Children Activities and Child Development from Fisher-Price

Enjoy these activities with your 9 to 12-month-old--they're a great way to make learning fun:

�	Finger Friends	�	Sticky Toys	�	Tunnel Crawl	�	Bells Are Ringing

�	Spaghetti Worms	�	Baby-Okey	�	Catch the Firefly	�	Fingers, Toes, Hair, Nose

�	Spongy Shapes	�	Whoopsy-Daisy!

Finger Friends *

At the same time your baby gains control over his large muscles, he also acquires the ability to master his small muscles�specifically, his fingers. Play a game of Finger Friends for finger fun.

Materials:
�	Clean, light-coloured knit glove
�	Permanent felt-tip pens


	�	Fine motor development
	�	Language development
	�	Social interaction

What to do:
1. Find a clean, light-coloured glove that fits snugly.
2. Draw funny faces on the fingertips with permanent felt-tip pens. The faces can represent anyone you like�mum and dad, sister and brother, baby, other favourite relatives, the family pet, and so on.
3. Slip the glove onto your hand, and give your baby a puppet show, sing some songs, and do some fingerplays, such as "Where Is Thumbkin?"

"Where Is Thumbkin?"
Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin? (hide thumbs)
Here I am! Here I am! (bring out each thumb)
How are you today, sir? (one thumb bows to the other)
Very fine, I thank you! (the other thumb bows back)
Run away! Run away! (both thumbs disappear again)

(Repeat for Pointer, Tall Man, Ring Man, and Baby, but call them by family names, such as mum, Dad, Brother, Sister, and Baby.)

Safety: Be sure that your baby doesn't put the puppets in his mouth�he can choke on them.

Sticky Toys *

Now that your baby has mastered the skill of picking up her toys, challenge her by making that task a little more difficult. See if she can figure out how to solve her problem!

Materials:
�	Clear Contact paper
�	Variety of small toys that are too large for baby to swallow


	�	Cause and effect
	�	Gross and fine motor development
	�	Problem solving

What to do:
1. Cut off a length of clear Contact paper, about two feet long.
2. Peel off the protective back layer.
3. Place the Contact paper, sticky-side up, on the floor.
4. Set a number of medium-size toys, such as a block, a plastic doll, a cardboard book, a puzzle piece, and so on, on the sticky paper.
5. Bring your baby over to the toys and set her down nearby.
6. Try to lift a toy from the paper and show your baby that you are having trouble. Ask for help.
7. Watch your baby as she tries to figure out what is happening and how to get the toys off the paper.

Safety: Watch your baby with the paper, so she doesn't cover her face with it. Help her if she gets frustrated, and teach her how to release the toys from the paper.

Tunnel Crawl *

Crawling is an adventure for your developing baby, a skill that opens a new world for him as he explores his environment on all fours. Make him a simple tunnel filled with obstacles to challenge him as he enjoys this new experience.

Materials:
�	3 cardboard boxes, large enough for your baby to crawl through easily
�	Scissors
�	Duct tape
�	Stuffed animals or a blanket


	�	Exploration
	�	Gross motor development
	�	Problem solving

What to do:
1. Cut the flaps off all three boxes, cut some squares in their sides for ventilation and tape the boxes together to form a tunnel.
2. Set the tunnel in the middle of the room.
3. Use stuffed animals or a blanket to create obstacles in the tunnel (a blanket will make the floor surface a bit slippery).
4. Place your baby at one end of the tunnel, and walk around to the other end.
5. Peer into the tunnel and call your baby, encouraging him to crawl to you. Entice him with a toy if he's reluctant to enter the tunnel.
6. Cheer him on as he crawls through the tunnel to the other end.
7. Repeat, letting him explore and enjoy the tunnel.

Safety: If your baby is afraid to enter the tunnel, don't force him. Leave the tunnel in the room for a while and let him get used to the idea. Then try again. If your baby gets upset when you cover the ends with blankets, remove them.

Bells Are Ringing *

In this musical version of hide-and-seek, your baby has to search for and find the hidden bells. It's not very difficult�all he has to do is listen while the bells are ringing to discover the secret hiding place.

Materials:
�	Soft toy with a bell inside, or a bracelet made of bells
�	Various hiding places, such as soft toys and blankets


	�	Cause and effect
	�	Cognitive development
	�	Listening skills

What to do:
1. Find a toy with a bell, or make a bracelet with bells. (Make sure you use bells that are too big for baby to choke on.)
2. Set your baby on the floor and surround him with a variety of potential hiding places, such as soft toys, and blankets.
3. Hold up the bells for your baby to see, and shake them for your baby to hear.
4. Secretly hide the bells under or in one of the hiding places.
5. Ask your baby, �Where are the bells?�
6. One by one, lift the hiding objects and shake them. When you lift the object that hides the bells, shake it, but don't let your baby see the bells.
7. Watch your baby's expression change as you shake the bells.
8. Uncover the bells and say, �There are the bells!�
9. Play again, varying the hiding places.

Safety: Be sure the bells are securely attached to something, so your baby can't swallow them

Spaghetti Worms *

Babies love gross stuff; they love to touch, squish, and eat anything that has an interesting texture. Here�s a fun way to let your baby enjoy her senses while she gets some good nutrition!

