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Hand skills for children aged 0-6 months

15 June, 2020
For the next couple weeks, we will discuss the development of fine motor skills in the first 12 months of a baby’s life. Fine motor skills are the movements we make using the small muscles of the hands.
A tiny baby's hand in a patterned sleeve gently holding onto an adult's hand.

From birth, babies use their hands to explore their own bodies and the world around them. The development of hand skills depends on the baby developing skills (gross motor and vision) suitable for their age, providing the basic structure from which the arm and hand can be moved with control.

Deb’s Key Takeaways

Skills needed for development of early fine motor milestones:
  • Gross motor skills
  • Vision
  • Cognition/social skills
  • Fine motor skills
Infant milestone chart (0-6 months) detailing gross motor, fine motor, vision, and cognitive/social development.

Development of fine motor skills 0-6 months

  • Strengthening of hand muscles
  • Beginning of play
  • Exploring your baby’s world using their senses
  • Development of eye-hand control
  • Exposure to tummy time
  • Provide lots of visual stimulation
  • Give them different touch experiences
  • Little hands need to develop strength and skill
  • Develop touch and provide learning experiences of world around them
  • Develop of eye hand regard and use of vision in play
  • Beginning of a lifetime of play
  • Beginning of independent self-help skills, e.g. finger feeding
A wide-eyed baby lies on their stomach on a bed, draped in a light purple patterned blanket.

Ways to encourage your baby’s fine motor development

  • Let them hold your finger from birth
  • Give your baby lots of sensory experiences Hand lotion, soft/hard toys, different textures
  • Place rattles in their hand
  • Give them lots of tummy time
  • Hang mobiles/toys for them to hit when in pram/cot
Close-up of a baby's tiny hand resting on a soft, white faux fur blanket.
  • Encourage them to reach for dangly objects
  • Offer toys when they are silly on your lap
  • Offer lots of different sensory experiences in bath/on tummy
  • Introduce self-feeding and messy play
  • Give them toys to hold with both hands
  • Play peek-a-boo – encourage baby to lift the blanket
  • Use suction toys on high chair
A blue-eyed baby looks at the camera while chewing on a wooden toy block.

When to ask for help

  • If your baby isn’t following your face or toy by 2-3 months
  • If your baby is not meeting gross motor milestones
  • If your baby continues to keep their hands fisted past 2-3 months
  • If your baby isn’t reaching for a toy and holding by 4 months
  • If your baby doesn’t play with both hands together by 5-6 months
  • If your baby is not picking up small objects (e.g. self-feeding) by 6 months
Close-up of a baby's chubby arm with a tiny clenched fist lying on a soft, textured white blanket.

Fine motor (play skills) in the first 6 months of your baby’s life are dependent on them also reaching gross, visual, and cognitive skills. If you have any concerns relating to your baby’s early hand skill development, speak to your GP, physiotherapist, or occupational therapist.

Keep safe, happy, and well.

Deb

Smiling woman with light brown hair and a black top, in front of a colorful rainbow-striped background.
By Debbie Evans

Executive Director

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