Category: 10 to 12 months old

Calming Sensory Play

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Veronika was uncharacteristically fussy this afternoon, so I knew exactly which sensory game to pull out. All you need is a large bin, a bulk bag of rice, and lavender essential oil.

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Pour the rice into the bin. Add just two to three drops of lavender oil; you really don’t want more than that, as essential oils are quite potent. Be aware, too, that lavender oil can cause skin reactions and stop immediately if you notice your baby having one.

First, I simply let Veronika smell the oil. She seemed calmer already!

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I put a few cups into the bin and poured the rice back and forth.

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The scent drifted up to us instantly, and Veronika was hooked. I showed her how to let the rice run through her fingers and she followed suit.

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She was soon quite busy, digging in her fingers and trying out the cups.

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Then she discovered that when she picked up a handful of rice and tossed it on the floor, it made a satisfying scattering sound.

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She continued this with such pleasure that I didn’t mind the mess, and clean-up was an easy matter of using a dust pan once she was through.

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And at the end, she truly did seem calmer than when we had started.

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Clapping Games

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We took a little pause today for musical and rhythmic fun with the most basic instrument of all – our clapping hands! I sat down and did a simple clapping pattern for Veronika: lap once, clap twice.

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She froze, enthralled, and then almost instantly began trying to copy me. Her “lap” tended to tap on her chest, but I could tell she was trying intently to copy my rhythm.

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I recruited big brother Travis who made up the next pattern. He was proud of his rhythm, involving numerous taps on legs and then clapping.

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Veronika started bouncing with excitement. You could practically see the rhythm in her whole body as we “danced” to our clapping instrument hands.

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We added music to really make it a dance party and continued clapping and bopping in simple patterns. This was such a beautiful pause in an otherwise hectic day. So don’t forget how rhythmic babies are naturally, almost from birth, and get clapping!

Chalk Drawings

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I took advantage of some late warm weather to get out on the patio today! Since Veronika has shown she can make art with a crayon instead of putting it straight to her mouth, I dared to give her chalk.

She loved it! As soon as she saw me making colors on the pavement, she scribbled along in imitation.

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Orange was a clear favorite.

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Meanwhile, I made big strokes with the chalk pieces and talked about their colors. It’s also fun to draw shapes or letters for your baby. Veronika was happy just scribbling away next to me!

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So pull out the chalk and enjoy a little art pause with your baby! I’d love to hear how it goes in the comments.

Mirror Dance

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Here’s a little game that can grow more sophisticated the older your baby gets. Veronika is just starting to copy movements, including signing words back to me. It shows that she’s very attuned to others’ body movements, so today we made a dance of it.

I sat down facing her and first, I copied her moves! This is a great way to teach your baby the concept of mirroring.

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So when she popped down a toy piece with her finger, I followed suit.

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And when she put her thumb in the hole of a bead, so did I.

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Then it was mommy’s turn to be the leader! Could she tap two beads together? Yes she could!

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Clap hands? Yup!

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For some extra fun, we took the game in front of a real mirror. She was, admittedly, distracted by being near fun things like sinks and faucets, but if I tapped on the glass, she tapped on the glass!

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I showed her a few other moves, too, like tapping her head or touching her nose.

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This is almost like a baby version of “Simon Says”. Keep playing, and see what your baby will copy!

Bear Hugs

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Some days just call for extra hugs, and here’s an extra fun way to give them. I first demonstrated on a teddy bear to get Veronika giggling. Give a stuffed bear (or any stuffed animal) a big hug, then…

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… tickle tickle tickle! I gave Veronika the bear so she could hug and tickle, which earned a big smile. Now it was her turn. I scooped her into my arms for a big hug, then started tickling gently over her back and tummy.

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She ended with big giggles before we needed a repeat!

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As with any tickling game, make sure your little one is enjoying the activity and stop as soon as he or she shows discomfort.

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But I’d say we had a bear-y good time.

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Go to the Fair

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Fair goats

It’s been a while since I posted a suggested field trip for your baby, but with the season of fall festivals upon us, I remembered: the fair!

