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Birth–11 monthsThe Natural World

Moves eyes, then head, to follow moving objects.

Observe whether the child: moves eyes, then head, to follow moving objects.

What it looks like

Three ways this behaviour shows up as a child grows. Each level includes everyday moments to watch for.

Emerging

Just starting

Briefly follows a slow, high-contrast moving object for a short distance, but tracking is jerky and often stops or loses the object.

What you might see

  • When a bright toy is moved slowly left-to-right, the child does not follow with the eyes and continues staring straight ahead or away.
  • The child briefly glances at the moving object but gaze slips off within 1–2 seconds and does not return.
  • When an adult walks past, the child does not visually track the person’s movement across the room.
  • Follows a moving toy from the middle to one side for a short arc, then stops tracking and looks elsewhere.
  • Turns the whole head/body toward the moving object without clear eye-leading movement, especially when the object changes direction.
  • Tracks better with a black-and-white card or bright rattle than with a low-contrast toy.

Expected

On track

Follows a moving object by shifting eyes first and then turning the head, typically in calm, familiar play (e.g., a toy moved side-to-side).

What you might see

  • Shifts eyes toward a toy moving to the right, then turns head to keep watching as it continues.
  • During peekaboo with a scarf, watches the scarf move and keeps gaze on it as it travels across the child’s visual field.
  • In a high-chair, follows a spoon moving from bowl to mouth with eyes first, then head.

Exceeding

Going further

Consistently tracks moving objects across different positions and activities, using eyes-first-then-head to keep the object in view.

What you might see

  • Tracks a rolling ball across the floor with eyes first and then head, maintaining attention until it stops.
  • Watches an adult’s hand move a toy in a wide arc and smoothly keeps it in view without losing it.
  • Looks toward a moving object even when there are other visual distractions nearby (e.g., another toy).
  • Anticipates where the moving toy will go next and turns to keep it in view when it changes direction.
  • Tracks a moving toy and reaches out at the right moment to touch/grab it while still visually following it.
  • Briefly loses sight of a toy behind a cushion edge, then shifts gaze to where it reappears and continues tracking.

Try this at home

Small everyday moments where you can notice this behaviour without setting up anything special.

  • Tummy time: Slowly move a high-contrast toy from the middle to the left and right—notice if your baby’s eyes move first and the head follows to keep watching.

  • High chair/mealtime: Move the spoon from bowl to your baby’s mouth at a steady pace—observe whether their eyes follow the spoon before their head turns.

  • Bath time: Float a small bath toy across the water—watch whether your baby tracks it as it drifts past their body.

  • Outdoors/stroller: Pause near moving leaves or passing people—notice whether your baby visually follows the movement across their view.

  • Play on the floor: Roll a ball slowly across in front of your baby—see if they keep watching it all the way across rather than just glancing once.

Connected behaviours

Behaviours that scaffold, follow, or co-emerge with this one.

Where this comes from

The framework source and supporting developmental research.

Framework source

  • Development Matters in the EYFS (2012), Understanding the world: The world (birth-11 months).

    This construct is a framework-native observable indicator in DM2012 for typical early visual attention and tracking.

Developmental research

  • Atkinson, J. (2000). The Developing Visual Brain. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Infant visual attention and developing eye-movement control underpin the ability to track moving objects with increasing stability and coordination.

Five-level rubric (detailed)Show

The full progression underlying the three levels above. Used by the platform’s reasoning agent when planning activities and observations.

Not Yet
Rarely fixes on a moving object and does not visually follow it; gaze drops away quickly or appears random rather than tracking.
  • When a bright toy is moved slowly left-to-right, the child does not follow with the eyes and continues staring straight ahead or away.
  • The child briefly glances at the moving object but gaze slips off within 1–2 seconds and does not return.
  • When an adult walks past, the child does not visually track the person’s movement across the room.
Emerging
Briefly follows a slow, high-contrast moving object for a short distance, but tracking is jerky and often stops or loses the object.
  • Follows a moving toy from the middle to one side for a short arc, then stops tracking and looks elsewhere.
  • Turns the whole head/body toward the moving object without clear eye-leading movement, especially when the object changes direction.
  • Tracks better with a black-and-white card or bright rattle than with a low-contrast toy.
Developing
Follows a moving object by shifting eyes first and then turning the head, typically in calm, familiar play (e.g., a toy moved side-to-side).
  • Shifts eyes toward a toy moving to the right, then turns head to keep watching as it continues.
  • During peekaboo with a scarf, watches the scarf move and keeps gaze on it as it travels across the child’s visual field.
  • In a high-chair, follows a spoon moving from bowl to mouth with eyes first, then head.
Secure
Consistently tracks moving objects across different positions and activities, using eyes-first-then-head to keep the object in view.
  • Tracks a rolling ball across the floor with eyes first and then head, maintaining attention until it stops.
  • Watches an adult’s hand move a toy in a wide arc and smoothly keeps it in view without losing it.
  • Looks toward a moving object even when there are other visual distractions nearby (e.g., another toy).
Reflexive
Tracks motion flexibly (including faster or more complex movement), re-finds a moving object after brief occlusion, and coordinates tracking with reaching or pointing.
  • Anticipates where the moving toy will go next and turns to keep it in view when it changes direction.
  • Tracks a moving toy and reaches out at the right moment to touch/grab it while still visually following it.
  • Briefly loses sight of a toy behind a cushion edge, then shifts gaze to where it reappears and continues tracking.