Play and Learn Family Activities

Open and Close

For several months after your baby is born, she has a reflex to grasp objects in her palm, but she has trouble letting go. Here’s a game to help her gain further control of her hands and her grasp reflex.

Materials

• Medium-size toys easily grasped in your baby’s hands, such as rattles, stuffed animals, teething rings, blocks, and so on
• Table or highchair

Instructions

• Collect a variety of graspable toys that fit in your baby’s hands.
• Seat your baby in your lap next to the table or in her highchair.
• Place a toy near your baby, so she has to reach a little to grasp it.
• Encourage her to take the toy.
• After she has grasped the toy and enjoyed it for a moment, gently peel open her fingers and remove the toy.
• Place it back on the table.
• While your baby’s hands are free, sing the following song as you open, shut, then clap your baby’s hands.

  Open, Close Them

  Open, close them, open, close them,
  Give a little clap!
  Open, close them, open close them,
  Put them in your lap!

Safety

Since your baby is sure to put all toys into her mouth during these months, be sure they are clean and have no sharp edges or small parts that could come loose and become a choking hazard.