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 | Finger Face *
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| | From birth, your baby prefers to look at a human face above all other objects. Something about the eyes, nose, and mouth attracts your baby's attention. Finger Face is based on that fascination.
| Materials: | | Knit glove | | Scissors | | Your hand | | Colorful felt-tip pens |
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Ability to focus | | |
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Recognition of faces | | |
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Social interaction | |  |
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| | What to do:
1. Cut the fingers off a knit glove.
2. Using felt-tip pens, draw a face in the middle of the glove's palm. Make the eyes and mouth large, bright, and colorful.
3. Slip the glove onto your hand.
4. Hold your baby in your lap and turn the glove face toward him.
5. Now wiggle your fingers and move the face around slowly so your baby can enjoy his new Finger Face friend, who can help you sing songs, tell stories, or just chat.
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| | Safety: If your baby gets ahold of the Finger Face, he will probably put it right into his mouth, so make sure you use non-toxic felt-tip pens. |
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| Finger Face *
| Back to top |
| | From birth, your baby prefers to look at a human face above all other objects. Something about the eyes, nose, and mouth attracts your baby's attention. Finger Face is based on that fascination.
| Materials: | | Knit glove | | Scissors | | Your hand | | Colorful felt-tip pens |
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Ability to focus | | |
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Recognition of faces | | |
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Social interaction | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Cut the fingers off a knit glove.
2. Using felt-tip pens, draw a face in the middle of the glove's palm. Make the eyes and mouth large, bright, and colorful.
3. Slip the glove onto your hand.
4. Hold your baby in your lap and turn the glove face toward him.
5. Now wiggle your fingers and move the face around slowly so your baby can enjoy his new Finger Face friend, who can help you sing songs, tell stories, or just chat.
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| | Safety: If your baby gets ahold of the Finger Face, he will probably put it right into his mouth, so make sure you use non-toxic felt-tip pens. |
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| Handy Clap *
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| | Developing eye/hand coordination takes time, but if you watch your baby carefully, you'll see her beginning attempts to control those tiny hands. Fun fingerplays can help your baby work on motor skills.
| Materials: | | Soft blanket or an infant seat | | Fingerplays, songs, and rhymes | | Your hands and baby's hands |
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Eye/hand coordination | | |
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Motor control | | |
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Social interaction | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Lay your baby on a soft blanket or sit her upright in her infant seat, and sit close by so she can see you.
2. Sing or chant songs and rhymes while you play with your baby's hands and fingers. Try one of the following Handy Clap games:
Pat-A-Cake
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man, (clap your baby's hands)
Bake me a cake as fast as you can; (repeat clapping)
Roll it (roll baby's hands) and pat it; (pat baby's hands)
Mark it with a B. (draw a B in the middle of baby's hand)
Put it in the oven for baby and me. (gently poke baby in the tummy)
If You're Happy
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap baby's hands)
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap baby's hands)
If you're happy and you know it, then your hands will surely show it.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap baby's hands)
Whoops! Johnny!
(Start by spreading your baby's fingers open.)
Johnny (touch your baby's baby fingertip),
Johnny (touch baby's ring finger fingertip),
Johnny (touch next fingertip),
Johnny (touch next fingertip),
Whoops! Johnny! (slide your finger down in between the forefinger and the thumb, then repeat going backwards)
Whoops! Johnny! Johnny, Johnny, Johnny.
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| | Safety: Hold and move your baby's hands gently as you play. |
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| Mouth Music *
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| | Bet you didn't know you had a whole music machine right in your mouth! Your baby loves to hear a variety of noises, and your mouth is just the instrument necessary to make a perfect symphony.
| Materials: | | Your mouth, tongue, teeth, and lips |
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Sound discrimination | | |
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Sound imitation and language development | | |
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Sound location | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Hold your baby in your lap, facing you so he can see your face clearly.
2. Begin making noises with your mouth, such as
- Kissing and smooching
- Clicking your tongue
- Making raspberries with your tongue
- Blowing your lips like a motorboat
- Growling, squealing, gurgling, cooing
- Whistling, singing, humming
- Making animal sounds, such as a duck, dog, cat, horse, cow, pig, chicken, rooster, monkey, snake, bird, donkey, or wolf
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| | Safety: If you use any instruments, make sure they are safe for your baby to try. Don't make noises too loud, or they could damage your baby's hearing. If a noise disturbs your baby, don't repeat it. |
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| Mouth Music *
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| | Bet you didn't know you had a whole music machine right in your mouth! Your baby loves to hear a variety of noises, and your mouth is just the instrument necessary to make a perfect symphony.
| Materials: | | Your mouth, tongue, teeth, and lips |
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Sound discrimination | | |
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Sound imitation and language development | | |
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Sound location | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Hold your baby in your lap, facing you so he can see your face clearly.
