By the time your baby is about 6 months old (though sometimes it takes a little longer), his or her hand control is developed enough to be able to rake a small object in close, although he or she may not actually grab it. You can help your baby practice this by placing a toy within reach and waiting for him or her bring it close. In another month or so, your baby will learn to grab larger toys and start to practice moving objects from one hand to the other.
Let your baby work with this skill by offering a small rattle or toy to hold on to. Then help your baby transfer it to the other hand. Then move it back to the original hand, and so on. Once the concept of transferring objects is understood, a whole new world opens up – now there are two hands to have fun with!
Your babbling baby
Your baby now sees and hears the world almost as well as you do. His or her communication skills are expanding rapidly, too, as evidenced by those squeals, bubbling sounds, and operatic octave changes. Sounds can demonstrate your baby's attitude or response to objects – such as happiness, eagerness, or even satisfaction.
At this age, about half of babies babble, repeating one syllable – such as ba, ma, ga, or other consonant-vowel combinations – over and over. A few will even add another syllable or two, making their sounds more complex.
You can encourage your baby by babbling right back at him or her and by making a game of it ("The sheep says, 'baaa,'" or "The goat says, 'maaa'"). Or, when you hear a syllable you can't identify, just respond enthusiastically with, "Yes, that is a car! See how shiny the red paint is?" Your baby will appreciate that you're keeping the conversation going.