Hesperian Health Guides
4 to 6 months old
HealthWiki > Helping Children Who Are Blind > Chapter 5: Activities for the Young Baby (Birth to 6 Months) > 4 to 6 months old
- smile in response to a familiar voice or sound
- explore her body to learn what it is like
- make sounds that are like words but do not make sense (babble)
- bring an object in her hand to her mouth
- move an object from one hand to the other
- reach for toys she hears, feels, or sees
- roll over from her back to her stomach, and from her stomach to her back
- get ready for sitting and crawling (for example, by trying to balance while sitting on someone’s knee)
Contents
- 1 At about this age, a baby who is blind may begin to repeat movements over and over.
- 2 To encourage your baby to reach for things and hold them
- 3 To help your baby roll over
- 4 To prepare your baby for sitting up
- 5 To help your baby prepare for crawling
- 6 To help your baby enjoy moving and feel safer moving on her own
At about this age, a baby who is blind may begin to repeat movements over and over.
A child who is blind often repeats unusual movements over and over, like poking her eyes, flapping her hands, and rocking her body. No one knows for sure why this happens. It is probably because every baby needs to explore and play. If she does not know there are interesting things around her, a baby will play with the only thing she knows — her body.
You may notice these movements before your baby is 6 months old. These movements may harm her development if they keep her from paying attention to the people and
To encourage your baby to reach for things and hold them
Let her touch objects that have a different feel — for example, furry, smooth, or bumpy toys. After she begins playing with them, move them just out of her reach. Tap the objects on the floor, so she knows where they are.
Shake a noisy object until she reaches for it. (At first you may need to gently push her elbow toward the object.) Then encourage her to shake it and move it from one hand to the other. This will help her learn where sounds come from and will also strengthen her arms.
Keep a few objects
in the same place so
she can learn where
to find them.
To help your baby roll over
If you did the activity to help your baby roll over, you helped your baby roll over by pulling on a toy, or by putting something behind her back. Now she can learn to roll over with less help.
When your baby is on her stomach use a noisy object to catch her interest, just as you did before. But when she reaches sideways for the object, move it upward so she has to reach farther. If she is strong enough, she will then twist onto her side, and then onto her back.
When your baby is on her back, encourage her to reach for a noisy object held to one side. Help her roll toward the noisy toy and onto her side or stomach.
To prepare your baby for sitting up
If your baby is not yet sitting up by herself, these activities can help her get ready to sit.
To help your baby prepare for crawling
To crawl, a baby needs strong arms and shoulders. She must also be able to balance while shifting her weight from side to side. These activities can help.
Place your baby on her hands and knees over a roll or cloth. The roll should be big enough to give her some support, but small enough that she has to bear some of her own weight. Slowly rock her forward and backward, and from side to side.
Place your baby over your leg or a roll of cloth. Encourage her to reach for a toy on one side, while her arms and knees on the other side take some of her weight. Repeat on the other side.
To help your baby enjoy moving and feel safer moving on her own
You can help your baby enjoy moving by letting her move in many different ways. Keep talking to her as you do these activities. This will help her feel less afraid when doing something new. For example:
 Up you go, little one. |
 Now it’s my turn, Aurel. |
| Rock her back and forth in a large cloth or hammock. | Play a game where you and another person pass the baby back and forth between you. |
Make up body movements to do together. Bend her legs and move them back and forth. Help her bring her hands together across the center of her body and back again. Bring her hands together and clap them. Use the same words each time to name what you do.
