As eye-hand coordination improves, your four-month-old will enjoy greater interaction. Play simple games or offer activity toys to help your baby start to understand cause and effect.
She may recognize familiar faces and take an interest in others
With your help, he can reach for things
She laughs, squirms and squeals with delight
He's interested in watching his hands move
She can grasp toys that she touches
Rattles and teethers
Discover 'n Grow™ Lion Ring Rattle
Friendly Firsts™ Shake & Twist Rattle
Ocean Wonders™ Deluxe Gum Soother
Help your baby learn more:
Shake it. Place a rattle in baby's hand and gently shake it. Your baby will probably be interested in grabbing, shaking and dropping it.
Hear that? Help baby exercise coordination skills by holding a toy in front, shaking it, and letting him reach for it. Put the rattle in baby's hand, shake it and say, "Hear that sound? You did that!" Emphasizing the reward will make him want to try again.
Hand to hand. Choose a rattle that's big enough to let baby hold on with both hands. Place it in baby's hand; she'll grab on with one hand, then the other, and then let go. This action will develop into the skill of being able to pass an object from hand to hand.
Mobiles
Precious Planet™ Link & Chime™ Friends
Precious Planet™ 2-in-1 Musical Mobile
Rainforest™ Peek-a-Boo Leaves Musical Mobile™
Help your baby learn more:
Music, please. Extend the benefits offered by a mobile's music by playing music for baby at other times of the day and in different settings.
Sing or hum along. You'll find that as you do, your baby becomes more vocal too.
What do you see? Try looking at the mobile from baby's point of view. Change its position once in a while, or change your baby's position so she gets a new view.
Make the connection. Right from the start, your baby will listen to and respond to your voice. Use this connection to point things out about the mobile—the colors, the movement, the characters that dangle from it.
Soothers
Discover ’n Grow™ Select-a-Show Soother™
Help your baby learn more:
Calm down. Help your baby learn to self-regulate—to stop crying and calm down. A soother with gentle sounds, music and sights helps baby understand when it's time to wind down and go to sleep.
See that? Point out the motion and lights to help baby focus on them.
So peaceful. Switch through the sound settings until you find one that's especially soothing to you and baby, then take a few minutes for yourself: listening to the soothing sounds as baby drifts off can be a peaceful time for you, too.
Infant play gyms
Precious Planet™ Deluxe Musical Activity Gym
Rainforest™ Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym™
Precious Planet™ Mix & Match Musical Gym
Help your baby learn more:
What do you see? Get down at floor level to get baby’s view of overhead toys. This will help you know where to position her for the best vantage point. Change your baby's position every once in a while to freshen the view.
Play together to encourage communication and add fun to playtime. Pick a time when baby is in an active play mode, not sleepy or hungry or overly stimulated. You'll be able to tell; if the toy looks too busy for him at the moment, he'll close his eyes.
Talk about it. To help your baby learn there's a connection between words and actions, move the parts and talk about them as you go: "Shake-shake-shake. See the silly little face smiling at you?"
Hum or sing along to the music on the gym and point out light-up features. The more you talk to your baby and directly engage him, the more you're benefiting his development.
Playard toys
Discover ’n Grow™ Chime Ball Elephant
Discover ’n Grow™ Lion Activity Block
Link-a-doos™ Kick & Play Piano™
Help your baby learn more:
Colors and high-contrast patterns are a great way to stimulate your baby's visual sense. Point out the colors and name the animals; even though your baby won't understand the meaning yet, she’ll learn that she can switch her focus, too.
Did you hear that? If a toy plays sounds, take advantage of this opportunity to stimulate your baby's sense of hearing. Take baby's hands in yours and gently clap them together to the music. Make expressive faces as you playfully sing along or imitate the sounds.
Children develop at their own pace and reach milestones at different times. The highlights mentioned in this website are approximate guidelines only. If you have any questions about your child's development, consult your healthcare provider.
Hats Off
Average Rating
Your baby is just getting used to recognizing faces, when you introduce the Hats Off game! Your baby won’t be fooled for long, but he’ll enjoy the fun of taking off the hat and putting it back on again.
Materials
Variety of hats
Infant seat
Your face and head
Instructions
Collect a variety of hats around the house, or buy inexpensive hats from a thrift shop or party store. Try to include a baseball cap, a knit cap, a funny hat, a firefighter’s hat, a clown hat, a bowler, a beret, a pair of earmuffs, or a fancy, feathery hat. (Don’t include masks in your play. They tend to scare babies at this young age.)
Place your baby in his infant seat on the floor and sit facing him.
Put the first hat on your head and make a funny face as you say something interesting, such as, “Look at me!” or, “I’m a firefighter!”
Lean toward your baby so he can grasp the hat and pull it off, or pull the hat off yourself.
Repeat several times with one hat before moving on to another hat.
Safety
Sometimes babies get scared when people’s appearances change. If your baby starts to get upset, put the hat on only briefly, then remove it and show him you’re still mum/Dad. If he continues to be upset, play the game at a later date.
Learning Skills
Cause and effect
Coping with stranger anxiety
Object constancy (an object remains the same even if altered)
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