The Senses and Your 4- to 7-Month-Old

Your baby is learning to roll over, starting to sit up, and grabbing toys and other interesting objects.

While most of their energy now is spent developing motor skills, babies this age also are honing all five senses, understanding and anticipating more and more of what they see, hear, and feel.

Sight

As your baby's interaction with the environment increases, you should notice a corresponding rise in visual awareness. Your baby sees much more than just a few months ago, focuses without going cross-eyed, and distinguishes more colors.

Babies this age now can track even rapid motion with their eyes. Your baby can follow the course of a rolling ball and probably can focus on watching the quick movements of an older sibling playing nearby.

You may see your baby staring in concentration while holding a toy or studying his or her own hands.Hand-eye coordination is improving, so watch as your little one stares for a while at an object, then slowly reaches out to get it. The things babies see can now be explored in new tactile ways.

f your baby has been looking at the same toys or crib mobile for several months, now is a good time to change the scenery. Don't forget that babies older than 6 months will start to pull themselves up to a sitting position, so if you have a low-hanging mobile over the crib or wall hangings within reach, remove them so your baby doesn't get hurt.

Babies this age enjoy more complex designs and can distinguish colors. Try reading books with large, brightly colored pictures to your baby, who will enjoy staring at the pages. Stimulate your baby's vision with trips out into the world. Walks in the neighborhood, a trip to the supermarket, or an outing to the local zoo all provide wonderful opportunities for your baby to see new things.