Toys and games for eye-hand co-ordination 0-6 months
In the first weeks, his hand-eye co-ordination will make steady progress and quite quickly. As such major changes occur, we have broken this section down further.
In the first weeks
In the first weeks your baby’s eyes and hands do not work together – he will just watch. His favourite toys and things are bright and move. He will enjoy watching the following kinds of objects:
* His reflection in a mirror
* The toys on his gym
* A mobile.
* A torch you shine on the ceiling of a darkened room.
* Flashing lights.
* Shiny objects that catch the light.
* His hands if they come into view.
6 weeks +
He is more ready to swipe with his arm at objects he sees. He’ll enjoy;
* The toys on his gym.
* The rattle you hold for him.
* Toys fixed to his bouncer, pushchair or cot.
2 – 4 months
He will gradually develop the skill to grab.
He will grab objects and toys firmly and shake them. He’ll also put them to his mouth – this is him actually putting his hand to his mouth rather than the toy. Toys are tested with this in mind. Look for toys that have small sections that are easy to grab or hold.
5-6 months
His grasping is more deliberate and he will reach without constantly monitoring his hand. Because he can reach and clasps toys from above as well as from the side he is able to pick things off the floor. He knows when something is out of reach and does not try to grab it. Most babies now transfers toys from one hand to the other. He’ll enjoy playing with;
* Toys he can pick up, take to his mouth or pass from hand to hand.
* Toys he can grab and hold- especially those with textures he can feel and which make noises when he grabs them.
* Toys which he can bat with a more open hand.
* He may like to cuddle a soft toy and stroke an interesting texture.
* Link-a-Doos toys that connect to nursery equipment or toys are great for bat-at fun.
Playtime tips and games to encourage eye-hand co-ordination.
Now that his hands are becoming more skilled he begins to treat toys more individually. He might start putting two bricks on top of each other, push his toy train or put things into his sorter. He can use a pincer grip to pick up small items and will use his thumb to push a larger object into his hand.
(b>Games
* Toy Box *
This really is the age of the hand and he needs lots of practice, toys are the safest things to practice with. He needs toys that will encourage him in different ways. Look for toys that enable him to;
Bang a toy onto the tray of his highchair or one toy onto another.
Prod soft spongy textures
Poke his finger into little spaces.
Feel different textures.
Explore things by stroking his hand across them
Explore by moving toys in his hand
Explore by holding toys with one hand and exploring with the other.
Pass toys between hands
Pick up toys.
Drop toy - initially by tipping them out of his hand but gradually by turning his hand over and then letting go.
Place toys where he wants them to be.
He will need to practice picking up small objects- and since these still tend to go to his mouth small bits of food are best for this.
Something like an activity table is good as they very often feature lots of these actions in one, and they also have the added bonus that they are sturdy enough for him to practice pulling himself up on to his feet.
Toys like blocks and rounds are good for placing or rolling actions.
"Try Peek A Blocks or Roll A Rounds".
* Pincer practice *
He needs to practice using the pincer grip - and since he is still putting most things into his mouth food is the safest thing to practice on!
Peas and carrots - Cut carrots into pea size squares and give him a dish
Pasta - Small pasta shapes can be played with in the same way.
Slices of banana - small pieces of apple, berries or any other food he enjoys.
* Wiggle worms *
Give him a bowl of cooked spaghetti to play with. He will enjoy squashing it in his hand, picking up pieces in his fingers and generally messing about with it. All great for developing dexterity.
* Jelly wobble *
Try the above but with Jelly or mashed potato. These are both great for squashing in his hands and exploring texture.
* Stroke *
Let him stroke your face.
Let him stroke different textured fabrics such as the carpet or a silky cushion.
Talk about the textures.
* Dropsy! *
Let him practice dropping toys from the pram or high chair. Pick them up so he can do it again.
Attach some toys to his high chair with a short piece of elastic so they bounce up and down when he throws them out. Can he grab them back?
* Put and post *
He may be able to put one brick on top of another - but will not line it up first. The Peek A Blocks Collection features a Shape Sorter which is a good choice as the blocks can be handled or stacked and also posted through the differently shaped holes.
