Toys for supporting early hand grasp

Fine motor is a skill that you'll notice developing from birth, right up until your child’s school days – and beyond! Over the years, you’ll find many toys and tools that you can use to help support this skill and other areas of their development. Here are a few ideas for toys to use with smaller babies who are developing their grasp.  

Rattles and shakers 

Rattles and shakers are great for babies who are developing their early hand grasp. As well as supporting fine motor development, these are good for sensory play too, as your baby will be encouraged to hold onto them for longer to shake them and make noises. 

Push down and pop-up toys 

Push down and pop-up toys are wonderful for supporting babies in developing their hand-eye coordination. Some of these toys have pieces that can be moved or lifted, which supports your baby’s hand grasp and encourages them to use different parts of their hand.  

Blocks  

Blocks are another great toy for supporting hand grasp. A common hand grasp observed when engaging in early block play is the palmar grasp, and the different variations of it – encouraging your baby to use their palm, and later their fingers and thumbs.  

Stacking toys  

Stacking toys are a favourite, as they are often made up of pieces that vary in size, meaning your baby handles objects in different ways, and uses multiple parts of their hand.