Development Stages

From Newborn Upwards:

• Follows objects visually, and gazes towards moving objects
• Recognizes different peoples voices and reacts to them
• Turns to sounds
• Explores with hands, feet and mouth
• Smiles and starts to laugh
• Able to sit with support
• Able to grasp
• Makes sounds to express their emotion

Newborn Suggested Stimuli

• Mobiles - promote eye focus and auditory stimulation
• Bright colours, bold pattern books or cot bumpers
• Cuddling toys - tactile stimulation and feeling of security
• Musical toys - build attention span, soothing to help relax and aid sleep
• Rattles - sound awareness, grasp and control
• Mirrors (non-breakable) - encourage baby to lift their head, self discovery

From Six Months Upwards:

• Able to crawl, stand or walk with support
• Better pincer grasp - uses the thumb and index finger to pick up objects
• Can sit up, roll over and clap hands
• Discovering the concpt of cause and effect
• Attuned to rhythm and beat to move his/her body
• Likes to pick up, open, push, pull or throw objects around them
• Likes to babble and waits for a response
• Bangs on surfaces, shakes objects to amke noise
• Manages to stack up things

Six Months Up Suggested Stimuli

• Push-pull toys/cars - promotes small and large muscle development
• Stacking toys - visual stimulation, small muscle coordination
• Drums - Sound and rhythm
• Balls - tactile stimulus, grasping and throwing
• Activity cloth books, tactile stimulation, concentrations
• Toys or playmats with pockets or flaps for peek-a-boo games

12 Months Upwards

• Improves fine motor skills
• Comprehends and follows instructions
• Able to categorize and recognize different sizes, shapes and colours
• Experiments with independence
• Possessive, hasn't learnt to share
• Able to bend at waist to pick up objects

24 Months Up Suggested Stimuli

• Blocks and stacking toys - hand eye coordination
• Stuffed Toys - learn to socialise and develop emotional attachments
• Shape sorters - visual and tactile stimulation
• Simple puzzles - develop finger dexterity and hand eye coordination
• Toys with buttons, levers and lids,encourage inquisitiveness
• Books - enrich vocabulary and increase attention span.

Twentyfour Months Upwards:

• Runs full speed
• Better fine motor skills - can draw simple pictures
• Acquired to about 300 words, starts to talk in phrases / sentences
• Starts to enjoy playing with other children, but is still very posessive
• Imitates adults
• Takes things apart and fits them together again.
• Likes repetition and routine

24 Months Up Suggested Stimuli

• Phones, tools, computer toys - imitates adults, likes role playing and pretending
• Pounding toys - cause and effect, and stimulates small muscle development
• Dolls and doll sets - likes roll playing
• Art supplies - stimulate creativity and imagination
• Toys that help develop spacial concept - i.e. blocks
• Books - enrich vocabulary and increase attention span.