Find a large plastic or rubber ball. Create a ball-rolling lane between the two of you with your legs, a row of books or a couple of cardboard boxes.
Sit your baby across from you at one end of the lane, then sit down at the other end. Get their attention by saying, 'Look, here comes the ball!'
Slowly roll the ball towards your baby. They'll delight in its gradual approach. Help them catch the ball with both hands, and then show them how to send it back to you. 'Now it's your turn to roll the ball back!
Most babies will find it easier to throw the ball than to roll it. Rolling takes more focus and control. Show your them how to push the ball with both hands.
Rolling a ball back and forth helps develop your baby's hand-eye coordination, an important skill they'll need not only for throwing and catching but for eating, drawing and writing.
