# Day 215: Hand to hand, bang bang

> Moving things from one hand to the other and banging two things together are both on the 9-month list. Two blocks, one bang, and why the spoon dropped forty times is an experiment.

- Series: Your eighth month, day by day (https://chorevia.com/learn/eighth-month), day 215 of 365, week 29
- Canonical URL: https://chorevia.com/learn/eighth-month/day-215
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-21
- Publisher: Chorevia (https://chorevia.com)
- Cite as: Chorevia. "Day 215: Hand to hand, bang bang." Last reviewed October 21, 2026. https://chorevia.com/learn/eighth-month/day-215

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

The house gets louder this week. Today is why, and why that's worth a sore ear or two.

## Heart

Between 6 and 8 months, babies learn to pass objects from hand to hand and to turn and twist them ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx)). Two things from the 9-month list grow out of that: moving things from one hand to the other, and banging two things together ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/9-months.html)). A baby who can hold one block and take a second has to solve a problem: put one down, pass it across, or drop it. Watching them work it out is the whole show.

## Head

The dropping is the point. Your baby is running experiments: shake the rattle, hear the noise; drop the spoon, watch you pick it up; soon they drop things on purpose to see what happens ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-4-to-7-Months.aspx)). Dropping and banging are experiments in how things work ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-8-to-12-Months.aspx)), and once they can let go on purpose, dropping and throwing become favorite games ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Hand-and-Finger-Skills.aspx)). The fortieth spoon isn't a test of your patience, even when it feels like one; it's the same experiment with one more data point.

## Body

The best lab equipment is already in your kitchen. At this age, ordinary household objects are the most fascinating toys: stock a low cabinet with wooden spoons, pots, and plastic containers ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-8-to-12-Months.aspx)). Hand over a cup, a spoon, or a hairbrush and be an enthusiastic audience when your baby copies you ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-8-to-12-Months.aspx)). The one rule for anything that goes in the hands: use objects too big to fit entirely in your baby's mouth ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Choking-Prevention.aspx)).

## Try today

### Two blocks, one bang

- **Time:** 5 minutes, sitting on the floor

1. Sit your baby on the rug with you in front, and hand them one block, big enough that it can't fit entirely in the mouth ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Choking-Prevention.aspx)).
2. Hold a second block out to the hand that's already full. Watch what happens: a pass to the other hand, a drop, or a stare.
3. Take two blocks yourself and bang them together, twice, slowly. Then wait.
4. If they bang, bang back. If they drop, pick it up, hand it over, and wait again.

**Make it work:** Banging two things together is a 9-month skill ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/9-months.html)). A pass and a drop today are the steps before it, not a miss.

## Watch for

- **Normal:** the same spoon dropped from the high chair forty times, and a look at you each time ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-4-to-7-Months.aspx)). **Call your pediatrician right away** for a fever higher than 104°F (40°C), or shaking chills lasting more than 30 minutes ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Fever)).
- **Normal:** a block that goes to the mouth before it goes hand to hand ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-8-to-12-Months.aspx)). **Call Poison Help, 1-800-222-1222,** if you think your baby swallowed something poisonous ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Home-Safety-Heres-How.aspx)).
- **Normal:** a startle at your bang, then a laugh and a copy. **Bring it up** if your baby seems not to see or hear well ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Your-Childs-Checkups/Pages/Your-Checkup-Checklist-9-Months-Old.aspx)) or doesn't respond to sounds ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Developmental-Milestones-7-Months.aspx)).

## For you

The noise is learning. Every bang on the pot is the experiment the AAP describes, a baby finding out how things work ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-8-to-12-Months.aspx)), and you don't have to enjoy the sound to be glad it's happening. Earplugs are allowed. So is moving the pot session to the hour when you're freshest, and handing the wooden spoon to whoever has the most patience left.

What you can't do is make the house quiet and keep the learning. So take the deal: the noise now, the earplugs in your pocket, and the pot back in the low cabinet when you've had enough.

If you're the partner: you're the audience tonight. Big reactions to every bang; that's the job.

## Sources

- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Movement Milestones: Babies 4 to 7 Months." HealthyChildren.org, updated 2021. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Milestones by 9 Months." Learn the Signs. Act Early. program, updated 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/9-months.html
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Cognitive Development in Infants: 4 to 7 Months." HealthyChildren.org, updated 2023. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-4-to-7-Months.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Cognitive Development in Infants: 8 to 12 Months." HealthyChildren.org, updated 2023. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-8-to-12-Months.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Hand and Finger Skills." HealthyChildren.org, updated 2009. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Hand-and-Finger-Skills.aspx
- Bradin S. "Choking Prevention for Babies & Children: What Every Parent Needs to Know." HealthyChildren.org, updated 2026. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Choking-Prevention.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Fever" (symptom checker). HealthyChildren.org, accessed 2026. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Fever
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Home Safety: Tips for Families With Young Children." HealthyChildren.org, updated 2022. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Home-Safety-Heres-How.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Checkup Checklist: 9 Months Old." HealthyChildren.org, updated 2021. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/Your-Childs-Checkups/Pages/Your-Checkup-Checklist-9-Months-Old.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Developmental Milestones: 7 Months." HealthyChildren.org, updated 2009. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Developmental-Milestones-7-Months.aspx