Learning activities for 6 - 12 month old infants
When babies are born, we always have the following concerns in mind: Are they functioning normally (physically and mentally)? Do they display the reflexes that newborns tend to display? Is their brain functioning OK? When they're well into their first, second, and third months, people are also worried about whether their babies are reaching particular milestones or not, and tend to compare them with other babies they know. During their coming months, they come to wonder: How can I make my baby smarter? What kind of games can I play with him? How can I improve her auditory perception? Is music good for babies' brain development? When should babies start listening to music? When should I start reading to my baby? And the list goes on...
In reality, babies are different (although most babies tend to follow a specific schedule for achieving physical, cognitive, and social/emotional milestones). What one baby can do at a particular month doesn't necessarily be the case for another baby. Still, it would be fun, exciting, and helpful to those babies to entertain them with games that stimulate their brains and senses as a way of helping them reach their optimal cognitive, social, and emotional development. Even though each child is unique in reaching his or her maturational readiness, you can be of tremendous help to them.
So what kind of games are suitable for young infants, and would enhance their overall brain development? Below is a list of games you can play with your six to twelve-month-old infants that build their set of skills and enhance their overall development. I hope you enjoy them!
1) Peek-a-boo. You will need small toys or books and a blanket. Partially hide the object underneath the blanket and ask the baby where it is. If the baby removes the blanket, then he has mastered the concept of object permanence (i.e. knowing that an object exists even if it's out of sight. This is likely to be achieved at around 6 to 7 months of age). You can vary the activity by hiding the object completely under the blanket.
Skills: Object permanence, fine motor skills
2) Stacking. You will need colored plastic cups. Stack the cups and knock them down, and let the baby do the same.
Skills: Understanding cause and effect, fine motor skills
3) Puzzles. You will need wooden puzzles. This activity is good for older infants, like 12 months old.
Skills: Problem solving, fine motor skills, visual skills
4) Reading. That's the simplest yet most meaningful activity you can do with an infant or child. Just grab a picture book with lots of colors, and don't even worry about moving away from the text.
Skills: Language development, listening skills
5) Clap with me. Teach them how to clap with a twist: add a rhyme to it. Infants will absolutely love this game.
Skills: Imitation, rhyming
6) Rhyme time. You can just make up your own rhymes, or learn some off the internet.
Skills: Develops auditory discrimination
7) Shake a bottle. That's just an alternative, more fun form of rattling. Fill an empty, transparent plastic bottle with rice and shake it. Let the baby do the same.
Skills: Understands cause and effect, develops auditory discrimination, develops fine motor skills
8) Light show. You will need a transparent cup filled with water, and mini flashlights. Place the flashlights in the water and get on your tummy with the baby. Show him or her the light in the water.
Skills: Visual sensory stimulation, eye movement skills, sustained attention, socialization and bonding, body movement
9) Family photo album. Look at photos from a family photo album. Point to faces and say names.
Skills: Visual perception, basic understanding of facial features
10) Umbrella sensory play. You will need a rainbow umbrella, and different objects of different shapes and textures. Stick or attach them to the umbrella, and get underneath the umbrella with the baby. Play with the objects and name them.
Skills: Visual processing
In reality, babies are different (although most babies tend to follow a specific schedule for achieving physical, cognitive, and social/emotional milestones). What one baby can do at a particular month doesn't necessarily be the case for another baby. Still, it would be fun, exciting, and helpful to those babies to entertain them with games that stimulate their brains and senses as a way of helping them reach their optimal cognitive, social, and emotional development. Even though each child is unique in reaching his or her maturational readiness, you can be of tremendous help to them.
So what kind of games are suitable for young infants, and would enhance their overall brain development? Below is a list of games you can play with your six to twelve-month-old infants that build their set of skills and enhance their overall development. I hope you enjoy them!
1) Peek-a-boo. You will need small toys or books and a blanket. Partially hide the object underneath the blanket and ask the baby where it is. If the baby removes the blanket, then he has mastered the concept of object permanence (i.e. knowing that an object exists even if it's out of sight. This is likely to be achieved at around 6 to 7 months of age). You can vary the activity by hiding the object completely under the blanket.
Skills: Object permanence, fine motor skills
2) Stacking. You will need colored plastic cups. Stack the cups and knock them down, and let the baby do the same. Skills: Understanding cause and effect, fine motor skills
3) Puzzles. You will need wooden puzzles. This activity is good for older infants, like 12 months old.
Skills: Problem solving, fine motor skills, visual skills
4) Reading. That's the simplest yet most meaningful activity you can do with an infant or child. Just grab a picture book with lots of colors, and don't even worry about moving away from the text.
Skills: Language development, listening skills
5) Clap with me. Teach them how to clap with a twist: add a rhyme to it. Infants will absolutely love this game.
Skills: Imitation, rhyming
6) Rhyme time. You can just make up your own rhymes, or learn some off the internet.
Skills: Develops auditory discrimination
7) Shake a bottle. That's just an alternative, more fun form of rattling. Fill an empty, transparent plastic bottle with rice and shake it. Let the baby do the same.
Skills: Understands cause and effect, develops auditory discrimination, develops fine motor skills
8) Light show. You will need a transparent cup filled with water, and mini flashlights. Place the flashlights in the water and get on your tummy with the baby. Show him or her the light in the water.
Skills: Visual sensory stimulation, eye movement skills, sustained attention, socialization and bonding, body movement
9) Family photo album. Look at photos from a family photo album. Point to faces and say names.
Skills: Visual perception, basic understanding of facial features
10) Umbrella sensory play. You will need a rainbow umbrella, and different objects of different shapes and textures. Stick or attach them to the umbrella, and get underneath the umbrella with the baby. Play with the objects and name them. Skills: Visual processing
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