From palmar to pincer: your baby’s grasping skills at 9 months

As your 9-month-old sits on the floor, you notice them trying to pick up the Stainless Steel Jingle Keys. They extend their hand, position their thumb on one side and a few fingers on the other, then close their fist to grasp the plaything. This may not feel very important in the moment, but your baby’s new grasping skills are actually a big deal.

At this age, your baby learns a lot by touching and handling different objects. The ability to pick up, hold, and examine something closely allows them to understand how it feels and works. Grasping skills help your baby become more adept at self-feeding and can lead to increased independence and self-confidence.

Grasping skills emerging at 9 months

Up to this point, your baby has primarily used a whole-hand or “palmar” grasp to hold an object. And they’ve likely been using their hand like a little rake to pull small pieces of food toward them—known as the “raking” grasp. Here’s what to look for next:

• Radial digital grasp: With this grasp, your baby uses their thumb and index finger to hold an object but still relies on their palm for added stability. 
• Scissor grasp: When your baby holds a small object between their thumb and the side of their curled index finger, they are practicing the “scissor” grasp—a less refined version of the pincer grasp. 
• Pincer grasp: As your baby’s dexterity improves over the coming months, they’ll begin to pick up small objects with the pads of their thumb and index finger. 

How to boost your baby’s grasping skills

As your baby works to develop these new hand movements, it may look like a bit of trial and error—because it is 🙂 Here’s how to help them practice: 

Provide new objects to explore. When your baby tries to grasp the knob of the First Puzzle or hold on to one of the ‘Things I See’ Texture Cards by its flat edge, they gain valuable insight into how to change their hand movements to grasp successfully. You can also look for child-safe household objects for them to investigate, like handing them a washcloth or their baby toothbrush while you’re getting them ready for bed.

Use meal time as practice. At this age, it really is okay to play with your food 😉 Offer your baby finger foods with different textures that introduce their taste buds—and their hands—to new experiences. Learning the difference in hand movements necessary to pick up a slippery banana or a small piece of o-shaped cereal can help build both grasping and problem-solving skills.

Encourage container play. The simple motion of taking toys or balls out of a container—and putting them back in—helps your baby practice grasping. Add an assortment of playthings to the Treasure Basket, like the Hand-to-Hand Discs, Soft Cotton Rainbow Ball, and the Wooden Sound Cylinders. For a different challenge, fill the cups of a muffin tin with Wood and Felt Balls. Encourage your baby to pull them out.

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Learn more about the research

Lockman, J. J., Ashmead, D. H., & Bushnell, E. W. (1984). The development of anticipatory hand orientation during infancy. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 37(1), 176-186.