Stimulating Your Baby's Visual Development

The single most important toy you can offer your baby during the stages of visual development, birth to 8 months, is a carefully selected mobile. It is during these early stages that the mobile will build his visual system as well as allow for hours of interest and learning. A mobile of bright colors and strong contrast is highly recommended. At first your baby will focus on the mobile’s contrasting colors.  Your baby will then learn to follow the movement of the mobile, strengthening his tracking skill, teaching his eyes to move together as a team, and building his visual attention. Your newborn baby can hear and is ready to listen to music.  A mobile should come with music that your baby can listen to with or without the movement of the mobile.

 There are other crib toys that are available to stimulate, calm, and interest your baby.  These toys often have music, light, and moving pictures.  Your baby will enjoy these to. Don’t over stimulate your baby. Never have two toys on at once.  If your baby is tired, move the mobile out of his visual field and don’t turn the crib toy on. 

Over stimulation can cause irritability and make it difficult for your baby to relax and rest.

In general it is good practice to offer your baby varied patterns, objects, and pictures to look at.  Your baby will be interested in discovering new things and "figuring them out" by learning them visually. You can be creative about varying what your baby looks at by using pictures from story books, family pictures, and even wrapping paper and decorative gift bags. place these items in various places that he will have access to visually.

The Development of Eye Hand Coordination

By 8 months old your baby's visual system is mature.  By about 9 months old your baby is able to hold an item in both hands without dropping it, can transfer an item from one hand to the other, and grasp and release items voluntarily.  Your baby’s mature visual and fine motor systems will set the stage for the development of eye hand coordination. Eye hand coordination refers to the ability of ones eyes to direct attention toward a task, ones hands’ ability to execute that task, and the ability of both those things to happen simultaneously.  In realty your baby has been training for mature eye hand coordination activities since birth with all of the tracking and reaching he’s been busy with. Looking at you and reaching for you is one way your baby has been using his eye hand coordination skill at a very young age. Another way that your baby has been practicing his eye hand coordination skill is when at just a few months old he discovers his hands and moves and gazes at them repeatedly. Your babies practice with eye hand coordination skill will pay off at about 1 year old when he’ll be ready to play with items such as building blocks, nesting cups, shape sorters and pegs.  You can help promote the development of eye hand coordination skill by playing games such as bubble blowing and popping, and ball rolling and catching.

Gross Motor Development and Fun Gross Motor Games

After a baby has spent enough time pulling to stand and holding on to furniture and similar supports in her environment she will begin to feel comfortable in upright. When your baby is feeling stable she will begin to take steps.  This is a very exciting time for both you and your baby.  Walking is a very important milestone for your baby to achieve.  It will also set the stage for new and exciting opportunities for learning and development.  Once your baby has mastered walking she will be ready to move on to other stages of gross motor development.  Before you know it your baby will have blossomed into a toddler who’s running, climbing, jumping, going up and down steps, and kicking a ball. Give your toddler a lot of opportunity to experience, practice, and perfect her gross motor skills.  Outdoor playgrounds and indoor gyms allow for many motor opportunities for you and your toddler to enjoy. There are many gross motor play activities that you can encourage at this stage of your toddler's development. There are backyard toys such as a see-saw or a small slide that you can encourage your toddler to go on.  If you have ample space these items can be provided indoors as well.  You can play catch, throw, bounce, and kick a ball with your toddler.  Ride-on toys are another way for your toddler to develop her gross motor skills. Games such as “ring-around-the rosy” and “hokey pokey” are other fun ways for you and your toddler to practice, have fun, and continue to perfect her gross motor skills. If you have a small stepping stool you can help your toddler practice stepping up on the stool and jumping off of the stool.  Your toddler will love this activity and it will help her develop skill with stair climbing, jumping, and improved balance.  Another good way to use your stepping stool is to have your toddler sit on it. Since the stool does not have a back rest to lean on, your toddler will rely on her postural muscles to keep herself on the stool.  This activity is another way to build strength and balance. Another fun gross motor play activity you can engage your toddler with is getting down on the floor and pretending to be various animals.  They can demonstrate how they are a dog, lion, elephant or any other animal your toddler can imagine. Regardless of which gross motor play activities you choose, you and your toddler are sure to have lots  fun doing them.

Gross Motor Development and Fun Gross Motor Games

After a baby has spent enough time pulling to stand and holding on to furniture and similar supports in her environment she will begin to feel comfortable in upright. When your baby is feeling stable she will begin to take steps.  This is a very exciting time for both you and your baby.  Walking is a very important milestone for your baby to achieve.  It will also set the stage for new and exciting opportunities for learning and development.  Once your baby has mastered walking she will be ready to move on to other stages of gross motor development.  Before you know it your baby will have blossomed into a toddler who’s running, climbing, jumping, going up and down steps, and kicking a ball. Give your toddler a lot of opportunity to experience, practice, and perfect her gross motor skills.  Outdoor playgrounds and indoor gyms allow for many motor opportunities for you and your toddler to enjoy. There are many gross motor play activities that you can encourage at this stage of your toddler's development. There are backyard toys such as a see-saw or a small slide that you can encourage your toddler to go on.  If you have ample space these items can be provided indoors as well.  You can play catch, throw, bounce, and kick a ball with your toddler.  Ride-on toys are another way for your toddler to develop her gross motor skills. Games such as “ring-around-the rosy” and “hokey pokey” are other fun ways for you and your toddler to practice, have fun, and continue to perfect her gross motor skills. If you have a small stepping stool you can help your toddler practice stepping up on the stool and jumping off of the stool.  Your toddler will love this activity and it will help her develop skill with stair climbing, jumping, and improved balance.  Another good way to use your stepping stool is to have your toddler sit on it. Since the stool does not have a back rest to lean on, your toddler will rely on her postural muscles to keep herself on the stool.  This activity is another way to build strength and balance. Another fun gross motor play activity you can engage your toddler with is getting down on the floor and pretending to be various animals.  They can demonstrate how they are a dog, lion, elephant or any other animal your toddler can imagine. Regardless of which gross motor play activities you choose, you and your toddler are sure to have lots  fun doing them.