Building Those Fine And Gross Motor Skills (0-2 Years)

3 Oct

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As parents, we often reflect on the experiences we've faced. We think back to our childhood, comparing the resources that supported our learning with those available to children today. It’s always valuable to revisit the basics and remember the essential tools our little ones need to develop their fine and gross motor skills.

Despite the differences, we’ve gained the knowledge and wisdom necessary to guide the next generation. We can be grateful for the evolution of learning resources, as they offer us new opportunities to grow and learn alongside our children. Yet, we must also recognize that some of the most important learning tools will always remain timeless.

Below is a list of children’s learning resources and their benefits that you may find useful.

0-6 months

Sensory play is such an important part of our babies’ growth. It plays a key part in increasing their mobility and their awareness. 0-6 months, is that stage where the following senses become more apparent and heightened; Smell, Touch, Taste, Sight and Hearing.

Sensory play, can be anything from; Tummy Time, Hanging mobile toys, Bubbles to Sensory Playtime (with lights and music).

We do have to remember that every baby is different, so they will respond differently to the types of sensory play above. When my son was younger, he never used to like sensory play with paints, because of the mess and the feeling, but now as he’s older, he’s not as bad. So sometimes; we have to go by how our little one responds, work on what is best for them and try not to push too much on them.

Here are some lovely places to visit, for those perfect sensory resources;

Baby Play Gym Mat; This is such a good sensory toy to have, because not only is it soft and spacious, but it has hanging mobile toys and a kick & play piano! Which will help with the little one’s hand eye co-ordination.

You can find this on Amazon.

Soft Baby Rattle; Who doesn’t love a good rattle? Even me as an adult, making music out of these rattles is so calming! But lets get back to the little one. Soft baby rattles, with help with their motor skills and grasping ability. It’s not too heavy, so they will able to hold it easily, whilst figuring out where the sound of the rattle is coming from.

You can also find this on Amazon.

6 months-1 Years

This stage of development, is truly a beautiful. This is where our child/ren start to boost their development with objects and people. They will start to recognize certain sounds, look and touch. The phase of sitting up, crawling and babbling, which we all enjoy seeing, is here! Lets see below, some useful resources that can aid them through this.

Baby Donut Ring/Sit Me up; My little one used to love this donut ring. Seeing him, just chilling, watching his Desmond Dennis on TV, was so cute! This little donut ring, because the fabric is inflatable, it is so soft, yet sturdy and it gives the little one that back and neck support they require whilst resting. It is spacious, so does give them the option to turn around and eventually crawl over! So Adult supervision, is definitely required. It has many different designs, which are colourful and little soft buttons that the little one can be engrossed in!

You can find this on Amazon.

Sensory Ball Pit; Is such a great way, to get those motor skills going! What’s fun and can gets the little one active? This amazing sensory ball pit! It is great for the indoors, the outdoors and easy to pop up and down, along with storage for the balls. The balls and pit are soft and to help with the little’s ones texture and sound, the ball pit has some lovely attractions such as; the sensory jingle, crinkle and squeak bean bags.

You can find this on Amazon.

1- 2 YEARS

Doesn’t time start to fly? Here is where we start to see our toddler’s characters coming through. They are coming of age, where they are able to express their feelings. Some say terrible twos, but it’s a process of channeling emotions, in the way that they are able to.

As we know, every child is different in: personality, social awareness and physically, but one thing they all have; is the courage to wanting to learn and wanting to fend for themselves. They do so, by learning from others. We will see that they will start to copy movements, pick up words and repeat them and exploring their surroundings; by grasping toys, feeling textures and listening to sounds. All of these social and cognitive development.

Here are some learning resources, that can aid those fine motor skills.

Pop- Up Hammer Toy;

This interactive pop up toy, is ideal for toddlers aged 12 months and up. It is ideal to help toddlers develop their fine motor skills (hand eye co-ordination, recognition of the animals and their sounds). This pop up toy is educational, colourful and accompanied by music, which is sure to keep your little one entertained!

You can find this on Amazon.

Stacking Rings;

Who doesn’t love a good ring stacking? Even adults, find this toy so calming (well I do!) This beautiful stacking ring is ideal for your toddler, as it will help with the development of their eyesight, because of the rainbow colours! If you find that your toddler has gone very quiet in the next room, then this stacking ring has done wonders. It has funny sounds built in, so as your toddler is building, they will be focused and interested at the same time! What better way to develop their concentration and hearing?

You can find this on Amazon.