# Day 117: The dangling toy

> By 4 months many babies reach for and grasp what they see. A toy held within reach gives hands, eyes, and a would-be roller something to work for, with you holding the other end.

- Series: Your fourth month, day by day (https://chorevia.com/learn/fourth-month), day 117 of 120, week 16
- Canonical URL: https://chorevia.com/learn/fourth-month/day-117
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-21
- Publisher: Chorevia (https://chorevia.com)
- Cite as: Chorevia. "Day 117: The dangling toy." Last reviewed October 21, 2026. https://chorevia.com/learn/fourth-month/day-117

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.

A swat became a grab somewhere in the last few weeks. Today, give those hands a moving target.

## Heart

Babies typically start reaching for things at around 3 months ([AOA](https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-health-for-life/infant-vision)), and by 4 months they often reach for and grasp nearby objects they see ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Babys-Vision-Development.aspx)). In a lab study that followed 7 babies from 6 to 25 weeks, they first touched objects at about 12 weeks and first grasped them at 16.0 weeks in the light, 14.7 weeks in the dark, so the hand finds the toy by feel as much as by sight ([Clifton et al., 1993](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8404258/)). Early grabs use a mitten-like grip, and most of what they catch goes straight to the mouth; the pincer grasp waits until about 9 months ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx)).

## Head

A toy that moves when you hit it teaches the month's lesson: my actions make things happen ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-4-to-7-Months.aspx)). In a classic experiment, 3-month-olds learned to make a crib mobile move by kicking, and a brief reminder let them remember the trick weeks later ([Rovee-Collier et al., 1980](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7375924/)). A dangling toy is the same lesson, with you on the other end. It also gives rolling a reason: on the tummy, the AAP suggests an interesting toy to coax your baby to lift their head and look around ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx)).

## Body

The floor is the gym. Lay your baby on a blanket with safe toys to reach for and kick at, and avoid long stretches in swings, strollers, and bouncy seats ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/4-months.html)); WHO's limit is no more than 1 hour at a time strapped into a seat or carrier ([WHO](https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more)). Toys are things that aren't sharp, hot, or small enough to choke on ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/4-months.html)).

## Try today

### The dangling toy

- **Time:** 3 to 5 minutes, once or twice today
- **From the guide:** [Reach-and-grab](https://chorevia.com/learn/3-months#reach-and-grab)

1. On a floor blanket, with your baby on their back, hold a light rattle or soft ring in your fingers above their chest, within arm's reach; no string or cord, your hand is the string ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx)).
2. Let it sway slowly. Wait for the swipe, then let them close a hand around it and pull it to the mouth ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/4-months.html)).
3. Take it back gently and move it to one side and down toward the floor, so they turn to follow.
4. Turn your baby onto their tummy and dangle it in front, raising it slowly so the head and chest come up ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx)).

**Make it work:** Choose a toy too big to choke on, like a rattle or a cloth book ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/4-months.html)), and stop while it's still fun.

## Watch for

- **Normal:** grabbing with whichever hand is closer, and missing half the time ([Clifton et al., 1993](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8404258/)). **Tell your pediatrician** if your baby reaches with only one hand, or struggles to get objects to the mouth ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Developmental-Milestones-7-Months.aspx)).
- **Normal:** the toy, the blanket, and your sleeve all going in the mouth ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx)). **Call 911** if your baby choked on a small object that could be stuck in the throat ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Breathing+Trouble)).
- **Normal:** eyes that work together more each week; by around 5 months they team up to see in depth ([AOA](https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-health-for-life/infant-vision)). **Ask about an eye exam** if an eye seems to turn in or out all the time ([AOA](https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-health-for-life/infant-vision)).

## For you

The swing is for your shower. That is its job, and a good one: a strapped-in, awake baby for the length of a shower is well inside WHO's hour ([WHO](https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more)). The afternoon is not. If your baby falls asleep in a swing, bouncer, or car seat, move them to a firm, flat surface on their back as soon as you can ([Moon, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/a-parents-guide-to-safe-sleep.aspx)).

So: shower today, with the door open and the swing in sight, and no guilt about the ten minutes.

If you're the partner: tonight the swing stays empty, because you have the baby and she has the long shower, the one with conditioner.

## Sources

- American Optometric Association. "Infant Vision: Birth to 24 Months of Age." 2026. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-health-for-life/infant-vision
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Infant Vision Development: What Can Babies See?" HealthyChildren.org, 2024. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Babys-Vision-Development.aspx
- Clifton RK, Muir DW, Ashmead DH, Clarkson MG. "Is visually guided reaching in early infancy a myth?" Child Development, 1993. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8404258/
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Movement Milestones: Babies 4 to 7 Months." HealthyChildren.org, 2021. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Cognitive Development in Infants: 4 to 7 Months." HealthyChildren.org, 2023. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Cognitive-Development-4-to-7-Months.aspx
- Rovee-Collier CK, Sullivan MW, Enright M, Lucas D, Fagen JW. "Reactivation of infant memory." Science, 1980. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7375924/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Milestones by 4 Months." Learn the Signs. Act Early., 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/4-months.html
- World Health Organization. "To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more." 2019. https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Developmental Milestones: 7 Months." HealthyChildren.org, 2009. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Developmental-Milestones-7-Months.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Breathing Trouble" (symptom checker). HealthyChildren.org, 2026. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Breathing+Trouble
- Moon RY. "How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained." HealthyChildren.org, 2026. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/a-parents-guide-to-safe-sleep.aspx