Babbles and In and Out

These games will help to grow the brains of infants and toddlers. Whether it’s through singing, dancing, cuddling, rocking, talking, smelling, or tasting, you can encourage the brain pathways to make new connections.

Activities for Infants

Babbles

This game is a wonderful language developer.

Listen closely to the rhythm of your baby’s babble and you will discover that she babbles a bit and pauses. The pause is waiting for you to respond with some babble or words.

Then you pause, and the baby will pick up on that and babble again.

You are teaching the art of conversation.

Try it! You will be amazed.

When babies begin to make babbling sounds, they start with lots of “p” “b” and “m” sounds.

If you say a lot of words using those sounds, you will be helping to develop their language skills.

Sing songs starting all of the words with the same letter sounds.

Have a conversation with your baby and use the same sound over and over again.

Current research is saying that babbling is a very important sign of good language development.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence – Sing the melody of a familiar song using the same sound for the words. Using the beginning sound of your baby’s name is a good way to start.

For developing the idea – Repeat the same sound several times and then put it in a word. For example, ba, ba, ba, ba, ball. If you are using the baby’s name, say his name after repeating his beginning sound.

For moving forward – Using the sounds that your baby makes, imitate those sounds and add words that start with those sounds.

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In and Out

Early experiences shape the way circuits are made in the brain.

Understanding spatial concepts like in, out, over, under, and behind are important for brain development.

Playing games that encourage this understanding will benefit your baby in future years.

Start with inside and outside. Take a large paper sack¾the kind that your cat would like¾and put a favorite toy inside. Help your baby find the toy and take it out.

Put it back in again and keep playing the game over and over. Soon your baby will put the toy inside the sack by himself.

Make up a silly song or group of words, such as the one below, and say it each time you put the toy back into the sack.

Sacky, wacky, toysie, woysie
Boom, boom, boom (say the last boom in a bigger voice)

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence – Play the game several times and compliment your baby each time he takes the toy out of the sack or puts it into the sack.

For developing the idea – Give him a different toy and ask him to put it into the sack and take it out.

For moving forward – Find different containers to put toys into. Perhaps a basket, a box or a bowl.

Rain on the Green Grass

These games will help to grow the brains of infants and toddlers. Whether it’s through singing, dancing, cuddling, rocking, talking, smelling, or tasting, you can encourage the brain pathways to make new connections.

Activities for Toddlers

My name is…..
This is a game that I play in my classes for parents and babies. It is very popular.

You will need a brightly colored rhythm stick. A lummi stick is perfect because of the small size.

You will also need some smiley face stickers

Decorate the stick with the smiley face stickers.

The ideal situation for this game is to have one adult with each child. That way, if the child is not speaking yet, the adult can speak for them and move their arms up and down.

Seat the children in a circle and pass the stick around one child at a time. The child who is holding the stick taps it on the floor and says "My name is -----, and I like -----." Then she passes it on to the next child.
The children really enjoy this game and also discover that they have similar likes. This game is also excellent for eye-hand coordination and language development.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence: Say to the child, “I like the way you hit the stick and told what you liked.”

For developing the idea: Ask the child, “Can you tell me other things that you like?”

For moving forward: Say to the child, “Let's draw some pictures of things that you like.”

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Rain on the Green Grass
Say the following poem together:
Rain on the green grass
Rain on the trees
Rain on the rooftops
But not on me

Let the children name three things that it can rain on. For example, sidewalk, kitty cat, and windows. Always end with the same last line "But not on me."

Rain on the sidewalk
Rain on the kitty cat
Rain on the windows
But not on me!

Continue to name things that can be rained on and then put them in the rhyme.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence: “Let’s say the rain poem again.”

For developing the idea:  “Let’s look out the window see the different places the rain could fall.”

For moving forward:  "How does rain feel? How does rain smell? How does rain taste?"

Jack In the Box and Babies Love Faces Activities

These games will help to grow the brains of infants and toddlers. Whether it’s through singing, dancing, cuddling, rocking, talking, smelling, or tasting, you can encourage the brain pathways to make new connections.

Activities for Infants

Jack in the Box
Repeating a small motor skill, such as squeezing a squeaky toy, develops neural circuits that move from the brain’s thinking areas into the motor cortex and out to the nerves that move the muscles. Encourage babies to practice small motor skills to stimulate brain growth. This is a wonderful game to help fine motor development.

Show your baby how to make a fist.

Then take the thumb of his other hand and put it into his closed fist.

Practice opening and closing his hand to make a fist.

Now practice pulling his thumb in and out of his fist.

Say the following rhyme.

