Another look at Will reaching for a toy

From about the age of 5-6 months infants become increasingly aware of their ability to adapt their actions to achieve their. 

The abilities that emerge at this age (independent sitting, going up onto all fours and exploring the multiple properties of objects) all require active engagement and attention. The process of repeated perceptual-motor cycles with embedded exploration allows the infant to explore different options for achieving a goal. 

This series of frames beautifully illustrates how typically developing infants pay attention to their actions, persist and keep their goal in mind over an extended period of time.

TOMT subscribers can view the video clip of this sequence here