What are the Motor Skills for an 8-Month-Old Infant?

At 8 months old, babies are developing their motor skills. An increased curiosity and awareness of their environment may lead to hazards such as choking if not careful. Increased strength enables babies to stand with assistance. This stage of development is exciting for both babies and parents.

Strength

• Babies may be able to pull themselves up into a standing position when using something stable like a chair or sofa to support themselves. To encourage walking, you can arrange furniture in a row so the baby can take steps using stable support. This is called "cruising."

Crawling

• Babies may start to crawl at the 8-month mark or get around by scooting on their bottoms.

Senses

• Eight-month-old babies are able to recognize an object, decide that they want it and crawl to the object to obtain it. They also are able to toss a ball and bang blocks together with ease.

Pincer Grasp

• Babies will now use the thumb and finger to grasp small objects and possibly put these objects in their mouths. This can lead to a possible choking hazard if not careful. Using the pincer grasp, babies will now attempt to feed themselves. This will get messy. Cut food into small pieces to avoid choking.