As you hold your child and look into each other’s eyes, make a silly face or sound. How do they respond? With twinkly eyes? A smile? A laugh? Try it again but do something different. This is the beginning of a lifetime of laughs to share together.
Author: Five Ones
Did you hear that?
When you’re outside, ask your child, “Did you hear that?” each time you hear a sound. Imitate the sound out loud and make gestures to go along with it. Invite them to make the sound too.
Slow song
Play, sing, or hum a slow song and hold your child while you dance together. How do they respond to the feeling of dancing? What about the sound of the music? Respond to what they do. Laugh if they laugh! Enjoy this special moment.
Pattern talk
As you feed your child, put a bright dishcloth, towel, or scarf over your shoulder. Do they notice it? Do they look back and forth between your face and the colors? Talk to them about the different colors or patterns as they do.
Copy child’s sounds
As you dress your child, copy the sounds you hear them make, like “ah, eee, ooo, bee, dee.” How do they respond? As you make a sound, place their fingers on your lips so they can feel the vibrations and movements of your lips. Try different sounds as you do!
Sing to sleep
As you’re putting your child to bed, rock them gently and sing softly to them. Pay attention to how they tell you they want more singing. Do they turn their head toward you? Smile? Move? What do they do to say “enough?” Cry? Turn away? Take note of how to respond to their cues now… Continue reading Sing to sleep
Talk about how things feel on skin
Talk to your child about how things feel on their skin: “Your shirt is soft.” “The wind is cold.” “The ice cube is slippery.” See how they react and continue the conversation: “You like the warm water in your bath!”
Mealtime Melodies
As you feed your child, sing softly and watch how they respond. If they like it, smile and sing even more. If they make some sounds when responding to you, add their sounds to your song so you can make “Mealtime Melodies” together.
Sing about laundry
When you’re doing laundry, sing every step: putting in detergent, closing the door, folding the clothes, etc. Watch your child and copy the sounds they make so you can create a song together. This is fun and puts a new spin on this chore.
Diaper song
When you’re changing your child’s diaper, sing about what you’re doing. Watch them and copy the sounds they make so you can create a song together. Your song plus their sounds can become your own “Diaper Song” for changing time!
