Dear parents/grandparents,

A couple of you asked about suggestions for things to do with your older baby.

Being in the moment with your baby, and toddler too, holding, gently rocking and singing or humming your favourite tune will show your love to your baby but will calm you as well. Love grows brains! Now we know you can never love your baby too much or “spoil” them by showing your love and responding to their needs.

Answer your baby’s noises and babbles, mirror your baby’s attempts to communicate by saying it back,  include some sound imitation for your toddlers as well (clock: tick-tock, vacuum “brrrrmmmm” etc.). And don’t forget a real mirror, baby’s love seeing their own faces as well and making silly sounds with you and baby in front of the mirror will bring delight.

Talk as you go about your day, as you change, feed, bath your baby (talk about what you are doing, looking lovingly into her/his eyes). Talk when you are inside or outside about what you see.

Babies learn about the world around them through their senses. Letting your baby touch  and feel silky flowers, bumpy bark, smooth rocks; hang the things that move in a window where there is a breeze (ribbons, balloons, old CD that reflects the light). Baby and toddlers will love watching the movement. Let them explore everyday objects (spoons, clean containers, put scarves or socks into empty tissue box and let them pull it out).

  • Vary your game of Peek a boo with many different objects, silky scarves, plushy blankets, bristly towel, prickly bamboo place mat and let your baby explore later the texture too.  You can put a small blanket over your head and have your child lift it to find you. For walking baby, you can hide behind a tree and pop -up and surprise them.
  • With you and your older baby/toddler sit close on the floor facing each other with both of your legs apart in a “V “shape – roll the ball, ball of yarn, empty container of Lysol wipes or an empty plastic bottle to each other.
  • Use anything (safe) to make noise with your baby, several spoons make a great clinking, metallic sound, banging on the empty coffee container will give you muffled, rhythmic sound etc.
  • Older babies/toddlers  practice taking things in and out , provide one container with soft animals/toys and one one on the other side of the room. You can show them how to take the toy out, hugging it and walking with it and dropping it into empty box.
  • Read together, babies are never too young for books.

Click here if you want to download a wonderful resource MOVE: Move with me from birth to three. It will take you to  DECODA Literacy Now website.