The easiest shapes for his sorter are round balls - as long as he gets the ball to the hole he can push it through.
He loves putting things into containers and will enjoy a little bucket or bag to put things into.
By one he may be able to put one brick on top of another.
* Turn *
Give her a chunky board book to read, turning the pages requires the pincer grip!
By her first birthday your baby is pointing and her hands have become quite skilled at handling objects. She can pick up and put down and place things more or less where she wants them. The major advance in this year is the development of her wrist bones, these allow her to twist her hand and place things more accurately.
Games
* Toy Box *
She is making great progress with dexterity so give her toys that will help encourage this. Look out for:
- Shape sorters
- Blocks
- Simple puzzles
- Toys with doors to hide things behind
- Toy phones
- Stackers
* Scotble *
Give her a crayon and let her scotble to her hearts content
* Play Dough *
Give her play dough and let her squeeze it through her fingers. By two she might like to cut it too with a plastic knife.
* Water and sand *
Pour it - soft sand can be poured like water. Let her play with both. She will need a jug, some cups, maybe something to stir with.
Capture It - water flows easily into and out of containers that you dip in to it. The same actions work with sand - but this must be scooped up and does not spill as easily.
Float on it - Everything sits on top of the sand – but some things sink into the water.
Stick to it - Sand sticks to her hands and so does water. But only water soaks into her sleeves.
Mould it – when sand and water are mixed they can be moulded. Give her shapes to press into the sand and help her make sand castles. Water eventually sinks into the sand- but will stay for a short time on the surface. Let her explore this.
* Stackers *
Collect boxes large and small and pile them one on top of the other.
You can also try stacking one inside the other.
As you watch your child putting a cube into his shape sorter over and over again, you know that through his play he’s developing skills and committing the action to memory. Did you know that this is the same when he drops his dinner from his highchair? It might surprise you to hear that he may just be practicing his spatial skills
As his eye-hand coordination develops he may be able to line up a jigsaw piece so it fits into the puzzle and it is his spatial skills that tell him which piece to select and that it will fit. By playing with his shape sorter, or running his toy car around chair legs, he is learning how to maneuver his body through spaces and how to interact with, and avoid colliding with, other things. He is developing the skills that we use every day to get dressed, to draw, to make sure our jumper is on the right way round and so on.
On a greater scale his spatial orientation skills are the ones he develops to, for example, get his toy truck from the kitchen into the lounge and, as adults, we use these skills to understand directions, to draw maps and know where we are in relation to landmarks and so on.
Children need to learn both orientation and spatial manipulation and you can encourage his development with the many tools and activities designed to help him.
Games To Develop Your Child’s Orientation Skills:
Coconuts!
Set up a coconut, or something else he can throw balls at! Encourage him to throw balls or beanbags at the coconut with the aim of knocking it off. For a summer party, daddy could sit in a chair while the children throw wet sponges at him!
One Step, Two Step.
Ask him to count how many steps it takes to cross the room? From the bedroom to the bathroom? Get him to measure how many standard steps it takes him to walk up the garden path.
Gotcha.
Scrunch up an old newspaper into soft balls. You and your child each has a chair to defend and the aim is to try and hit the other person’s chair with your ’ammunition’!
Moving House.
Ask him to move a pile of things, such as leaves, from one side of the garden to the other using his wheelbarrow.
Relievio.
This game is a variation on the childhood favourite, ’tag’. More than two people can play the game where, once you’ve been caught, you must go to the box until you are relieved, or rescued, by someone who hasn’t been tagged.
Toy Box Tips - Orientation Skills
* Bikes, tricycles and, ’sit and rides’. Try the Stride to Ride. * Skates * Trucks, toy pushchairs, toy wheelbarrows * Climbing frames * Balls
Games To Develop Your Child’s Spatial Skills.
Let’s Pour.
Let him practice pouring during bath time, using jugs and beakers and so on. Once he has mastered the skill, you could let him use a tea set to pour drinks for his teddies.
Snake!
Draw a long snake and divide it into a few sections, then ask him to colour each section in neatly.
Where Is He?
Books with faces hidden in the crowd or drawings with familiar objects hidden in the picture are great to amuse children. You can make your own by hiding simple shapes, such as triangles or circles, in drawings.
