How to Improve an Infant's Motor Development

By the end of a baby's first year, she can master crawling, climbing stairs, manipulating small objects and perhaps even walking. You don't need to stock up on fancy toys or gadgets to encourage an infant's motor development. Babies love to engage in play, so use some simple games to improve her motor skills and have fun as well.

Instructions

1. Help your infant learn to roll over. Hold a toy above his face and move it to one side, encouraging him to grab for the toy. Give him the toy and praise him when he flips over.

2. Place paper cups filled with oat circle cereal in front of the baby when she can sit unassisted. Show her how you can pour the cereal from one cup to another and encourage her to try. This aids the development of her fine motor skills.

3. Show your infant how to play with balls. Babies enjoy pushing balls and then crawling after them. If he isn't crawling yet, roll the ball to him and encourage him to roll it back to you. Alternate your throwing and rolling games to use different muscles.

4. Throw balloons, handkerchiefs or scarves in the air and watch them float down to the floor. Catch them and hold your baby's arms out so she can catch them too. This helps eye-hand coordination.

5. Give your infant a dish filled with water and a large spoon. Show him how to scoop water out of the dish. Increase the fun by adding a small floating toy he must scoop out. This helps babies learn to control spoons without the frustration of spilled food.