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Tips from a Pediatric Occupational Therapist
0-3 Months (4th Trimester) Infant Development
Tummy Time- from the first week start getting your baby used to being on their tummy while awake. *It's the single most beneficial thing you can do to promote development.* The rule of thumb is 1 min per month of age at a time and done multiple times a day. To help them enjoy it try having them do it on your tummy or roll a washcloth up to put under their arms and chest to give them a little lift. If they get upset, pick them up and try again later.
Eye Contact and simple tracking- faces are far more interesting than toys at this stage. Getting lots of face to face time imitating expressions and seeing if they will follow you with their eyes is a great way to promote connection and eye tracking. At first they will not be able to follow past their midline, but eventually they will.
Grasping and arm strength- have your baby grasp your fingers with both hands and pull towards you like you are pulling them to sit, but stop before their head leaves the floor to protect their neck
Swaddling- it’s a big change from in the womb and out in the world. Your little one’s nervous system can get overwhelmed and swaddling is a way of providing deep pressure like they were used to in the womb
Embracing squeeze- another way to promote body awareness, bonding, and calming is to do 7 second light hugs on their arms and legs
4-6 months Infant Development
Tummy Time- for longer and and as often as they will tolerate it. At 4 months it 4 min each time/ 5 times a day and 6 months 6 min/ 5 times a day. Putting interesting things on the baby blanket such as black and white patterns or baby mirror can make it more interesting. You can also put their arms/chest over a small boppy or rolled up towel. Their arms and shoulders will get stronger in preparation for crawling. If the surface they are on is too soft or mushy it is harder for them to practice motor skills.
Sitting up- Every time your baby practices sitting up they get better at detecting when they are falling and the righting reflexes and protective responses will get stronger. Safe ways include in between your legs, in a boppy pillow , or on a bouncy ball. These all require close supervision to prevent the ever dreaded face plant.
Batting at toys- your baby will start to show more interest in toys at this stage. First they will bat at them, then reach for them, and later grab the toy they want. Playing on their back on a playmat with toys suspended overhead just within reach are great.
Find your Feet- in preparation for rolling from back to tummy your baby will lift their feet and grab them. Invariably they then flop them to the side and they are half way over! Encouraging them to discover their feet is both fun and helpful.
Chewing and choking- babies are exploring the world with their mouths. Allowing your child to chew on something thinner and a couple of inches long like a pretend key, spoon etc allows them to put it in their mouth further and gag themselves. Yes, this is a good thing. This is how they move the gag reflex from the front of their mouth further back.
Not propping up in various baby gear- your baby will be very interested in the world and will prefer to be upright before they can do it on their own. So it is tempting to put them in things like bouncers, bumbo chairs etc. Many of these devices actually put your baby in unnatural positions that aren’t good for development. Everything in moderation. Use only for short periods of time and rarely. Playing on the floor is the best whenever safe and possible.
Sensory Play- your child’s sensory motor system is also developing so giving them lots of opportunities to experience a variety of sensory input like rough housing, various textures/surfaces, music with a variety of beats etc. Getting messy is fun and nothing a bathtub can’t fix!
7-10 months Infant Development
Baby proof- as your child starts to get mobile they are not only practicing using their muscles but also exploring their new independence. Making your space as safe as possible by getting things higher up, out of reach, and secured will help save your sanity and give them confidence.
Picking small things up- find small things (½ inch) that are safe for them to practice picking up like dissolvable foods (puffs, small pieces of fruit etc) allows them to work on their hand dexterity. Meat, tofu, and other proteins do not dissolve so not the best choice before teeth. First they will rake at the items with all their fingers and later develop a pincer grasp using only the pointer finger and thumb. This prepares them for many fine motor activities including writing.
Creeping and Crawling- allowing your baby to play on a more solid and slick floor can help them experience their first mobility. It often comes from them pushing up on their hands and sliding backwards much to their chagrin. Encourage rocking back on their bottoms as their arms get stronger. Therapists really like to hear a baby crawled for at least 3 months before they walked. If they didn’t, no worries. Make a tunnel and/or pretend to be animals!
Continue sensory exploration- the more variety the better! Create couch cushion mountains to climb, make edible play doh etc. Pinterest has endless ideas!
Putting things in/pouring things out- finding jars with lids that screw on and putting fun non-chokable things inside that they can pour out and put back in can create hours of fun. The variety of fine motor movements built into this activity are perfect for this age.
Pulling up- cruising along furniture is a developmental stage prior to walking. Finding safe things your baby can pull up on will allow them to get lots of practice.
Introduce a straw- the most natural thing after sucking from a nipple is sucking from a straw. For oral motor development this is preferable to hard sippy cup lids.
11-15 months Infant Development
Push toys and assisted walking- your baby is going to be on the move and likely wanting to practice walking. Push toys are great, but they cause children to be tilted further forward than they would be naturally so it’s another toy in moderation. When you assist them with walking, be careful not to hold their hands too high in the air (over their shoulder height) and not in a way that they are leaning forward like they do with the push toy. This will put them in a more natural position as they learn.
Introduce an open cup- drinking from an open cup is a skill we need to learn and we have so many amazing spill proof cups that sometimes little ones don’t get to practice
Stairs- give your baby the experience of navigating stairs with close supervision. Crawling up and down stairs is great practice for them to learn how to be safe and more skilled.
Play lots of games with balls- throwing, catching, rolling, kicking are all great skills to practice and work on everything including visual motor skills and eye hand coordination.
Introduce crayons- scribbling is the first step to writing.
Eating Utensils- introduce a spoon first and to increase success by starting with a food that easily sticks to it. First forks are often not sharp, but they will enjoy stabbing soft foods. It will be messy and that is ok!
Walking on a variety of surfaces- once your child is walking, giving them the opportunity to walk on things like grass, sand, small hills, wood chips etc will increase their agility and confidence.
By Tonya Zimring, MS, OTR/L, ECE
Thrive Baby Therapy
Fairfax, CA
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