As your baby grows and develops, you'll witness a multitude of milestones, including ones you probably never heard of before becoming a parent – such as bringing their hands to midline. Let’s nerd out on this milestone below.
What is “bringing hands to midline?”
Bringing hands to midline simply refers to your baby's ability to move their arm or leg over the center of their body towards the other side. So, rather than using the right arm to complete an activity on the right side, they can use the left arm to complete something on the right side.
When does this skill emerge?
It’s a skill that emerges around 4-6 months old, but children are often still working on it well into elementary. It’s a skill we, as adults, rely on every day to complete functional tasks like dressing, cooking, cleaning, or even reading and writing.
Why is it important?
It’s not just a physical skill. It promotes “bilateral coordination,” where both sides of the brain and body can work together to complete tasks.
How to support midline crossing through play:
Place interesting toys or objects just within your baby's reach, around chest level. This encourages them to try and bring their hands to midline to interact with the objects.
When lying on their back, draw attention to their feet and see if they can reach for their right foot with their left hand and vice versa.
When your baby has stronger grasping skills with age, you can put stickers on one hand and invite them to peel them off with the other.