Jack in the box
You sit so still – thumb is in the fist
Can you come out?
Yes, I will. – pull thumb out of the fist
Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence: "Can you show me your thumb? Can you make a fist?”

For developing the idea: “Can you put your thumb in my fist? (hold out your fist)
Can you put your thumb in your fist?”

For moving forward: Take a favorite stuffed toy and show your little one how to take the toy’s hand or paw and put it into his fist.

Say the poem again and play the game.

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Babies Love Faces
Babies are very content when they look at faces.

When your baby sees your face, she will be happy and delighted.

Say the following poem with your face about eight to twelve inches from your baby’s face:

Hello, hello, I love you very much.
Hello, hello, my fingers they can touch.
Hello, hello, I’ll touch your little nose. (touch baby’s nose) Hello, hello, I’ll kiss your little nose. (kiss baby’s nose) 

Repeat this poem and change the last two lines to different parts of your baby’s face - ears, eyes, cheeks, lips.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence: Say the poem again and give your baby a kiss at the end of each line of the poem.

For developing the idea:  Change your voice as you say the poem. Babies love to hear “parentese” voices. (high pitched)

For moving forward: Say the poem while holding a toy doll. Take the baby’s hand and put it on the doll’s nose, cheek, and parts of the body in the poem.

Babbles and Music & Rock-a-Bye Baby

These games will help to grow the brains of infants and toddlers. Whether it’s through singing, dancing, cuddling, rocking, talking, smelling, or tasting, you can encourage the brain pathways to make new connections.

Music Activities

Babbles and Music
When babies start to babble, they begin with open vowels (Ohs and Ahs).

Next are new sounds and combinations, with Ps, Ms, Bs, and Ds.

Sing a song using the same vowel sound for the words. A good song is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Instead of “Twinkle, twinkle, little star,” it could be “ma ma ma ma ma ma ma.”

When your baby hears you sing with the same sound, he will try to mimic you. Current research is saying that babbling is a very important sign of good language development.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence: Sing a familiar song with the same vowel sound. When your baby starts to copy you, praise her and give her a hug.

For developing the idea: While your baby is singing along with you, clap her hands together and sing with great enthusiasm.

For moving forward: Sing the same song and change the vowel sound every two lines. Starting with “ma ma” and “ dada” is familiar to your baby and is a good way to start.

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Rock-a-Bye Baby
Rock-a-bye baby in the tree top
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all

Providing warm, responsive care to young children strengthens their biological systems and help them handle their emotions. A strong, secure connection with your child will help him withstand the ordinary stresses of daily life.

Hold your child in your arms and rock him back and forth as you sing lullabies and other soothing songs, such as the following:
            Goodnight, Irene
            Hush Little Baby
            Kumbaya
            Rock-a-Bye Baby
            Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
            By’m Bye
            Sleep Baby Sleep

Use a rocking motion to calm your child and develop trust between the two of you.

After the last line of the song, hold your toddler close and give him a big hug.

Brain research says that exposure to music affects spatial-temporal reasoning. Such reasoning underlies math, engineering, and other disciplines.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence: Sing the song and rock your child in different places and at different times of the day.
For developing the idea: Sing the song while your child holds a doll or stuffed animal and rocks it in his arms.

For moving forward: Act out the song and fall down at the appropriate place.

Products from Discount School Supply® that I recommend:
Size and Shape Puzzles - Set of 6 (SSPS6)
Sound Puzzle Box (AP21J)
Indestructible™ Infant Books - Set of 6 (INDY)

Ordering a Pizza & Pass the Potato

These games will help to grow the brains of infants and toddlers. Whether it’s through singing, dancing, cuddling, rocking, talking, smelling, or tasting, you can encourage the brain pathways to make new connections.

Activities for Toddlers
Communication with a young child creates the patterns for understanding. Laughter, especially, helps in releasing feel good chemicals and responses in the body, thereby increasing attachment and feelings of self-worth.  

Ordering a PizzaYou will need pictures of pizza.

Ask the children if their parents have ever ordered a pizza by telephone.

Talk about what information you would give on the phone.

What kind of pizza?

What size pizza?

Your name.

Your address.

Your telephone.

Have a pretend conversation with the children and order a pizza.

After you have played this a few times, you will see the children start to play this game with their friends.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence –Ask the child “what kind of pizza do you like to eat?”

For developing the idea –Tell the child that you are going to pretend to talk on the phone and order a pizza. As the child to tell you what he would like on his pizza.

For moving forward – Look at the pictures of different pizzas and talk about what others like to eat on their pizza.

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Pass the Potato  You will need pictures of potatoes and a large russet potato.

Talk about all of the ways that you can cook a potato…boil, fry, mash, bake, etc

Sit the children in a circle and sing the following to the tune of the song "London Bridges."

