Colorful Ribbon Pull
Let your baby look at, touch, and pull colorful ribbons, then explore how the ribbons go into and come out of a bottle.
- 9 months
- Quick prep
- At home
- About 5 minutes
Developmental benefits
- Movement：Reaching for, grasping, pinching, and pulling a ribbon gives your baby practice coordinating what they see with precise hand movements.
- Cognitive：Watching a ribbon move while pushing it into and pulling it from a bottle helps your baby experience the contrast between inside and outside.
Preparation
What You’ll Need
- 1
A clear, shatter-resistant plastic bottle
- 2
colorful ribbons
Step 1
Ribbons Float and Flutter
Place several ribbons in front of your baby. Blow, curl, and fold them to show different ways they can move. You can also let a ribbon slide gently across your baby’s hand or arm so they can feel its texture.
What to notice
- Reaches out to pull the ribbon
Fine Motor - Puts the ribbon in the mouth
Exploration and Discovery
Tips
- Choose a bright ribbon that stands out clearly; high-contrast colors are easier for a young baby to notice.
- Move a ribbon where your baby can see it, or brush it gently across their palm, to invite them to reach and explore.
Step 2
The Ribbons Go Inside
Once your baby is familiar with the ribbons, place them into the bottle one at a time. Let your baby touch and shake the bottle and watch the ribbons move inside, then compare where the ribbons are when they are inside and outside.
What to notice
- Watches as you push the ribbon into the bottle
Emergent Mathematical Thinking - Grasps the ribbon and tries to push it into the bottle
Initiative and Curiosity
Tips
- Describe the change as it happens: “The ribbon went inside the bottle!”
- If your baby is interested, invite them to push a ribbon into the opening and watch it go inside.
Step 3
Pull the Ribbons Out
Leave one end of a ribbon at the opening and slowly pull it out. Then invite your baby to try. They may pull a ribbon, tip the bottle, or experiment with another way to get the ribbons out.
What to notice
- Pinches the ribbon between the thumb and index finger and pulls it out Fine Motor
- Pulls out the ribbon and tries to put it back Exploration and Discovery
Tips
- Use words such as “inside,” “outside,” and “out it comes” as the ribbon changes position.
- Your baby may pull a ribbon out and push it back in again. Give them time to repeat the action in their own way.
- If your baby prefers holding or shaking the bottle, that is another way of exploring what the objects can do.
Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026