It’s too early for babies to have chocolate before one year old, because of the caffeine. Try carob powder instead, for a sweet treat!
Ingredients:
Veronika is nearly 11 months old (!), an age when babies love to imitate the big people in their lives. So today, at various points throughout the day, I let her be my little helper.
First, she loves to grab the cloth when I clean up her highchair tray after a meal. Once the initial messy mess is gone, I let her use the cloth to continue to “clean” the tray. What a helper!
Veronika also loves to “mother” her dollie. So after a diaper change, I gave her an extra diaper and let her take care of baby.
She looked so proud of herself! This version of the game is great fun on a teddy bear, too.
Finally, now is a great time to get little ones actively involved in clean-up. As I sort books or toys into bins and boxes, Veronika gets to help out. Don’t expect your baby to get it just right, but by starting to mirror your actions, little ones feel like big important people, too!
Most often I carve out time to play learning games with Veronika during the day, but there are also unique opportunities for games at night. Namely, flashlight games! This one is fun for getting your little one interested in colors, and works better the darker it gets.
Set out a variety of play scarves in different colors, and take turns shining a flashlight on them. As you do so, name the color.
Veronika loved watching the light move from scarf to scarf,
…and wanted a chance to hold the flashlight too, of course!
Once it’s very dark, hold the flashlight right up to a scarf and shine against the wall; you’ll see the colors reflected back, a beautiful effect.
Big brother loved helping out as flashlight holder, which makes this a great way to involve older siblings in a little one’s bedtime routine.
What games do you play with your baby after dark? Please share in the comments!
joyful parenting 