2. Begin making noises with your mouth, such as
- Kissing and smooching
- Clicking your tongue
- Making raspberries with your tongue
- Blowing your lips like a motorboat
- Growling, squealing, gurgling, cooing
- Whistling, singing, humming
- Making animal sounds, such as a duck, dog, cat, horse, cow, pig, chicken, rooster, monkey, snake, bird, donkey, or wolf
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| | Safety: If you use any instruments, make sure they are safe for your baby to try. Don't make noises too loud, or they could damage your baby's hearing. If a noise disturbs your baby, don't repeat it. |
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| Bubble Bath *
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| | Bath time is fun for most babies, although some don't seem to like the water. But no matter what kind of reaction you get from your baby, you can make bath time more fun by adding a few baby bubbles while you wash.
| Materials: | | Soft washcloth | | Plastic baby tub | | Baby no-tear bubble bath | | Towel |
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Body awareness | | |
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Language development | | |
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Listening skills | | |
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Sensory stimulation | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Lay a washcloth on the bottom of your baby's plastic tub to help keep your baby from sliding around.
2. Fill the tub with warm water and add a small amount of baby bubble bath solution.
3. Place your baby into the tub, holding her securely at all times to gain her trust.
4. Sit your baby up so she can safely enjoy the bubbles and splash the water if she wants.
5. Wash your baby's body parts while singing “This Is the Way We Wash”:
This is the way we wash our face,
Wash our face, wash our face.
This is the way we wash our face, Baby (name) and Mommy.
Continue the song with “...clean our neck,” “...rub our chest,” “...scrub our back,” “...bathe our arms,” “...soap our legs,” “...tidy our toes,” and so on.
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| | Safety: Follow these two rules to make sure your baby enjoys the bath: Be certain that your baby feels secure at all times—don't let her slip or dunk under the water. Make sure the water is always warm—not too hot and not too cold. Always keep baby within arm's reach. |
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| Tootsie Roll *
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| | Your baby needs months to gain full control of her body movements, but you can assist her during those early weeks with a game of Tootsie Roll. By four to six months your baby will have mastered the rollover!
| Materials: | | Soft blanket or towel | | Soft floor surface |
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Directionality | | |
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Locomotion | | |
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Motor control | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Place a soft blanket or towel on a soft surface.
2. Lay your baby down on the blanket, on her tummy.
3. Pick up one side of the blanket and slowly raise it, causing your baby to tilt to the side.
4. Continue to slowly roll your baby over, talking to her as you go, and using a hand to spot or guide her as she turns.
5. When your baby turns over, show your delight.
6. Repeat until your baby is tired of playing.
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| | Safety: Be sure to move slowly and keep a hand on your baby so she doesn’t roll too fast and get hurt. |
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| Tummy Talk *
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| | Your baby begins learning speech and language long before he utters his first word. Besides talking to your baby, try a little Tummy Talk. It makes speech and language a sensory experience.
| Materials: | | Your mouth | | Soft blanket |
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Body awareness | | |
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Language development | | |
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Sensory-motor exploration | | |
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Social interaction | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Remove your baby's clothes (diaper optional) and place him on a blanket, on his back
2. Kneel down beside your baby, chat for a moment, and gently rub his tummy.
3. Now it's time for Tummy Talk. Press your face and lips onto your baby's tummy, and talk, sing, recite a nursery rhyme, or just make up funny words. Vary the pitch and loudness of your voice as you speak.
4. Add a few kisses each time you finish your words.
5. Sit up and smile at your baby after each Tummy Talk. Your baby should be giggling while you play and anticipating the next ticklish chat.
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| | Safety: Don't speak too loudly; you don't want to startle your baby. And if you play this game with a naked baby, keep a diaper nearby, in case of a sudden tinkle! |
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| Tummy Talk *
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| | Your baby begins learning speech and language long before he utters his first word. Besides talking to your baby, try a little Tummy Talk. It makes speech and language a sensory experience.
| Materials: | | Your mouth | | Soft blanket |
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Body awareness | | |
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Language development | | |
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Sensory-motor exploration | | |
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Social interaction | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Remove your baby's clothes (diaper optional) and place him on a blanket, on his back
2. Kneel down beside your baby, chat for a moment, and gently rub his tummy.
3. Now it's time for Tummy Talk. Press your face and lips onto your baby's tummy, and talk, sing, recite a nursery rhyme, or just make up funny words. Vary the pitch and loudness of your voice as you speak.
