How to Stimulate a 7-Month-Old's Physical Development

After the 6-month mark, a baby's physical development begins to flourish as he becomes more mobile and gets closer to being able to walk. Engage in lots of physical play with your 7-month-old to promote his fine and gross motor strength, control and coordination -- all important precursors to sitting, standing and walking.

Instructions

    • 1

      Get down to your baby's level instead of bringing him up to yours to play. Put a soft blanket down on the floor and sit with your baby between your legs. Let him grab, bang, push and pull toys -- exploration is not only good for his cognitive development and his ability to figure out how things work, but allowing your baby to pick up and manipulate different objects also promotes his fine motor control and hand-eye coordination. Playing with toys and other small, easy to manipulate objects also encourages your baby to transfer objects from hand to hand -- another important fine motor skill.

    • 2

      Encourage your baby to sit and play unassisted by positioning his hands flat onto the floor directly in front of him so that he can balance his body weight. Support him at his sides and then lift your hands away from his body so that he supports his weight on his own. Keep your hands close to him in case he begins to topple over to one side.

    • 3

      Pick your baby up under his arms and rest his feet on the floor, which encourages him to support his weight on both legs while in an upright position.

    • 4

      Put your baby down on his stomach and lie next to him. Call his name and make different sounds to encourage him to roll onto his back toward you. Then, put baby on his back and do the same to encourage him to roll forward onto his stomach.

    • 5

      Put toys just out of reach during tummy time to promote reaching with one hand and crawling.

    • 6

      Encourage your baby to develop his raking grasp, which is an important precursor to his ability to grasp with his thumb and index finger. Get your baby's attention by waving a toy in front of him. Keep his gaze on the toy as you lower it to the floor beside him. He will try to pull the toy closer to his lap by grabbing at it with his fingers in a raking motion.

    • 7

      Let baby spend a little time in a bouncer or jumper, which will help him get accustomed to being in an upright position and supporting his weight on his feet.

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