repetitions are necessary. Almost every child at the first attempt is difficult to hold the item. But in no case should you compare the baby with other children or be angry with him. Cheering and systematic activities with the baby will significantly accelerate the acquisition of a new skill and will positively affect its development as a whole. To summarize the above, we note that the following recommendations should be considered when engaging with a child:
- As the first toy, it is better to choose a rattle with a long handle, about fifteen centimeters. The color should be bright, and the product itself should be light.
- By the age of six months, a child may have toys that vary in shape, color, and material. Musical rattles with unusual fillers and texture are also welcome, as new tactile sensations contribute to the development of fine motor skills and gradually form preferences.
- For the safety of the baby, in no case is it recommended to leave him alone with the toy.
- Make sure that your child is full, calm and healthy before classes, as nothing should distract him during exercise.
- Each exercise must be performed alternately for each hand so as not to form the skills of just left-handed or right-handed people.
- Psychologists advise after each successful exercise to praise the child. This will be a stimulus for the baby for further efforts.
- Great attention should be paid to the cleanliness of toys. It is common for all children to study the world in various ways, including trying something interesting "to taste". Usually, kids pull all objects in their mouths when their teeth erupt. Scolding such pranks is sometimes useless, so it is the responsibility of parents to ensure their babies safety.
- In acquiring new skills, regularity is important, otherwise the child may lose interest in the classes.
- The proposed exercises are recommended in the form of a game, use nursery rhymes, songs or rhymes.
Speaking about how many months a child begins to hold a toy, one should not forget that all babies are individual, and each of them develops differently. Some babies already in the first month of life with interest examine objects. Undoubtedly, it is important at what time the child holds the toy, but if the baby is poorly holding objects at four months of age, do not panic. Perhaps he needs a little more time to master this skill. If relatives have suspicions regarding the development of the baby, you should consult your child’s doctor. If after checking it turns out that he has everything in order with his eyesight, reactions and nervous system, then you just have to wait, he will gradually master this skill. Sometimes kids refuse to pick up toys that they don’t like. Therefore, in such cases, you need to offer your child rattles of various shapes and colors. The age at which a child begins to hold a toy depends on the time parents spend on learning.