Infant-Toddler Activities
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Click. Coach. Connect. Handout Nurturing the infant: Learning about me and the world Developmentally engaging experiences for children birth to 12 months nfant-toddler professionals should nurture development in babies from Ithe very first days of life, giving them engaging experiences that prepare them for later, more specific, learning in areas like math, science, music, and literacy. “Children are born with an incredible capacity and desire to learn…it is essential that children’s first experiences are robust ones, steeped in activities that develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, a deep understanding about themselves in a social society, and age-appropriate content” (PDE and DHS 2014). The goal of these encounters is to create opportunities for the baby to fully explore the world through her senses. These events will create “habits of mind” (Austin and Hynes-Berry 2015). Developmentally appropriate choices Who am I? Who are you? Teachers should intentionally select The caregiver’s face and a baby’s own body parts—fingers, activities that match the observed toes, belly—are some of the most intriguing play toys that interests or skills of a specific an infant can explore. Help him learn about himself and others. “Damian, I see you found your fingers. Those are child. Engaging, developmentally YOUR fingers. Do they taste good in your mouth?” appropriate activities should extend an already known ability Display family pictures and talk about who is in the picture. or present an opportunity for the With a baby seated on a caregiver’s lap, take her hands and child to explore a developmentally clap each syllable of her first name, “Mel-a-nie.” Next, clap appropriate “next step.” For the caregiver’s name, “Kei-sha.” Continue by adding middle a reminder on typical infant name and last name. development, download this infant Name feelings—“You are frustrated.” “You are startled.” development milestone chart. “You are hungry.” “Your stomach hurts.” continued on following page . 191 CCC_IT-A.indd continued from previous page . If a newborn is crying a lot and isn’t soothed by the typical responses, consider that the baby may be overstimulated. Dim lights, reduce noise in the room, or change the baby’s clothes. Sometimes the texture of a onesie or sock is irritating and the baby cannot communicate the discomfort except by crying. Secure floor-level, unbreakable How the world works mirrors (acrylic mirror sheets) in the room. Ask, “Where’s baby?” Figuring out how the world works is in children’s DNA. By their first birthday, Move away and then ask, “Where babies have watched, listened, touched, tasted, and smelled for thousands did baby go?” Move back in front of hours. Their rapidly developing brains have noticed differences, routines, of the mirror and say, “There’s the and how to make things happen. According to the Early Math Collaborative, baby!” Repeat as the baby shows (n.d.) when a baby learns attributes of an object, that is a “precursor” math interest in her own reflection skill. Adults can help nurture this foundational cognitive work. and in yours. Describe her eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair, etc., while Provide books with real photographs of natural objects, animals, and people. looking in the mirror. As a caregiver mixes water into formula or thins pureed food with juice, let Place an acrylic mirror on the floor the baby watch. Invite her to mix water with food coloring or mix cornstarch and allow the infant to finger paint and water on a feeding tray. As the child feels the texture of the ingredients, on it. Press a piece of paper on the describe in words what she is experiencing. “It’s getting lumpy. It’s sticking finger-painted creation and then to your fingers.” “Oh, look, the blue color moves up there when you drag carefully lift it off. A print of the your finger through the puddle.” work on the mirror will be captured Allow the infant to touch to save and share with the family or her pureed baby food or display in the room. to squish diced vegetables between her fingers. Ask if a child wants help before solving a situation (e.g., “You want the ball. Can you reach it?”). continued on following page . 