Reaching this way and that - strengthening muscles through play

What to try 

• Encourage your baby to move into different positions when they are sitting to help with balance and coordination.  
• Make sure they are stable before holding out an interesting toy towards them. Reaching forward for it will strengthen your baby's muscles.  
• You could place a lightweight piece of fabric on your baby's legs to encourage them to stretch and try to get it off; this will test their balance, strength and coordination.  

Good to know 

Reaching forward will use your baby's muscles to help them get stronger and improve control of their movements. As they move to reach, they will also practise adjusting their position to stay balanced.