Although the under-age-one set will be too young for any rides, there is so much else to see and do at a fair. Veronika loved watching her big brother play all the games to start, under crisp fall sunshine.

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She delighted in the baby goats and other animals to see and feel, and got to take in the sights, sounds, and smells listening to music over a picnic table lunch.

Fall festivals often include family-friendly fare like hay rides, pumpkin patches, and more. So get out there and enjoy before the season is over!

Board of Curiosities

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Although I’d never heard of them before, there is apparently a genre of Montessori busy boards featuring tactile items for toddlers to lift, open, spin, twist, turn, and otherwise manipulate, which are quite popular. These boards are not cheap (some of the more bespoke ones on Etsy run upwards of $150!) but you can purchase a relatively cheap alternative at sites like Amazon.

If you’re feeling truly crafty, make your own from upcycled items around the house – a doorbell, an old latch, a panel to lift – and attach securely to a wooden or fiberboard frame. The key is things your baby can manipulate to hone those fine motor skills.

I wasn’t feeling that crafty, so did opt for a mid-priced version from the store. And Veronika loved it! As she played, I used verb words to talk about her actions. She could spin…

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…twist…

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….open or unlatch…

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And more! Her favorite turned out to be a little button.

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Although not actually an old doorbell, every time she switched the button from one position to the other I said, “Ding dong!”

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As you can tell from her smile, this was a huge hit.

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The “busy” part of these boards is that they can keep your little one occupied while you do other things around the house.

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A win-win!

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Wooden Puzzles

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We were out and about a lot today, but I did take time to focus on one classic activity with Veronika: wooden puzzles.

For this age (11 months old), find puzzles with knobs that your little one can easily grab and lift.

There are two versions I like. In the first, a colored shape is on top, and an image is revealed underneath. When you play with these, name the image as your baby makes it appear!

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The second kind has the image visible from on top, but the fun comes when the puzzle piece goes back into the frame and makes a sound. Veronika and I played with wild animals first…

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…and then domestic animals.

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Again, point to the picture and name the object or animal while your little one puzzles.

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Veronika was so enamored with the duck piece that she made me do that shape over and over, and I think was trying to say quack!

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This is her, “Mom you better do that duck again,” face.

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Obliged!

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Wooden puzzles like these are great not just for little fingers, but for little minds, too.

Hidden Treasure

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Today Veronika learned to dig! Despite somewhat chilly temps, we headed to the sand play area of our local playground armed with a bright ball and a shovel.

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I sat Veronika down and – making sure she was watching – showed her that I was digging a hole. I placed the ball in and covered it back up with sand, making sure some of the bright purple was easily visible.

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Now I showed her how to uncover it!

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She was a quick study. She immediately wanted her own turn with the shovel, whether to dig for the ball, or simply to dig a nice hole in the ground.

You can make the game harder as you move along. On the next round, I left even less of the ball visible, but Verouinka wasn’t fooled!

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Work your way up to hiding the ball (or any other bright object) when your baby isn’t looking, and see if he or she will know to dig it up. This is not only great for fine motor skills, but also object permanence!

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Make Your Own Soft Play Area

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Ball pits in children’s playspaces can be intimidating for the littlest tykes; inevitably there are bigger kids splashing and jumping around, not to mention the pits are deep when you’re only 11 months old! To let her join in on the fun, I made Veronika her own “ball pit” today.

Cover a floor space with a soft blanket and line the area with pillows (or you could even recycle the baby tub for this game!).

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I dumped in a package of soft play balls (look for these on Amazon.com). She was delighted.

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I showed her how to swish her hands around in the balls…

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…and we buried her toes, then found them again!

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We added some crumpled newspaper “balls” for extra texture, but she didn’t like those as much.

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It turned out that this pit was also great for learning to climb up and over pillows, an inadvertent bonus.

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She loved crawling in, fetching out a ball, bringing it somewhere, and then heading back in again. It easily filled an afternoon of play!

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