Your 12 Month Old’s Throwing And Catching Skills

As babies grow, they learn a lot of new things and develop gross and fine motor skills. An 18-month toddler throwing and catching ball is definitely a sight to see. However, this does not happen overnight. Find out all that you need to know about this developmental milestone.

Your baby is indeed a bundle of joy for you. The days that follow her arrival are filled with excitement and new discoveries. The joy multiplies as she starts responding to her surroundings and begins exploring things. Each developmental milestone is something to appreciate. Once she starts walking, you want to help her progress, perhaps by teaching her to play ball. But how do you know if she’s ready for the next step?

When Will a Toddler Learn to Throw and Catch a Ball?

Though babies can be enamoured by balls from a very early age, the first successful attempt at throwing a ball happens between the age of 12 and 18 months. However, catching a ball is another matter. It requires a lot of practice, and your baby might take her own time developing hand-eye coordination. Children usually hone ball-catching skills between the ages of 3 and 4 years, though it takes a few more years before they’re able to perfect them.

Why Is Throwing and Catching Important?

Throwing and catching is highly beneficial for a child as it lays the groundwork for the physical development in the child:

1. Improved Movement

Throwing and catching involve the whole body in the movement, which prompts the brain to plan and execute the movements and the body to flex muscles.

2. Hand-eye Coordination

Hand-eye coordination is improved when the child learns to throw and catch things.

3. Visual Control

Throwing and catching objects involves prompting the brain to analyse the situation and gauge the distance.

Encouraging Toddlers’ Developmental Milestones of Throwing and Catching

Here are some encouraging toddlers developmental milestones.

1. Start Early

While every child develops at their own pace, you can always encourage growth. Introduce yours to a ball from an early age. She’ll slowly learn to hold and roll it on the floor. This develops strength of the fingers and also improves hand-eye coordination.

2. Set a Target

Once your child is old enough to throw a ball, it’s time to put in some effort to enhance her new skill. Start off with some easy-to-throw objects like tiny cushions, balloons, foam balls, and small beach balls. Set up targets like buckets and baskets for her to toss them into. Set them a foot or two away and gradually space them farther away. You’ll need to show her how to do it, but once your child gets in the mood, it’ll be loads of fun for her and you.

3. Catching Practice

Playing ball with your toddler encourages motor development and also helps the two of you bond. For starters, begin by throwing the ball while you’re sitting down. Your tot will find it easier to gauge the distance. Don’t expect her to be an expert at catching the ball from the word ‘go’. You’ll need to do it a number of times and for days on end. Be patient and continue to work with her. To keep her interested, use balls of different colours and sizes. As she slowly learns to catch the ball from a certain distance, gradually increase the gap between you two.

FAQs

1. Can babies throw and catch a ball at eight or nine months?

A baby throwing a ball at 8 and 9 months is a little unlikely as babies develop these skills a little later.

2. How can I encourage my little one to sharpen ball-throwing skills?

Start by sitting on the floor and rolling a ball back and forth with your toddler. This helps her practice the back-and-forth motion needed to play catch and trains her to follow the ball with her eyes. Once she’s comfortable with this, you can move on to gently tossing the ball to her from a short distance while kneeling or standing. Bouncing the ball gives her extra time to catch it. As she improves, gradually increase the distance and use smaller balls.

3. When will my baby learn to catch and throw the ball?

From 18 months, your little one will have enough motor skills to throw a ball. But learning how to catch may develop in the following time, around two to three years of age.

4. Should the toddler use only their dominant hand to throw?

It’s normal for toddlers to switch hands when learning to throw, and it’s actually beneficial. In fact, alternating hands can strengthen both sides of the body. By the ages of 3 to 5, most children will naturally start to favour one hand for throwing. Until then, using both hands helps develop body awareness, which is crucial for all kinds of movement.

Your toddler will start learning how to throw by rolling a ball towards you. She will then go on to bouncing a ball and throwing underhand. Finally, she will learn how to throw overhand.

Not all 18-month-old toddlers are experts at throwing and catching balls. Yet, parents sometimes worry if their toddlers are lagging behind their peers. If your child is taking her time to develop this skill, there’s nothing to worry about. Just keep practising with her, but make sure not to overdo it. With time, your child will master motor coordination skills and move on to learning something more challenging.

Also Read:

Boredom Busting Activities for Toddlers
Interactive Learning Activities for Toddlers
Simple and Fun Things to Do With a Toddler

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