You don’t need a screen to provide your infant with moving entertainment; just pause in front of a fish tank instead!

Now, a caveat is needed here. I do not advocate for fish swimming around and around in small bowls, or for locations with dirty tanks. But some places do truly have beautiful displays, including our local library and pediatricians office. Should you find yourself in front of a similarly-cared-for tank, simply aim your child’s eyes at the fish, and talk about everything you see.

That’s free entertainment of course, but if you want to take things a step further, bring your baby to the nearest aquarium. Today, Travis and I took Veronika on a field trip to marvel at the colors and motions of the ocean!

Travis loved pointing out the aquatic life to his little sister.

And she in turn stared wide-eyed.

As she gazed, I described everything she was seeing. You can mention colors (especially on vivid tropical fish), as well as patterns like stripes or spots.

We also talked about movement, the various sizes of the different fish, and more.

Whoops, the sharks might have been a little too scary!

But they sure were cool.

In sum, you can’t go wrong with an aquarium adventure. Veronika was able to see so many new things in one day, and to marvel at motion and light and color. Your child might not understand what a fish is yet, but will love the opportunity to learn.