192 CCC_IT-A.indd continued from previous page . Allow infants to play with plastic, translucent shapes, and look at the world through these colored filters. Many providers use food, such as pudding Place sheets of colored cellophane on the windows. or applesauce, for creative sensory The sunlight will take on a new color as it shines exploration. In other programs, this practice through the sheets. is discouraged or prohibited. Sometimes this rule is in place to be consistent with Simply sitting up and tapping on a soft playground ball restrictions at the preschool level. Children helps an infant get her first, basic understanding of may be confused about when they can spheres and motion. Roll balls, cylinders, and toys back play with food and when they can’t. If the and forth. longer-term goal is for children to know the difference, providers may decide to use non- toxic substances that are not especially tasty A child with a disability such as cerebral palsy for creative play. may require adaptive seating as he grows. Adaptive seating helps with trunk support and increases his participation with peers. Place two sensory balls of different sizes near an infant who can sit unsupported. As the infant reaches and mouths or squeezes the ball, use comparison words to narrate what she is doing. “You picked the small bumpy ball. Oops, there it rolled away. I’ll get it. Do you want the big bumpy ball or the small bumpy ball now?” Introducing size words begins Blow bubbles near a child who is sitting up. Allow to establish a child’s her to reach for, swat at, or crawl after the bubbles. math measuring Encourage the baby to reach or crawl by wiggling a skills. soft, brightly colored fabric streamer. Gently bounce an infant on your knees, saying out loud “Bounce, bounce, bounce.” Then clap their hands together, saying “Clap, clap, clap.” This introduces the baby’s mind and body to patterning. When repeated, the baby gets his body ready to bounce when it’s time for the bounce in the sequence. Hold baby’s hands under running water to wash after a diaper change. Allow baby to splash her hands in a very tiny amount of water on a cafeteria tray. Or offer a water-soaked wash cloth for an infant to squish and squeeze on a tray. This sensory play builds fine motor strength. continued on following page . 193 CCC_IT-A.indd continued from previous page . Place a metal pot and a wooden spoon near an infant. Show the baby how two objects can make a funny References: sound when banged together. Make Austin, Ben and Mary Hynes- up a silly song as he bangs on the Berry. 2015. “Collaboration pot like a drum. with the Ounce Highlights Math Development in Children Place an unfamiliar object like a Ages 0-3.” Erikson Early Math small, plastic colander, a square Collaborative. of aluminum foil, or a gourd near the infant to observe and explore. Child Health Explanation. n.d. Encourage the infant to switch hands by offering a second object to hold. “Motor Skills Development Relaxing a hand into a flat palm and releasing an object is an important Process.” development achievement. The Early Math Collaborative. Repurpose a plastic snack barrel as a “drop and dump” toy. The infant drops toy n.d. “Precursor Concepts.” shapes, blocks, or metal lids into the container, dumps them out, and repeats. Erikson Institute. Gonzalez-Mena, Janet and As a child explores natural items in a basket, count them. If she is sitting taking river Dianne Wedmeyer Eyer. rocks out of a bucket and putting them on the ground, count “1 rock, 2 rocks…” 2009. Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers: A Curriculum Build small ramps. Count each object as it rolls down. Hand-over-hand, hold of Respectful, Responsive a little car or a ball at the top of the ramp. Help the infant release her grip and Care and Education, 8th ed. watch the toy roll down. A small section of vinyl gutter can be a great rolling McGraw Hill. trough. With a gentle slope and light-weight items, the baby can sit National Resource Center for unsupported at the bottom of the Health and Safety in Child chute and “catch” the item or allow Care and Early Education the moving toy to bump his toes. (NRC). Updated 2012. “Frequently Asked Questions: With adventurous teachers, infants CFOC3 Clarifications.” can paint. At any age an infant can Pennsylvania Departments experience non-toxic paint on her of Human Services and hands, toes, or belly. This works best Education. 2014. “PA when an infant wears only a diaper. Learning Standards for Early Once an infant is able to sit up and Childhood—Infants and crawl, she can “paint” with her Toddlers.” Office of Child body—patting in puddles of paint Development and Early and then moving over a big sheet of Learning. paper. She can drag paint-dipped fingers over paper taped to a tray. Pennsylvania Office of Child Paint with one or two infants at a Development and Early time. Have extra staff on hand to Learning. n.d. “Building Blocks help with clean up. A few drops of for Babies.” dish detergent in the paint makes clean up easier. Occupy other children with play experiences at another space in the room. Zero to Three.