Newborns spend much of their early days focused on nursing and sleeping. However, as soon as a baby discovers their hands and feet—realizing they can control these tiny appendages—they embark on an exciting journey of exploration, play, and learning. This marks the beginning of baby grabbing, a milestone that once started, becomes an endless adventure.
When Should My Baby Be Grabbing Things?
Babies progress through various stages as they learn to interact with toys and other objects. Here’s what you can typically expect month by month:
- By Month 4: At this stage, your baby will likely begin reaching for objects with one hand. They’ll also start to hold and shake toys, and may even bat at dangling objects.
- By Month 6: Most babies at six months can reach for items just out of their grasp and pass objects from one hand to another.
- By Month 9: By nine months, your baby will likely be adept at moving toys smoothly between hands. They may also start picking up small items using a pincer grasp.
- By 12 Months: As your baby approaches their first birthday, they’ll be able to bang two toys together and may start placing objects in containers—only to take them out again. They’ll also become skilled at letting go of objects with ease.
How to Help Teach Babies to Grab Things
If you want to encourage your baby to start reaching out and grabbing, here are some fun and simple methods to help them along:
- Showcase Their Toys: Until your baby starts grabbing on their own, act as a “toy curator.” Demonstrate and describe the features of their playthings, like saying, “Look, it’s a cow! A cow goes moo.” This is a great activity to do during tummy time.
- Encourage Reaching: During playtime, arrange an assortment of toys, such as colorful cups and soft balls, just out of your baby’s reach. Encourage them to extend their hand and grab the objects.
- Introduce Textures: Let your baby explore objects with different textures and shapes, from fuzzy blankets and rubbery blocks to squeaky toys and baby-safe board books.
- Involve Their Toes: Babies enjoy exploring with their feet as much as with their hands. Place your baby under an activity gym with overhead toys to see what they can do with both their feet and hands. This helps them learn about object recognition and cause and effect.
- Combine Grabbing and Snack Time: Around nine months, your baby will start developing a pincer grasp. Before then, they’ll enjoy grabbing soft, yummy foods from their high chair tray. If you’re following a baby-led weaning approach, try offering strips of ripe avocado, steamed broccoli, or quartered hard-boiled eggs.
What Not to Worry About
Every child develops at their own pace, so as long as your baby has plenty of opportunities to play, there’s no need to worry if they take a little longer to start grabbing objects. Babies are also good at signaling when they’ve had enough playtime. If your little one suddenly appears distracted, turns their head away, or fusses, it might be time for a break.
After mastering the art of grabbing, your baby will soon begin developing fine motor skills. Over the coming months, these skills will allow them to eat finger foods and eventually use a cup. To prepare for this, consider spreading a splat mat below the high chair to catch the inevitable mess.
