Using common toys found around the daycare, such as rattles, pots and pans or a plastic drum set, have the children practice banging or shaking the items together. Make this a fun activity by pretending you are an Indian tribe performing a tribal dance while banging the drums and shaking the rattles.
Practice "reading" with the infant. While you read a story, have them practice turning the pages for you. This activity helps to develop hand-to-eye coordination.
Give the infant a ball of play dough and have them play with it by stretching it, squeezing it and rolling it into various shapes, such as a snake.
This is a fun one during the holidays as the children can make a necklace for Mother's Day or tree decorations for Christmas. Simply help them to string uncooked large macaroni shells, cereal or large beads on a piece of colored string and tie at the ends to make a piece of jewelry for Mother's Day.
Coloring helps with finger muscular development as well as hand-eye coordination. Working with crayons and markers in a variety of sizes, have the infants color a picture freestyle or, with your help, practice drawing shapes.
Help the baby learn how to grasp objects using only the index finger and the thumb. This grasp is known as the "pincer grasp." Using colored blocks, encourage the child to reach for a block and to hold it in his hands. Then prompt the child to return the block back to you before you return the block to the child. Using the same blocks, have the child stack them into a tower. With each correct move, be sure to praise and encourage the child. Performing this activity will develop the motor skills that help them to correctly hold a pencil.
Using whipped cream or pudding, allow the infants to finger paint on a high chair tray. You can use different flavors of pudding to get a variety of colors, such as vanilla, chocolate or butterscotch. This is a safe activity as both whipped cream and pudding are edible and infants have a tendency to place many objects in their mouth. Allow the infants to squish the finger paint in between their fingers to get a feel for it.
Lay the infants on their tummy and encourage them to lift their head and shoulders off the floor. This activity promotes balance and develops muscle and shoulder strength. It also prepares them for crawling and rolling over. If the infant is not lifting his head while lying on his tummy, you can place a rolled up towel just below his neck and this will prompt him to lift his head and shoulders.