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Babies

Learning for Life

Jump To: Activity Time | Ideas & Insights | Learning Tips

Activity Time

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  • Flashlight Fun Activity

    Use a flashlight to stimulate baby's senses and strengthen muscles.

  • Help Baby Cross the Line

    Encourage your child to cross his midline by moving a toy that he is reaching for.

  • No Mere Morsels

    Make a do-it-yourself meal by giving baby foods she can practice picking up herself.

  • Bring the Noise!

    Get out the pots and pans (and ear plugs) and watch your baby discover cause and effect by making noise.

  • Express Yourself!

    Make faces in the mirror with your baby and name the emotion you’re showing.

  • Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind

    Hide a musical toy for your baby and watch her search for it.

  • Create a Cover-Up

    Hide your baby’s favorite stuffed animal under a blanket while she watches you.

  • Peek-a-Boo!

    Use this baby favorite to explore "object permanence."

  • Playtime Is Learning Time

    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.

  • Beautiful Baby

    Hang a mirror at your child's level and talk to him about the image.

  • Out of Reach

    Show your baby that she can use tools to solve problems.

  • Big, Bigger, Biggest

    Help your baby learn about sizes by talking to him about objects around the house.

  • Baby Mountain

    Help your baby build strong muscles and improve balance.

  • Creative Noisemakers

    This activity hones your baby’s listening skills, and it will help her distinguish the difference between musical instruments later.

  • Baby Logic

    Playing finger or hand games helps your baby make logical connections between action and reaction.

  • Love the Baby

    Introduce your baby to the different parts of the body using a doll or stuffed animal.

  • Fascinating Finger Plays

    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!

  • Get Your Morning in Motion

    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.

  • Soothing Melodies

    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.

Ideas & Insights

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  • Classic Baby Games

    Play games with your baby to develop skills and build muscles.

  • How Boys and Girls Differ in the Way They Learn

    From the time they are in the crib, boys and girls demonstrate differences in their learning styles. Discover these differences in learning styles and how to identify your own child’s preferred style of learning.

  • Musical Intelligence

    While it is uncertain whether listening to Mozart will increase your child’s IQ, early exposure and active involvement with music will increase your child’s musical intelligence. Here are some tips for fostering your child’s musical intelligence.

  • Understanding the Infant-Toddler Learning Process

    Babies develop quickly—the pace of their learning is truly amazing. This article provides an overview of the key areas of infant learning, broken down to help you understand your child's development process.

  • Babies Learn in Many Ways

    The early wiring of your baby’s brain sets the stage for future development. Here are some tips to enrich your child's early experiences.

  • What Makes a Good Toy?

    Use these criteria to help select a good toy for your child.

  • Seven Ways to Soothe Baby to Sleep

    Here are some suggested tips for bedtime routines to help your child wind down at the end of the day.

  • Your Infant

    At no other time in her life will your baby develop as quickly as she does now! You have a unique opportunity to influence her brain development and help her reach her full learning potential.

  • What Parents Do and Don't Know

    Though most parents are clued in to their child's physical and intellectual development, misconceptions prevail on their social and emotional milestones.

Learning Tips

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  • Help Him Explore

    Babies learn through sight and touch. Help him explore by keeping the world within his grasp.

  • Physical Challenge

    Set physical challenges for your baby to solve. It will also stimulate her cognitive development.

  • Sensory Learning

    How do infants learn? By stimulation of the five senses.

  • Variety

    Provide variety in your child’s life to promote brain growth.

  • Soft Music for Sleep

    Ease your baby's transition to bedtime.

  • Visual Thinking

    Enrich your baby's observation skills with rotating visual experiences.

  • Play!

    Find out why you should respect and treasure your child’s play, even if you don’t understand it.

  • Oh-oh!

    Is the “oh-oh” game driving you crazy? Your baby genius is actually discovering Newton's 3rd Law of Motion.

  • It's a Match!

    This learning tip can be done anywhere to keep your baby busy—and busy learning.

  • Playtime Problem Solving

    Learn how to help your child build problem solving skills through playtime fun.

  • These Things Are Alike

    Is every animal your baby sees a doggie? She will quickly learn to discern differences and similarities.

  • Making Sense

    Support your child as she begins to make sense of the world.

  • First, Next ...

    Help your baby develop a sense of sequence and establish routines.

  • Loving Lullabies

    This ubiquitous method of soothing babies (and most children!) tends to have repetitive words and melodies, making them easy to transmit from generation to generation.

  • What to Do About Baby's Crying?

    Babies cry. What to do? Over the years, pediatricians have advocated various responses, including letting them just cry it out. Will picking your baby up when he cries spoil him?

  • The Dance

    Several decades ago, Jill and Peter de Villiers wrote a book on language acquisition that described interactions between mothers and their infants as a dance.

  • Stranger Anxiety?

    Your baby has been happy to be passed from grandma to your sister to the new sitter without much fuss. But, now, all of a sudden, she clings to you like there’s no tomorrow. What’s up?

  • Peek-a-Boo! What Babies Learn Through Simple Games

    Peek-a-boo engages and entertains babies while teaching them much about the world. Your baby learns to predict a regular pattern—that you’ll come back!

  • Tap into the Tempo

    Tap out rhythms on your child's body as you listen to music together.

  • Explore Edibles

    Let your baby play with her food!

  • A Colorful Learning Experience

    Play develops creativity and language skills--and it's fun!