Physical Development
Fifth Month
A Time of Transitions
Baby may begin to:
- Sleep through the night
- Make first attempts of real speech
- Start teething
- Hold their own bottle
- Focus better vision, with better color perception
- Sit upright for longer periods of time
- Roll from back to tummy
- Reach out and grab toys
- Turn head in direction of sound
- Know positive speech from negative speech (happy from unhappy)
- Drool
What Mom & Dad Can Do
- Baby still needs to be propped up with a pillow to protect the neck
- Baby loves music, and may even clap, smile, or babble along
- Provide ample play time to exercise development
- Give relief to teething pains
- Remove hanging mobile (baby might be able to reach it now)
- Baby proof house
- Introduce solid foods
TOYS!
Toys provide not only entertainment, but important stimuli for physical development. Babies like toys that make pleasant noises, toys they can grab, and toys that provide interaction.
For example, the O-Ball helps develop the grabbing reflex.
Baby Mirror
Entertains baby with depth perception and sight development
Baby Gym
Helps develop grabbing reflex and exercise motor skills
Baby Intruments
Entertains baby with sound and hearing development
Crinkle Toys/Stuffed Animals
Entertains baby with a combination of hearing and grasping development
Interactive Toys
Entertains baby with sound, sight, exercise, and development of cognitive and motor skills
Plastic Rings
Helps baby exercise grasping reflex
5 month old baby being stimulated with toy
A Day in the Life of a 5 Month Old