Activity Name: Soft Object Grasping
Age: 0–1 years
Domain: Body 💪
Montessori Area: Practical Life (Prehension/Grasping Skills)
Difficulty: Easy
Play Mode: Independent or Guided
🛠 Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up (Home-based or Toy-enhanced)
✅ DIY Setup at Home:
- Collect soft, baby-safe objects:
- Fabric scrunchies
- Soft plush toys
- Cotton balls
- A rolled-up baby sock
- Sponge cubes
- Cloth rings
- Arrange in a shallow basket or tray: Use a low-sided basket that allows the baby to see and reach easily.
- Position the baby:
- For newborns (0–3 months): Lay on back under a mobile or hold a soft object in hand.
- For 3–6 months: Place objects within reach during tummy time or reclined sitting.
- For 6–12 months: Allow seated grasping and passing between hands.
- Rotate objects weekly to maintain novelty.
💡 Ideas for Maximum Impact
- 🖐️ Choose objects of varied softness and size to stimulate different muscle responses.
- ✋ Encourage both hands—place items slightly to each side.
- 👁️ Use high-contrast colors in earlier months (black, white, red) for attention and coordination.
- 🎶 Introduce gentle rattles or soft toys that make sound when grasped for cause-effect learning.
- 👶 Offer your finger or cloth for baby to grasp during feeding or play for bonding.
🔬 Science-Backed Benefits
This activity is designed for Body development, focusing on:
🧠 Fine Motor & Gross Motor Development
- Builds palmar grasp reflex → voluntary grasp → pincer grasp (Crucial for future skills like eating, writing, and dressing independently)
🧠 Hand-Eye Coordination & Bilateral Integration
- By reaching, aiming, and grabbing, baby develops visuomotor integration (Cioni et al., 2016)
🧠 Neural Circuitry for Movement
- Repetitive grasping refines motor cortex development, proprioception, and muscle control
In the Montessori approach, this aligns with building independence through hands, because “the hand is the instrument of the intelligence.”
🌱 Sun’s Growth Model Connection
This activity supports the “Observe & Orient” → “Explore & Engage” stages of Body 💪 development.
- Builds body awareness
- Refines gross-to-fine motor pathways
- Encourages active exploration and sensorimotor confidence
It’s a foundational step before crawling, self-feeding, and writing.
🧠 Parent Tip / Challenge
👉 Observe your baby’s preferred hand over a week.
Is the baby grasping more often with the left or right? Alternate object placement to encourage bilateral development.
🧩 Bonus: Once grasp is strong, shift to “pass the object between hands” or “drop and retrieve” to build cognitive-body loop.
Supporting Tools and Toys
Visit Sun’s store for supporting tools and toys -> https://linktr.ee/sunsparadisemvm
Join to support your child’s development through play!
Sun's Paradise 