Round the circle, here it comes

Here it come, here it comes

Round the circle, here it comes

Pass the potato
As the children are singing this rhyme, they pass the russet potato from one to another. When the rhyme is finished, the child left holding the potato gets to come into the circle and pretend he is eating a potato. He can also tell what kind of potato he is eating...mashed, fried, boiled, etc.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence – Let the children tell you what kind of potatoes they like.
For developing the idea – What sound does the word “potato” start with?

For moving forward – I’ll name some words and you tell me if they have the same sound as “potato.” Pig, party, happy, funny, pony……etc.

Cardboard Music & Animal Songs

These games will help to grow the brains of infants and toddlers. Whether it’s through singing, dancing, cuddling, rocking, talking, smelling, or tasting, you can encourage the brain pathways to make new connections.

Music Activities for Infants and Toddlers

Cardboard Music
Playing this game will develop rhythm and memory.

You will need a toilet tissue paper tube (ARTROLL) for each child.

Show the children how to make a musical sound by singing into the tube.

If you sing "toot, toot, toot" you will make an interesting sound.

Try "toot tooting" familiar songs like " Happy Birthday" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

Playing this game is a forerunner to playing a kazoo and later perhaps a wind instrument.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence – Ask the child to toot a song and you sing along.

For developing the idea - Try tooting the songs in a high voice and a low voice.

For moving forward – Pick out three favorite songs and play them together. Let the child choose which song he will toot in the morning, the afternoon and the evening. 

If your child is enjoying this, change to new songs every few days.

This is a great pre-cursor to poetry and reading in general.

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Animal Songs
This activity encourages creativity, cognitive thinking and the joy of singing.

Young children are particularly fond of songs, games and books about animals. 

The more that you sing with your child, the better language he will have and the better reader he will be.

Here are some songs about animals. Can you think of some more?

Itsy Bitsy Spider, Five Little Ducks, Old Macdonald, All the Fish, Shoo Fly, Bingo, and Hickory Dickory Dock.

A wonderful website to find Animal Songs is Kididdles.com.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:For building confidence –Sing an animal song with the child and praise him for doing such a good job.

For developing the idea - Pick an animal song and ask the child to make the sound of that animal. Now sing the song in the animal voice that the child made.

For moving forward – Make up a song with the child about an animal. It’s best to use a familiar tune like “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Here is an example.

Bobby had a little dog, little dog, little dog,
Bobby had a little dog
It’s fur was black and white.

Products from Discount School Supply® that I recommend:
Indestructibles™ Nursery Rhymes Books - Set of 6 (INDY2)
Maestro Baby Instruments - Set of 4 (MAESTRO)
Circus Sorting Train Banner - 29 Pieces (CHUCHU)

Giggle Box & Sweet Little Bunny Activities

These games will help to grow the brains of infants and toddlers. Whether it’s through singing, dancing, cuddling, rocking, talking, smelling, or tasting, you can encourage the brain pathways to make new connections.
Activities for Infants
Communication with a young child creates the patterns for understanding. 

Laughter, especially, helps in releasing feel good chemicals and responses in the body, thereby increasing attachment and feelings of self-worth.

Giggle Box
Help your baby know how special she is by imitating and mimicking her sounds.
When your little ones begins to giggle, giggle right along.

Laugh often and show spontaneous joy at what your baby can do.
Bring a favorite toy to life. Take that teddy bear or puppet and have it dance, sing, and move about. Be prepared for lots of giggles.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence – Let the favorite toy jump up and down while you laugh together.

For developing the idea - Do some more actions with the stuffed animal. Rock it in your arms and sing a song.

For moving forward – Give the stuffed animal to your baby and let him rock the toy or move it up and down. You may need to help him at the beginning.

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Sweet Little Bunny
You will need a toy bunny.

Hold the stuffed animal in your hands and say the following:

Sweet little bunny hopping on the ground - hold the bunny and hop it up and down
Sweet little bunny looking all around - turn the bunny around

Look up high - hold the bunny high in the air

Look down low - bring the bunny down to the ground

Run, run, run

Oh, Oh, Oh, - run with the bunny

Sweet little bunny, where did you go? - hide the bunny behind your back

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence – After saying the poem again, give the stuffed animal to your child. Ask her to hold the bunny high and hold the bunny low. Move her hands up and down as you ask these questions.

For developing the idea – Hold your child in your arms and say the poem letting her hold the stuffed animal. Move her arms accordingly with all of the actions.

For moving forward – Pretend you are the bunny and do the actions in the poem. Encourage your little one to copy you. 

Two books that go nicely with this activity are:
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter