Tracking activities for visual development
How to do visual tracking activites with your baby at home
Finger puppets are some of our favourite toys for supporting visual development. They’re simple, engaging, and brilliant for even the tiniest babies.
When babies are born, their eyes don’t yet work fully in partnership. They need lots of practice focusing on objects to help their eyes team up and move together. Finger puppets are a fun and effective way to help with this. When your little one watches a puppet move, they’re developing ocular motor control and practising tracking — an essential skill for visual development.
For Young Babies
With newborns and young babies, try this activity while they are lying down:
- Hold a finger puppet around 6 inches from your baby’s nose and keep it still, giving them time to focus.
- High-contrast puppets are especially effective — we love black-and-white ones like a zebra, or bold contrast puppets like a clownfish.
- Once your baby is able to fix on the puppet, move it slowly side to side across their eyeline. Always move towards their nose rather than their forehead so their necks don’t tilt back.
- Let them experience the texture too by gently brushing the puppet across their hands, feet, and cheeks.
Repetition is key — babies learn through doing things over and over. Don’t be afraid to revisit this simple activity often.
As their skills improve, you can add:
- Slow “zooms” towards their nose
- Gentle tickles with the puppet
- Slow “S” shapes back and forth
For Sitting Babies
When your baby is sitting (with support if they’re still finding balance), finger puppets continue to be a fantastic tool:
- Hold the puppet in front of them and try “zooms” towards their nose or gentle “S” shapes to encourage tracking.
- Support their hand–eye coordination by holding the puppet out for them to reach with both hands.
- Once they’ve mastered this, hold the puppet slightly to one side so they reach across their body with the hand on that side — a brilliant way to encourage coordination.
Why We Love Puppets
Finger puppets grow with your baby and can be used from birth, with supervision. Some puppets may be recommended for older children to play with independently, but they are perfect for you to use as a playful learning tool.
Here are some of our favourites (all by The Puppet Company):
- The Star – a great contrast toy and perfect to sing Twinkle, Twinkle with
- The Zebra – bold contrast and a lovely texture
- The Clownfish – vibrant colours and the perfect excuse for an Under the Sea song
- Humpty Dumpty – fun on its own or as part of the nursery rhyme set, especially when paired with a book
Safety First
As always, keep your little one within sight and arms’ reach during play. Puppets are for you to use with your baby rather than for independent baby play.
Tip: Repetition and variety are both key. Short, playful bursts of visual tracking activities help your baby develop their skills without overwhelming them.
👉 For more simple play ideas, check out our Learning Library, which is updated weekly with new baby development articles.