10 Fun Activities to Boost Fine Motor Skills (6–12 Months)

Between six and twelve months, your baby's hands become one of their main tools for exploring the world. They move from swatting and batting at objects to picking things up with fingers, transferring objects between hands, pointing, and experimenting with letting go.

These fine motor skills build gradually, and everyday play is the best way to support them.

What fine motor development looks like at this stage

In the first half of this period, most babies use a whole-hand raking grasp to pick things up. By around nine to ten months, many begin using the index finger and thumb together. By twelve months, many babies can pick up small objects, poke with one finger, and release objects intentionally rather than just dropping them.

There is a wide range of normal timing across all of this. The activities below support development at every stage within this age range.

Ten activities to try

1. Stacking and nesting cups

Simple plastic or silicone cups that stack or nest are excellent for this age. Picking them up, banging them together, and eventually trying to stack them all build hand strength and control.

2. Board books with pages to turn

Thick cardboard pages that babies can grip, lift, and turn give fingers useful practice. Sit together, let your baby handle the book, and name what you see.

3. Drop and retrieve play

Put small safe objects into a container with a wide opening and let your baby take them out. Later, show them how to drop objects back in. This in-and-out play directly supports the development of intentional release.

4. Textured and crinkle toys

Toys with different surfaces and materials give fingers a lot of sensory information to process. Crinkle fabric, soft rubber, smooth plastic, and cloth all feel different and build sensory awareness alongside fine motor control.

5. Soft blocks

Soft fabric or foam blocks are light enough for young hands to manage easily. Picking them up, holding two at once, and passing them between hands are all useful at this stage.

6. Finger foods during meals

If your baby has started solids, soft finger foods are a highly motivating way to practise fine motor skills. Picking up small pieces of soft banana, cooked carrot, or other appropriate foods uses the same grasp patterns as play, with extra motivation to succeed.

7. Simple peg toys

Wooden or plastic toys with large pegs to remove and replace support the ability to grip, lift, and position objects. Start with just removing, since placing back accurately comes a little later.

8. Water play with small cups

A shallow tub with a few centimetres of water and some small containers gives hands useful practice. Scooping, pouring, and splashing all involve grip and release. Always supervise closely with any water play.

9. Cloth books with flaps

Books with simple lift-the-flap elements add an extra layer of fine motor challenge. Lifting a flap requires grip and control that slightly exceeds just turning a page.

10. Reaching and pointing games

Hold a familiar object just out of reach and let your baby stretch for it. Name the object as they reach. Later, point to objects yourself and encourage your baby to follow your point. Pointing is a significant fine motor and communication milestone that usually emerges around nine to twelve months.

Keep play relaxed

The best approach is to offer these activities in short, relaxed sessions and follow your baby's interest. If something frustrates them or loses their attention quickly, put it away and try again another day. Progress in fine motor skills is gradual and often uneven.

If you want to track how your baby is developing across a wider range of skills, the Baby Choice Guide milestone quiz covers both fine motor and other areas. Our tummy time guide covers activities that support gross motor skills alongside fine motor development. For product picks that support sensory and fine motor play, see the Sensory and Fine Motor category in the Baby Choice Guide Awards.