4. Add a few kisses each time you finish your words.
5. Sit up and smile at your baby after each Tummy Talk. Your baby should be giggling while you play and anticipating the next ticklish chat.
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| | Safety: Don't speak too loudly; you don't want to startle your baby. And if you play this game with a naked baby, keep a diaper nearby, in case of a sudden tinkle! |
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| All Gone! *
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| | Since your baby is new on the planet, he spends much of his time trying to figure out his environment. Help him by playing a game of All Gone!
| Materials: | | Soft, colorful toys | | Blanket, towel, or cloth |
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Anticipation of events | | |
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Cognitive/thinking skills | | |
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Object permanence and stability | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Collect several soft, colorful toys, and place them out of sight.
2. Seat your baby comfortably in his infant seat and sit opposite him.
3. Bring out a toy and show it to your baby. Hold the toy close to your face and talk to your baby, to attract his attention.
4. While your baby is watching, cover the toy with a cloth.
5. Say to your baby, “All gone!”
6. Wait a few seconds, then uncover the toy and happily announce, “Here it is!”
7. Repeat with different toys.
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| | Safety: If your baby gets upset at the toy’s disappearance, hide the toy slowly to show him what you’re doing. Don’t leave the toy covered for too long. |
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| Happy Feet *
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| | One of your baby's favorite toys is his feet! They're soft and wiggly, and close at hand. And they feel funny when they're touched! Have fun with Happy Feet as you combine nursery rhymes with toe touching.
| Materials: | | Soft blanket | | Words to songs and nursery rhymes | | Your fingers and your baby's toes |
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Body awareness | | |
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Enjoyment of senses | | |
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Language development | | |
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Motor control | | |
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Social interaction | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Choose a favorite nursery rhyme that can be played with your baby's feet and toes.
2. Lay your baby on a soft blanket and kneel beside him so you can reach his feet.
3. Play one of the following Happy Feet games:
This Little Piggy
This little piggy went to market, (wiggle the big toe)
This little piggy stayed home, (wiggle the second toe)
This little piggy had roast beef, (wiggle the third toe)
This little piggy had none, (wiggle the fourth toe)
And this little piggy cried, "Wee, wee, wee!" all the way home! (wiggle the baby toe)
Gobble Gobble
Wee wiggle, (wiggle baby toe)
Two tickle, (wiggle next toe)
Three giggle, (wiggle next toe)
Four sniggle, (wiggle next toe)
Five-gobble! (pretend to gobble up your baby's foot)
Pitty Pat Pony
Pitty pat pony, (pat the soles of your baby's feet)
Look at her toes. (hold baby's feet and wiggle them)
Here a nail, there a nail, (poke the bottom of baby's feet)
Gid-up and go! (pat the soles of your baby's feet again)
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| | Safety: Don't tickle your baby too much. As you probably know from personal experience, excessive tickling becomes uncomfortable. |
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| Wiggle Worm *
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| | When your baby’s feet press against a solid surface, she stretches out her legs. This is called the “walking reflex.” Use this reflex to help your baby practice for crawling.
| Materials: | | Soft, nonslippery floor surface | | Colorful toy |
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Cause and effect | | |
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Motor control | | |
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Precrawling exercise | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Place your baby on a soft floor, on her tummy.
2. Place a colorful toy a few inches from your baby’s head and call her attention to it.
3. Sit behind your baby, with your legs or hands pressed against her feet. Your baby will push against the pressure, causing her to propel a few inches forward, toward the toy.
4. Keep moving the toy and pushing against your baby’s feet until she has inched forward and covered some ground.
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| | Safety: Be careful not to move your baby too fast. Don’t let her get too close to the toy, or she may hit her head against it. |
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| Baby Massage *
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| | Your baby begins to respond to touch immediately after birth. The first welcome your baby receives is the tactile comfort of your touch as you hold him. Provide your baby with a Baby Massage so he can delight in the pleasure of your soothing hands.
| Materials: | | Blanket or towel | | Baby lotion |
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Body awareness | | |
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Enhanced sense of touch | | |
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Social interaction | | |
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| | What to do:
1. Spread a blanket or a towel on a soft carpet.
2. Place your naked baby on the blanket, on his tummy.
3. Pour a little baby oil into your hands and rub your hands together to warm up the oil.
4. Gently massage your baby from his neck to his shoulders, down his arms to his hands, down his back to his buttocks, down his legs, and to his feet. Use a gentle touch, not too firm and not too light.
5. Turn your baby over on his back and repeat, using more oil.
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| | Safety: Use a soft touch so you don’t cause any rug burns! Be sure your baby isn’t allergic to the oils or lotions you use. Avoid touching your baby’s face so the oils don’t get into your baby’s eyes. |
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