When can a child usually place blocks in a cup?

A child typically develops the fine motor skills necessary to place blocks into a cup around 12 months of age. At this stage in their development, children have usually gained improved hand-eye coordination and dexterity, allowing them to manipulate objects with more precision. Placing blocks in a cup requires both the ability to grasp individual blocks and the coordination to accurately drop them into the container.

At 12 months, children are also starting to experiment more with object permanence and engaging in simple play scenarios, such as stacking and nesting, which are foundational for this specific task. This milestone is a clear indicator of their growing motor skills and cognitive development, as they learn how objects can interact with one another in their environment. The timing of this milestone aligns well with typical developmental expectations for infants.