Fine Motor Skill Development: From Reflexes to Refined Control (0–24 Months)

Fine motor skills are the small but powerful movements that allow babies and toddlers to use their hands, fingers, eyes, and mouth to explore the world. From a newborn’s reflexive grasp to a toddler carefully threading beads, fine motor development is a gradual, fascinating journey shaped by growth, practice, and curiosity.

Here’s what that journey typically looks like from birth to age two—and how you can support it along the way.

0–1 Month: Reflexes Take the Lead

When babies are born, their movements are almost entirely reflexive. These automatic responses help them survive and begin interacting with the world.

Hands & Reflexes

Newborns keep their fists clenched most of the time. Their hands are governed by the grasp reflex, which causes them to automatically close their fingers around anything placed in their palm. When the muscles relax, the object falls—this is unintentional and not yet under conscious control.

Eyes

Eye muscles are still weak. Newborns can track slow-moving objects, but their eye movements are jumpy and brief.

Milestones

• Strong sucking reflex
• Tracks slow-moving objects
• No voluntary hand control

Tiny Tips

• Move your head slowly side to side while talking to your baby
• Gently move colorful objects across her field of vision

1–3 Months: Awareness Begins

During these months, babies begin transitioning from reflexive movements to early intentional ones.

Hands

Muscles strengthen, fists loosen, and movements become smoother. The grasp reflex gradually weakens, though babies still cannot grasp objects voluntarily.

Eyes & Coordination

By 8–10 weeks, babies can focus on objects and track movement more smoothly, often turning their heads to follow what they see.

Eye–Hand Discovery

One major breakthrough occurs: babies discover their hands. They stare at them, mouth them, and experiment with movement. By the end of three months, babies begin striking at objects on purpose—early eye-hand coordination in action.

Milestones

• Becomes aware of hands (around 2 months)
• Eye–hand coordination begins
• Grasp reflex fades

Tiny Tips

• Hang toys within reach for batting
• Offer rattles for sound-movement feedback

3–6 Months: Intentional Control Emerges

Now reflexes fade into the background, and voluntary movement takes center stage.

Grasping & Coordination

Babies can intentionally reach for and grasp objects, often using their whole palm rather than individual fingers. They bring hands to midline and move objects into their visual field.

Hands & Body Position

Many babies enjoy tummy time, leaning on forearms with open palms, which provides rich sensory input and strengthens hand awareness.

Mouth Exploration

From this point through the first year, babies explore almost everything with their mouths. This strengthens jaw, tongue, and lip muscles—laying groundwork for eating and speech.

Milestones

• Intentional grasp replaces reflex
• Reaches for and holds objects
• Brings everything to the mouth
• Can only focus on one object at a time

Tiny Tips

• Offer toys with different textures and sizes
• Encourage safe mouthing—it’s important learning

6–9 Months: Mastering the Hands

Fine motor skills take a big leap during this stage.

Improved Grasping

Babies can now hold two objects at once, bang them together, press buttons, pull toys, and explore with increasing precision. Fingers begin moving independently from the palm.

Coordination

Babies confidently reach for objects, pass them between hands, and combine exploration with finger movement.

Grasp Development

• Glove grasp (fingers on one side, thumb on the other) appears around 7–8 months
• Pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) emerges around 8–9 months
  Babies also begin voluntarily releasing objects.

Milestones

• Reaches accurately for objects
• Separates fingers
• Releases objects on purpose
• Improved mouth control for chewing and speech

Tiny Tips

• Provide activity centers with pushing and pulling actions
• Continue offering a wide variety of toys

9–12 Months: Precision and Choice

By their first birthday, babies have an impressive toolkit of fine motor skills.

Separate Fingers & Pincer Grasp

Babies can pick up very small items like crumbs using the pincer grasp. This ability opens the door to more precise play, like holding crayons or stacking blocks.

Voluntary Release

Babies can now intentionally toss, drop, and transfer objects from hand to hand.

Communication Through Hands

Pointing emerges, along with imitation of simple hand and mouth movements—fine motor skills now support communication.

Milestones

• Uses pincer grasp
• Stacks two blocks
• Begins imitating movements
• Early hand preference may appear

Tiny Tips

• Offer toys of varied shapes for tossing and rolling
• Encourage safe stacking and exploration

Looking for toys to support these emerging skills? Our Fine Motor Toys Collection features age-appropriate options designed to encourage grasping, stacking, and hand-eye coordination during this exciting developmental stage.

12–18 Months: Hands as the Main Tool

As walking stabilizes, hands take on a starring role.

Exploration & Experimentation

Hands gradually replace the mouth as the main exploration tool. Toddlers refine their pincer grasp and enjoy manipulating very small objects (with close supervision!).

Play & Creativity

Toddlers love filling and emptying containers, using shape sorters, banging instruments, and experimenting with crayons—usually with a fisted grip, which is completely normal.

Milestones

• Feeds self with fingers
• Builds two-block towers
• Turns pages in books
• Begins using utensils and cups

Tiny Tips

• Allow repetition—it’s how mastery happens
• Encourage effort, not perfection
• Expect messes during self-feeding

18–24 Months: Fine Motor Skills in Full Bloom

By age two, toddlers have strong hands and improving coordination.

Strength & Control

Toddlers knead dough, squeeze sponges, draw lines and circles, and manipulate small objects with growing confidence.

Two-Handed Coordination

They can stabilize with one hand while working with the other—threading beads, stacking blocks, and turning pages.

Emerging Preferences

Hand dominance often begins to show, though it may still shift.

Milestones

• Eats with a spoon
• Removes clothing items
• Threads large beads
• Draws circle-like shapes
• Builds tall block towers

Tiny Tips

• Build block towers together—even if they fall
• Offer play dough, crayons, and hands-on activities
• Celebrate effort and curiosity

Final Thoughts

Fine motor development is not a race—it’s a beautifully layered process shaped by repetition, exploration, and encouragement. Every grasp, drop, bang, scribble, and stack builds the foundation for future skills like writing, eating, and self-care.

Your role isn’t to rush the process, but to provide opportunities, patience, and plenty of praise as your child discovers just how capable their little hands can be.