Manipulation Play
0 years to 2 months
Finger play... discovering hand, may hold given object for few moments. Rattle placed in hand; objects above cot or chair that may make a sound when touched.
3 to 6 months
Starting to use pincer-grasp and moving objects from one hand to the other; watches object fall and follows objects and people. Soft toys; toys that rattle; toys that will withstand banging and are visually stimulating and tactile.
6 to 8 months
Reacts to people and objects; developing pincer-grasp; points with index finger; looks for objects that have been dropped. Small objects to encourage pincer grip... supervise closely as he will taste them; building bricks and toys that can be built and knocked down.
9 months to 1 years
Developed pincer grip; bangs objects and enjoys throwing toys down and pointing to them. Pull-along toys…with sound; balls to roll; containers with objects in to put in and take out; stacking toys.
1 to 2 years
Builds 2 block tower. Can place objects precisely. Turns pages of picture book. Squats to pick up toys. Can kick large ball. Pushing toys; building bricks; simple construction toys; large crayons and pencils; wooden lift-out puzzle with knobs to grasp.
2 to 3 years
Builds tower of 6 cubes. Can pedal and steer tricycle. Builds tower of 9 cubes. Construction toys e.g. Duplo; strickle bricks; thick puzzles in a frame of about six pieces. No small parts as he might put in his mouth.
3 to 4 years
Ball games skill increases. Builds a tower of 10 cubes. Skips on both feet and hops. Small world toys e.g. play mobil or train set, construction toys, medium sized interlocking puzzles