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Use a flashlight to stimulate baby's senses and strengthen muscles.
Encourage your child to cross his midline by moving a toy that he is reaching for.
Make a do-it-yourself meal by giving baby foods she can practice picking up herself.
Get out the pots and pans (and ear plugs) and watch your baby discover cause and effect by making noise.
Make faces in the mirror with your baby and name the emotion you’re showing.
Hide a musical toy for your baby and watch her search for it.
Hide your baby’s favorite stuffed animal under a blanket while she watches you.
Use this baby favorite to explore "object permanence."
Allowing your baby to play with toys and objects helps him begin to learn how things work and that objects have different shapes, colors and textures.
Hang a mirror at your child's level and talk to him about the image.
Show your baby that she can use tools to solve problems.
Help your baby learn about sizes by talking to him about objects around the house.
Help your baby build strong muscles and improve balance.
This activity hones your baby’s listening skills, and it will help her distinguish the difference between musical instruments later.
Playing finger or hand games helps your baby make logical connections between action and reaction.
Introduce your baby to the different parts of the body using a doll or stuffed animal.
Children around the world sing various words set to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (including the Alphabet Song). Download this world-famous song from Scout’s online library and use the lyrics to help you do the finger play for your baby—soon she’ll be trying it too!
Understanding the sequence of the day and what comes next helps babies feel safe and secure. Try this activity with your baby to get your morning in motion.
Baths, books and lullabies are all useful bedtime routines. But sooner or later, your child will need to learn the techniques for soothing herself to sleep.
With a block and a small container your baby can learn position words.
Play the “Where’s that?” game with your baby once he learns to point.
Purposely pick up your baby’s favorite book upside down and start to read.
Surround your baby with board books as he sits on the floor.
Repeat the sounds your baby makes, then make some of your own to expand his repertoire.
Create a book for your child with different pictures of her favorite things.
Your baby will giggle and coo when you play this variation on "peek-a-boo."
You can play games with your baby to increase her body awareness and vocabulary. Eventually, as she comes to understand the names for her body parts, she’ll be able to find them on Scout too.
Put two objects in front of your baby and ask her to give you the one you name.
Plastic food containers make simple but smart bath toys!
Explore by Skill Area
Visual Thinking
Stimulate your baby’s observation skills by providing mobiles and pictures with patterns and color. The purpose is not to teach the child color names but to enrich her with interesting experiences. Change the items from time to time.
Baby Learning Tip
Reading Adds Up! Read to your baby 30 minutes a day, and by the time your child is five years old, he or she will have roughly 900 hours of reading time! Reduce that experience to just 30 minutes a week, and your child misses out on 770 hours of nursery rhymes, fairy tales and stories.
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