When babies enter the world, their arms and legs move randomly. It takes a while for them to figure out how these little limbs work together. Helping them feel and learn to use the arms and legs in a coordinated way through simple play jump starts the process of building important pathways in the brain and facilitate automatic bilateral coordination as they grow.
- Bringing the baby’s hands together (e.g. clapping)
- Moving the limbs in a simple sequence helps develop awareness
- As the baby grows, provide large toys that require two hands to hold (e.g. stuffed animal or large ball)
- Encourage touch exploration with two hands
- Encourage scooting and crawling