Tangrams.
Take a large square piece of card and divide it into a number of different shapes, like squares, oblongs and L shapes, of different sizes. Ask him to make new shapes with the individual pieces, or try to assemble them into the original square shape.
Mosaic.
Draw a simple shape or picture and cut gummed or sticky coloured paper into little squares. Let him have fun by sticking the pieces into the picture to make a mosaic.
Toy Box Tips - Spatial Skills:
* Puzzles * Shape sorters. Try the Peek A Blocks Shape Sorter * Stacking cups * Linking toys, such as linking rings. Try any Link-a-Doos toy or teether * Play sets, such as garages. Try the Little People Ramps Around Garage * Construction kits. Try anything in the Pop Onz collection * Dolls
Because small children remember actions much better than they do words, action rhymes are brilliant.
The actions help the child to remember long songs, they also help draw the child’s attention to the little sounds that make up words – an important pre-reading skill. Action rhymes are a good option for those muments when you might be hanging about with no access to toys, waiting in line, for a bus or on a long journey for example.
This kind of rhyme is great for letting off steam, improving memory and stimulating communication.
From 6 months
*Five little ducks*
The five little ducks are the fingers, five swim away, four come back, four swim away and three come back- and so on until there are no little ducks left! Five little ducks went swimming one day
Over the ponds and far away
Mother duck said quack, quack, quack
But only four little ducks came back
From 9 months
One two three four five
One two three four five
Once I caught a fish alive
Why did you let him go
Because he bit my finger so
Which finger did he bite?
This little finger on the right.
Count out the fingers on the one two- make a biting mouth with the thumb and index finger, then display the little finger of the right hand.
*Incy Wincy spider*
Incy Wincy spider climbing up the spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sunshine dried up all the rain
And incy wincy spider climed the spout again.
Incy climbs by touching opposite thumb and index finger and alternating fingers and thumbs. The other actions just mirror the words.
From 18 months
*Peter’s hammers*
Peter works with one hammer (Hammer with one fist)
With one hammer, with one hammer
Peter works with one hammer
All day long
*Verses*
Peter works with two hammers (hammer with both fists)
Peter works with three hammers (add one stamping foot)
Peter works with four hammers (add the other foot)
Peter works with five hammers (add the head)
*Row, row, row your boat*
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream.
Children sit facing each other on the floor, hold hands and rock back and forth
*I hear Thunder*
I hear thunder I hear thunder (stamp feet)<
Hark don’t you, hark don’t you (put hand behind ear)
Pitter-patter raindrops (mime)
I’m wet through (point to self)
So are you (point to her)
*I’m a Little Teapot*
I’m a little teapot short and stout
Here’s my handle (Put one arm on hip)
Here’s my spout (Put other arm out like spout)
When I hear the tea cups hear me shout
Tip me up and pour me out (bend to the side in a pouring action)
When your child is still an infant, once he is able to hold his head up, he will love to enjoy a song with you on your lap.
Singing along with songs like this help develop him develop socially and emotionally as he’ll love the comfort of spending this time with you. He’ll also learn about the rhythm in language. Songs that have a jump or action at the end also help him to learn to expect – to know that something is going to happen.
When he is very young, sit him on your knee facing you and hold him around his waist. When he’s a little older you can hold him by the hands.
Jogging on the Knee
For these songs, jog and jiggle him on your knee as you repeat the words.
*Ride A Cock Horse*
Ride a cock horse to Bambury Cross
To see a fine lady get on a white horse
With rings on her fingers
And bells on her toes
She shall have music
Wherever she goes.
*To Market to Market*
To market to market to buy a fat pig
Home again home again jiggity jig
To market to market to buy a fat hog
Home again home again
Jiggity jog.
Rides with a Jog and Surprise!
These songs feature a surprise fall at the end to make him giggle.
*This is the way the ladies ride*
This is the way the ladies ride trip trot, trit trot trip trot
This is the way the gentlemen ride gallup gallup gallup
This is the way the old man rides. Hobble-dee hobble-dee
And down in a ditch
Trot on the knee at varying speeds- then open your knees to let her fall through a little.
