Visual Skills Development for Babies 5 – 6 Months

CME WebsitesChild Development, Infants 3 - 12 Months

It is thought that infants have good color vision by 5 months of age, although, not as sensitive as an adult’s.

Other milestones at 5-6 months include:

  • Tracks horizontally across midline and diagonally
  • Tracks movement of people within the immediate environment
  • Visually follows the path of a dropped object
  • Observes own personal movement
  • Locates an object and leaning toward it
  • Smiles at mirror image
  • Uses vision to reach for and grasp objects accurately

Between 5-8 months eye-body coordination is continuing to improve.  At 7-8 months you will begin seeing your child move his or her eyes with very little head movement.  He or she should also begin watching activities for longer periods of time.   Around 8-9 months your child will look for dropped toys (object permanence).

Strategies

  • Play “peek-a-boo” with toys and faces
  • Provide objects of various shapes and textures for your child to explore
  • When feeding, have the child follow the spoon horizontally, vertically and diagonally
  • Use a floppy hat or baby sunglasses to protect your baby’s eyes from the sun.
  • Schedule your child’s first comprehensive eye exam between 6-12 months of age.  InfantSEE is a public health program offering no-cost eye exams regardless of income or insurance.  Visitwww.InfantSEE.org for a list of providers in your area.