How will grasping develop

Newborn to two months

If you place your finger in your newborn's palm she'll curl her tiny fingers around yours (Farrell and Sittlington 2009, Sheridan 2008: 4). This instinct to grasp is a reflex and is at its strongest for the first eight weeks of your baby's life. This reflex will have gone by the time she is three months.Your baby's hands will mostly be clenched in a fist during her first couple of months. You may notice her beginning to open and close her hands and look at them (Sheridan 2008: 6). She may even try to wave a fist at nearby toys.
Three months to four months
Your baby's hand-eye coordination is starting to develop. She'll notice toys she'd like to hold, and she'll attempt to pick them up. She may not be able to grasp them, so she'll just bat at them (NHS nd, Sheridan 2008: 10). If you put something in her hand, such as a rattle, she may be able to hold it for a few seconds (Sheridan 2008: 10).A baby gym is great entertainment for your baby at three to four months. She will still be flat on her back at this age, but as she lies on a soft mat she can swipe at the fun, colourful mobiles hanging above her.
Four months to eight months
At four or five months, your baby can pick up large objects such as building blocks. She won't be able to let go of them easily, though (NHS nd, Sheridan 2008: 17, 63).At six months your baby starts to hone her hand-eye coordination. She will rake an object toward herself, and will start passing objects from one hand to the other (NHS nd, Sheridan 2008: 17). It's a good idea to keep potentially dangerous objects out of her reach from now on, and to start childproofing your home.You will notice that your baby loves to put objects she has picked up into her mouth. If you have older children you will need to make sure their toys are out of your baby's reach. Toys for older children often have small parts, which if swallowed by your baby, could cause her to choke.If your baby grabs a piece of food to put in her mouth (NHS 2010a,b), it could be a sign she is ready for solids. The Department of Health recommends you wait until your baby is six months old before giving her solid food. Once your baby is ready, be careful not to give her anything small she could choke on, and never leave her on her own when she is eating.
Nine months to 12 months
Your baby can pick up objects with little effort now. Once she has something, she may hand it over to you, or drop it just to watch you pick it up (NHS nd).She's also improving her pincer grasp, which means she can pick up small objects such as a raisin between her thumb and forefinger (Sheridan 2008: 17, 63). As her coordination improves, she may try to grab her spoon and attempt to feed herself at mealtimes (BDA 2010, EUNUTNET 2006, Sheridan 2008: 20, 24). She may not always be on target, though!
Once my baby can grasp things, what comes next?
Once your baby perfects grasping, throwing isn't far behind, so watch out! Your baby may take delight in hurling her toys and having you pick them up.When your baby is 15 months, she may enjoy stacking bricks in a tower (NHS nd, Sheridan 2008: 29) and banging things together.
By 18 months, her preference for her left or right hand is emerging (Sheridan 2008: 29). Her dominant hand will be stronger and more dexterous than the other. But you won't know for sure if she's right or left-handed until she's between two and four years old (Sheridan 2008: 64).By the time your baby is two, she'll be able to pick up tiny objects easily and place them back down again, carefully and precisely. She may enjoy playing with shape-sorting toys and simple jigsaws (Sheridan 2008: 33, 63). Her artistic side will come out, too, so she'll hold a crayon or pencil and enjoy scribbling (Sheridan 2008: 65).At three years old, she'll be coordinated enough to use toy scissors and write down a letter or two, or draw a cross (Sheridan 2008: 40).