*Father mother and uncle John*
Father, Mother and Uncle John
Road to the doctors one by one,
Father fell off Mother fell off
But Uncle John road on and on
Ride on the knee, hold him tightly and let him jog to one side and then the other.
Rides with an Up and a Down
*Leg over leg over*
Leg over leg over
The dog went to dover
When he came to a style
Up he went over
Cross your legs and sit him on the crook of your foot. Hold her hands and jog her up and down – but every time you say 'over' move your foot up and down. She’ll feel like she’s flying!
Sometimes the old ones are the best, a selection of traditional games.
Traditional games have been played and perfected by generations of children for hundreds of years. Some of them are very different from their original form, but many have remained almost the same throughout history. These traditional games help teach children vital skills – the reason they didn’t die out years ago!
*Traditional games help to develop many skills*:
* Social skills – learning to play with other people, taking turns, making friends and also putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.
* Predictive skills – what will he do next? Is he going to drop something?
* Physical skills – turning, dodging and getting lots of exercise * Letting off steam
* Learning ’I can do it’.
Traffic lights
One person says the word of their choice from the list, the others do the appropriate actions - the last one to do it is out (but you can leave this bit out of the game if you want to)
Red means stop
Green means go
Crash means lie flat
Bridge means make an arch on the ground.
Farmer Farmer may we cross?
Farmer farmer may we cross your golden river?
Yes if you are wearing red (or what every colour the farmer decides)
Those in red walk across the rest have to run and avoid the farmer catching them
Red lion
Red lion sits in his den, the rest of the players have a second den which they leave to taunt the lion
Red Lion red lion come out of your den
Whoever you catch can be one of your men
When the chant finishes the red lion chases everyone home, if he touches anyone they must go to his den. Next go they become lions too. The game ends when everyone is a lion.
The Farmers in his Den
One child stands in the middle of the ring while the others walk around singing
The farmers in his den
The farmers in his den E-I-N-G-O
The farmers in his den.
The farmer must then choose someone to join him as the children sing
The farmer wants a wife The farmer wants a wife
E-I-N-G-O
The farmers wants a wife.
Then other children join the central group as the circle sings
The wife wants a child, etc
The child wants a dog etc
The dog wants a bone. Etc
In the last verse everyone pats the bone
We all pat the bone We all pat the bone
E-I-N-G-O We all pat the bone.
Kick the can
This is one of the many variations of tag. The person who is ’it’ has a can or object which he must guard, but must also leave to catch other children. If anyone kicks the can he must return and put it back before he can chase again.
Hiding games
* Hide and seek “It” hides his face and counts to twenty while everyone else hides. Then after shouting “coming ready or not she goes in search of the other players. * Bug in a rug. In this game you race “It” for home if you get there first you are safe.
* Cuckoo – a reversal of normal hide and seek in which one player hides the others seek * Toad in the hole- if you are found, you join the seekers. The game ends when everyone is looking and there is no-one left to find.
Grandmother’s footsteps
This game is for a group of children. One of them is picked to be ’grandmother’. She stands with her back to the rest of the children who line up a few metres behind her.
The group must try to creep up behind grandmother without her seeing them. Every so often, grandmother turns around to look at the group and they must stand perfectly still. IF she sees them move, they must go back to the start.
The first person to touch grandmother’s back without being seen wins and becomes grandmother next time.
Oranges and Lemons
Oranges and lemons say the bells of St Clements
When will you pay me say the bells of Old Bailey When I grow rich Say the bells of Shoreditch
When will that be say the bells of Stepney
I’m sure I don’t know says the great bell of Bow.
Her comes a candle to light you to bed
Here comes a chopper to chop of your head.
Chip Chop chip chop.
Two people make an arch and the rest dance through it in turn singing the song. On the last “chop” the arch catches someone- by dropping there arms down to surround them. They then ask “Orange or Lemon”. Oranges go behind one of the arch makers, lemons go behind the other. When everyone has been caught they have a tug of war.
*
Play & Learn activities reprinted from "Preschooler Play & Learn" with permission of its author, Penny Warner, and its publisher, Meadowbrook Press (2000.)
