The fine motor skill babies love (and parents sometimes hate)
Between 9 and 10 months, many babies start learning how to release, or drop, objects from their grip in a controlled and purposeful way. While this new fine motor skill can be frustrating for parents at times—especially during meals—it’s an important milestone that can be encouraged with simple activities.
Here’s how to support voluntary release
- If they aren’t yet releasing objects voluntarily, you can gently tap, rub, or stroke the back of your baby’s hand to encourage them to open their fingers and let go.
- Ask them to hand you an object they’re holding. This often works best if you have something to trade ❤️
- Give them a kitchen pot and wood blocks to drop into it. The satisfying sound the blocks make when they hit the bottom will inspire them to continue.
- The Ball Drop Box is also a great tool for practicing this emerging skill.
Posted in: 9 - 10 Months, Grasping, Behavior, Playthings, Cause and Effect, Fine Motor, Montessori, Motor Skills, Child Development
Keep reading
12 - 48 Months
0 - 12 Weeks
3 - 4 Months
5 - 6 Months
7 - 8 Months
9 - 10 Months
11 - 12 Months
Investments that age up: These everyday essentials grow with your child
The Stokke Tripp Trapp® Chair and The Play Kits are investments that will offer years of playtime and mealtime fun.
9 - 10 Months
11 - 12 Months
13 - 15 Months
16 - 18 Months
The surprising ways bathtime builds your child’s brain
When it’s just you and your child, face to face, bathtime becomes a natural opportunity to connect, play, and develop your baby’s brain. And The Bath Set includes thoughtfully designed tools for building new language, cognitive, and fine motor skills.
12 - 48 Months
0 - 12 Weeks
3 - 4 Months
5 - 6 Months
7 - 8 Months
9 - 10 Months
11 - 12 Months
All the ways to get Lovevery books
Lovevery books are beloved by millions of families for good reason: They’re stage-based and written to be fascinating to your child right now, and stay interesting as your child grows.