These activities are meant to give you ideas of fun things to do with your child that will support their development and expand upon what they are learning in their classroom. Ideas are adapted from the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Learning Activities by Elizabeth Twombly and Ginger Fink.
1. Floor Play
Put items on the floor and let your baby explore! Small stainless steel bowls, wooden spoons, plastic cups, rolled up socks, or books are good options.
2. Peek-a-Boo
Use wash cloths or sheer fabric to play peek-a-boo with your baby.
3. Use Baby’s Name
Sings songs about everything using your baby’s name. Babies respond to their name amazingly early and continue to listen for it as they get older.
4. Dance to Music
Dance to music with your baby. Moving to music helps babies learn rhythm which is helpful with math skills.
5. Empty & Fill
Put several pieces of fabric scraps in a container, such as a wipes container, for babies to pull out. Once it’s empty, they can help put them back in and start all over again!
6. Go Outside
Explore the outdoors with your baby. Sit near trees and talk about the leaves moving, the birds you see or hear, and the way the grass feels. You’ll be exploring all of their senses and building their vocabulary.
7. Play Ball
Have a variety of balls available for your baby to explore. Talk about the size of the ball and how it feels, bounce the ball and talk about what your baby is doing with the ball.
8. Read
Read children’s books, the newspaper, food labels — anything you might be silently reading, read aloud to help build your baby’s brain!
9. Play with Clay
Get a block of clay, moisten it and let your baby explore by touching the clay. You can even cut off a piece and soften it so your baby can hold it in their hand and squeeze it.
10. Explore Velcro Rollers
These hair rollers stick together and pull apart easily. Babies can build and be surprised when the rollers stick to items other than each other!
