Your baby's developing tips

Until now your baby will have been using their whole hand to grasp toys (or your hair, the TV remote, the cat...). Now you will start to see them using their thumb and first finger –what experts call the pincer grip. This is the start of an exciting new phase of ‘fine motor control’ which will give them better accuracy in holding toys, passing them from hand to hand and dropping them ready for you to pick up...again...and again. Some babies master clapping around now.

Help your baby develop:

• Now they understand that something exists even though they can’t see it (experts call this ‘object permanence’), which is why separation anxiety can kick in around now. Play games to reinforce this message that vanishing things can come back: they will still love the old favourite, Peekaboo. Also try packing toys or blocks into a cardboard box and putting the lid on. Watch them work out how to get the toys out, and in, and out...
• Your baby is learning by copying you, so don’t be surprised if their favorite ‘toys’ are your car keys, mobile phone. Buying some ‘mini-me’ toys like a plastic phone can help, though they may still prefer the real thing
• Toys containing different shapes help your baby develop motor and thinking skills. It’s a good time to introduce simple shape sorters and jack-in-the-box toys
• Sing action rhymes to promote memory and listening skills. Try This Little Piggy and Pat-A-Cake or classic nursery rhymes that you can act out together
• It’s tempting, but try not to rush in and take over when your baby can’t manage a task they really want to do. It’s about getting a balance – you don’t want to leave them really frustrated at their fumblings, but you also want them to learn to persevere. Try guiding their hands into the right position, then stand back and let them try again

Make photos of your active baby, upload to the app. Write about his/her favorite games and activities.