A supervised dexterity exercise for baby/toddler

We stumbled upon a great dexterity and coordination exercise for baby last Friday.

Andrew's curiosity about our slide-out recycling bin drawer finally got the best of him, so he dug right in. He happily pulled out empty milk jugs and a few 20-ounce bottles. One bottle still had a lid screwed on and after a few minutes of trying to remove the lid, Andrew handed it to me with a grunt (which meant, "open this!").

So as it turns out, older babies are fascinated by lids and things that can open and close. Andrew spent a solid ten minutes trying to put the little lid back on the bottle. (Note: do not let a baby or toddler have a 20-ounce bottle lid unsupervised, as it may be a choking hazard!) It was a fantastic exercise in using his hands and improving dexterity and hand-eye coordination.

I watched him as he turned the little gray lid over and investigated the top and bottom. I observed as he brought the lid to the bottle mouth and tried to figure out which way it should go. Finally, I saw him get the lid on to the bottle - and he broke out in a huge grin. He learned how to manipulate a small object with his hands and he learned a bit of cause and effect (once I get the lid turned the right way, it will stay on the bottle). A useful baby dexterity exercise!

Here's a short clip of Andrew hard at work:


A 14-month old baby does not have a lot of patience or attention span, but this bottle and lid entertained him on four separate occasions on Friday (and a few more over the weekend). Maybe he is mechanically inclined, I don't know. But this exercise in coordination was fascinating to watch. Again, this should be a supervised activity only - but give it a try with your little one.

I think it's his new favorite toy!  Now he's going to grunt and point at anyone with a bottled drink...

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Linked up to Really, Are You Serious today for another Mommy and Me Monday! I took the above shot in the sunbeam as my little guy and I worked on his bottle/lid project. The pacifier helped him fight the urge to put the lid in his mouth.