Sing “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.” (If you don’t know the tune, make up your own.) At the end of the line, clap your hands and ask your child to clap their hands too. Next, try changing up actions: touch your nose, hop on one foot, or snap your fingers.… Continue reading If you’re happy and you know it …
Category: 6 Loving Habits
Connect words to body parts
When your child starts to say words or make sounds that could be words, connect them to more words. If they say “nose,” you can say, “There’s your nose and there’s mine.” If they say “beep, beep,” you can say, “The horns on the car go beep, beep.” Later you can ask, “What sound do… Continue reading Connect words to body parts
Play with different containers
Give your child safe containers of different sizes to play with. You can use measuring cups, bowls, or whatever is handy. Encourage them to try placing some of the containers inside others. Talk together about what they’re doing. “Two cups fit inside the big pot.” “Which others fit? Which ones don’t?” Ask questions to keep… Continue reading Play with different containers
Peekaboo Day
Make today “Peekaboo Day.” See how many times and ways you can play “Peekaboo” with your child. Catch their eye around a corner, through your fingers, over a book, from under a chair.
Peekaboo
How many ways can you play “Peekaboo”? You can hide your eyes behind your hand, or use a hat, a napkin, or whatever is handy and then say “Peekaboo!” Help your child take a turn. What can they hide behind? Saying “I see you!” when one of you stops hiding should make you both laugh.
Dangle objects
Place your baby on their back and dangle anything safe, handy, and interesting just out of their reach. Encourage them to follow the objects with their eyes and head or to reach for them. Comment on how hard they try, “You almost touched the spoon!”
Shaking Keys
Put your baby on their back or tummy and shake something that makes noise, like keys. Do they follow the sound with their eyes or head? What do they do when you shake fast or slow? If they do something, copy that action or sound and have a conversation without words.
Watch your child
Take a minute today to watch your child. Pay attention to what they look at. How do they move? What do they sound like? What are they learning? Even when you’re busy, responding to what they are learning deepens your connection with them.
Dance Together
Dance with your child and ask, “Should we dance slow?” Pick them up and gently move as you hum a slow tune. “Should we dance fast?” Change your tune and dance faster. Watch how they use their arms or move to tell you which they like and respond to what they’re telling you.
Funny sounds
After you change your child, puff up your cheeks like a blowfish and then place their feet on your cheeks to push the air out till you go “pop!” What other sounds or faces can you make together—like sticking out your tongue? Can they copy some of these?