Materials:
�	Cooked spaghetti, room temperature
�	Highchair and tray


	�	Fine motor development and grasp
	�	Self-help skills
	�	Exploration of the senses--touch, texture, and temperature

What to do:
1. Seat your baby in her highchair and secure the tray.
2. Drop a handful of room-temperature spaghetti onto the tray (no sauce).
3. Let your baby explore the spaghetti. She may try to pick them up, pinch them, squish them, smash them, pound them, grasp them, and finally put them in her mouth.
4. If she starts to throw the spaghetti, redirect her to dropping them on the tray.

Safety: Keep an eye on your baby to make sure she doesn�t put too much in her mouth at once.

Baby-Okey *

Your baby will soon be talking, but before she leaves those funny little noises behind, capture those squeaks and squeals on tape to keep and play back over the years.

Materials:
�	Cassette tape recorder and tape
�	Infant seat


	�	Language and vocabulary building
	�	Listening skills
	�	Self-identity
	�	Vocalization

What to do:
1. Insert a fresh tape into a portable tape recorder.
2. Seat your baby in her infant chair and sit down beside her.
3. Turn on the tape recorder and talk to your baby, make mouth noises, vocalize in a variety of ways, and so on, to get your baby to talk back.
4. Pause between your vocalizations so your baby has a chance to answer you.
5. After you�ve both made some funny noises, turn off the recorder and play back the tape for your baby.
6. Save the tape and play it back when your baby is grown. (Maybe in the presence of her boyfriend!)

Safety: Don�t play back the sound too loudly, to protect your baby�s hearing.

Catch the Firefly *

As your baby becomes more mobile, she likes to play games of chase and catch. Here�s a game that will keep your baby moving as she tries to catch the �firefly� on the bedroom wall.

Materials:
�	Cardboard
�	Scissors
�	Flashlight
�	Tape
�	Dark room


	�	Cause and effect
	�	Locomotion and coordination
	�	Motor control

What to do:
1. Cut out a bug shape, such as a firefly, from cardboard, small enough to fit over the lens of the flashlight.
2. Secure the stencil over the flashlight with tape.
3. Make yourself and your baby comfortable in a bedroom and turn off the lights.
4. Turn on the flashlight and shine it at the wall next to your baby.
5. Move the light slowly along the wall, to attract your baby�s attention.
6. Tell your baby to go get the firefly that�s buzzing around the wall.
7. Move the light slowly away as your baby approaches it and tries to catch it.

Safety: Reassure your baby if she gets scared in the dark.

Fingers, Toes, Hair, Nose *

To acquaint your baby further with her body parts, play this simple singing game. It will keep your baby on her toes, while she tries to find her nose! And you can create more lyrics for more body parts.

Materials:
�	Floor or infant seat
�	Your voice


	�	Gross and fine motor development
	�	Learning body parts
	�	Language development

What to do:
1. Seat your baby on the floor or in her infant seat, and sit facing her.
2. Sing the following song, and move your baby�s finger to the appropriate body parts.
Put Your Finger in the Air
Put your finger in the air, in the air,
Put your finger in the air, in the air,
Put your finger in the air, then put it in your hair,
Put your finger in your hair, in your hair.
Put your finger on your nose, on your nose,
Put your finger on your nose, on your nose,
Put your finger on your nose, then put it on your toes,
Put your finger on your toes, on your toes.
(repeat with arm/leg, cheeks/chin, lip/hips, neck/back, then)
Put your finger on your finger, on your finger,
Put your finger on your finger, on your finger,
Put your finger on your finger, and then in your lap,
At the end of the song, give a clap!

Safety: Play gently so your baby enjoys playing with her fingers and doesn�t get hurt.

Spongy Shapes *

Water play is fun at any age. Enhance this wet and wild time with Spongy Shapes, which are colourful, creative, and fun to use in the bath�and they�re easy to make!

Materials:
�	Package of colourful sponges
�	Scissors
�	Bathtub full of water


	�	colours and shapes
	�	Sensory stimulation
	�	Social interaction

What to do:
1. Cut colourful sponges into basic shapes, such as circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles.
2. Fill a tub with warm water and seat your baby inside.
3. Drop sponges into the water and let your baby explore them.
4. After your baby has enjoyed the sponges, take a sponge and press it to the inside of the tub. As you press most of the water out of the sponge, it will stick to the tub, as if by magic.
5. Attach more sponges to the side of the tub, and let your baby pull them off.
6. Talk about the shapes as you play with them.

Safety: Do not leave your baby unattended in the tub, and make sure the water temperature is always comfortable.

Whoopsy-Daisy! *

Once your baby learns to build a tower, she will enjoy knocking it down! Have some fun with Whoopsy-Daisy by building with blocks for the human wrecking ball!

Materials:
�	Large blocks, store-bought or made from rectangular milk cartons
�	Large flat surface


	�	Cause and effect
	�	Cognitive skills
	�	Fine motor development
	�	Problem solving

What to do:
1. Buy some large blocks or make your own: collect quart and half-gallon milk cartons, wash and dry them thoroughly, then cut off the ends. Fold in the sides to make squares and rectangles, and tape them closed.
2. Set your baby on the floor with the blocks all around her.
3. Show her how to build a tower by stacking the blocks, one by one. Encourage her to do the same.
4. When the tower is tall enough, let your baby push it down!
5. Build it again and again, until your baby gets tired of the fun.

Safety: If you use something other than blocks, be sure the objects aren�t too heavy, so they won�t hurt your baby when they come crashing down.

* Play & Learn activities reprinted from "Baby Play & Learn" with permission of its author, Penny Warner, and its publisher, Meadowbrook Press (1999.)

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