Reflexes
One of the reflexes still present in this stage is the parachute reflex. This is a postural reflex that takes place when a baby is turned down towards a mat. The baby tries to stretch their hands as if they are trying to catch themselves. This reflex is important in this stage as it allows the child to fall safer and keeps them from being hurt. It is also a muscle stimulator, thus strengthening postural growth and development (Pecuch et al., 2021).
When a child reaches the age group between 7 and 9 months, the Palmar grasp reflex must first be introduced, especially within the first five months. In this reflux, the child grasps anything they see and is under their reach. If this reflux is introduced in this age group, this can imply rate growth in eye and hand interactions, thus limiting parachute reflux. Within the age group of 7 to 9 months, the motor milestones or skills are fully activated, and a child is eager to move places and explore. When the palmar reflex is introduced at this stage, rapid interactions with the movement organs such as the eye, hands, or legs could be delayed (Dinkel et al., 2019). Leading to slow motor developments.
Play Activity
Place some sponge-sized balls, which can be silky, to ensure the baby does not easily drag it to their side. Ensure you position the balls one meter from where you intend to place the baby. This will ensure that the baby moves by either means to reach the balls. Also, to ensure that the balls are attractive and motivate the child to hold them, let them have various child-based colors such as pink, blue, and green. Place the child at the designated place, especially on a mat lying on their back. Lift the balls close to the child as if giving them to hold. Immediately place the balls a meter away. This will make the child push themselves from the first position to sleeping on their tummy, then try to have push-up-like moves until they reach the ball. After the child reaches the balls, they must sit to hold them well. As a parent, engage in the play activity and throw the balls a distance to keep her locomotor and motor skills active.
Locomotive Play Activity
The milestone that I am facilitating following the activity is the crawling milestone. The child can sit independently since the age group of 7-9 months. Then, they need to shift to the crawling locomotive stage. The play activity is essential in strengthening the child’s muscles that are largely required to be as strong in the next phase of movement. With the activity, the child can coordinate their hand, legs, and eyes to ensure that they make a step. The selection of the toys in this activity follows the fact that children love toys and relate well to colors. Having small balls for the activity is to ensure that the child can be able to push it or even hold it.
Fine Motor Play Activity
The fine motor play that the child will develop in this activity is holding and pushing a ball. Using the hand to hold or push the ball is a fine motor skill that can effectively strengthen a child’s hand muscles and ensure proper hand-eye coordination. Making the toys as small as possible ensures that a child can hold them, and using their hand strength, they push the balls towards the play partner.
Questions
Will you use a flat or valleyed area when designing the play area?
Will the play area be open or closed, and will you consider the weather conditions when preparing for the activity to determine the place?
References
Pecuch, A., Gieysztor, E., Wolańska, E., Telenga, M., & Paprocka-Borowicz, M. (2021). Primitive reflex activity about motor skills in healthy preschool children. Brain sciences, 11(8), 967.
Dinkel, D., Snyder, K., Patterson, T., Warehime, S., Kuhn, M., & Wisneski, D. (2019). An exploration of infant and toddler unstructured outdoor play. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 27(2), 257–271.
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