New Moms: Simple Motor Skill Development Tips

Between tracking nap times, wake windows, feeding schedules, Mommy & Me classes, dishes, meals, and more, it can be difficult to find time to encourage motor skill development with your baby. Innobaby is here to tell you: It doesn’t have to be complicated, and you can encourage motor skill development with things you already have! Being a new mom can be overwhelming, but motor skill play and tummy time don’t have to be. Keep reading to learn our best simple motor skill development tips and the two baby development toys that will help give your baby the best start!

Encouraging Motor Skill Development

Motor skills are broken down into two types: Gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills refer to skills that use large muscles, such as walking, and fine motor skills refer to skills that use small muscles, such as turning the pages in a book. Motor skill development begins as soon as babies are born and continues well through childhood.

While babies all develop at their own pace, and some things may happen sooner or later for your baby than others, this is a general schedule of when things commonly occur: (source: Childrensmn.org )

Gross motor skills

1 month	head bobs when held upright, kicks feet when on back
2 months	lifts head briefly when placed on tummy
3 months	lifts head 2 to 3 inches off the surface and pushes up with forearms when placed on tummy
4 months	straightens legs when feet touch a flat surface; when on tummy, lifts head and chest off the surface while looking forward
5 months	rolls from tummy to back (always supervise to avoid falls); pulls self forward to sitting position when you hold baby's hands
6 months	sits briefly without support; rolls from back to tummy Remember: Infants should only be on their tummies when they are awake. If your baby falls asleep, turn him or her onto the back for safe sleeping.

Fine motor skills

1 month	hands are in fists most of the time
2 months	holds a rattle when placed in their hand
3 months	reaches toward dangling objects and people's faces
4 months	holds and shakes rattle, plays with and watches their own fingers
5 months	reaches for a toy with two hands; uses whole hand to grasp a toy
6 months	passes a toy from one hand to another: bangs toy on table

Best Motor Skill Development Toys

Encouraging motor skill development in your baby doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply allow your baby to reach for things, such as teethers or bubbles!

Food-Grade Silicone Teethers

Teethers are the most ideal toy to use for motor skill development play! As you know, your baby is already going to be putting everything in their mouth—might as well make it something that is beneficial for both their motor skill development and their oral development!

Innobaby has an entire line of oral development teethers that can help toddlers and babies through their difficult teething stages as well as encourage development skills. Our teethers are tough enough for toddlers and gentle enough for newborns!

Innobaby’s oral development teethers aren’t just great for teething pain; they’re considered “training teethers,” which means they’re great for a bunch of different reasons:

• They stimulate the muscles of the lips, tongue, and cheeks to improve oral motor skills
• Aid in nursing, eating solid foods, drinking from cups, and speech development
• The light and easy-to-grip handle also improves hand-eye coordination

Innobaby holds its teethers to the very highest standards. We conform to Toy Safety Standard ASTM F963 and EN71 and use the highest quality TPE available. Innobaby wants the best for your baby, just like you! Other teethers may be too small or break apart easily—but you can trust ours!

TIPS:

• Line up all your teethers in a row and watch your baby reach for them
• Lay your baby down and dangle the teethers above baby so they reach, practice visual tracking, and turn their neck
• Put a teether in each of your baby’s hands to practice bilateral movement and stimulation of both sides of the brain

Botanical Mess-Free Indoor-Friendly Bubbles

Children, even babies, universally love bubbles! However, playing with them indoors can be messy, sticky, and drippy. Luckily, Innobaby has got you covered so you can blow bubbles to your heart’s content and encourage your baby’s motor skill development!

Bubble play has endless benefits, including sensory and motor skill development. It helps with oral motor skills, fine motor skills, eye tracking, cognitive development, and much more.

Spike’s Sensory Bubble Play Skin Happy Botanical Bubbles & Blower Set is perfect for indoor tummy-time play with your baby. It’s easy enough for a big brother or sister toddler to use alone, and the botanical solution is mess-free and non-sticky!

This sensory bubble toy gives tons of bubbles without the mess or soapy gooey residue. Perfect for sensory play, learning, bubble therapy, the classroom, birthday parties, special events, and more, this uniquely designed bubble system is non-toxic, calming, and worry-free for parents. Made with plant extracts, coconut oil, and purified water, this bubble toy is easy on sensitive skin.

For more fun parenting tips and high-quality products for your entire family, visit us at Innobaby.com!