Category: 3 to 6 months

What Happens Next?

Leave a comment

What Happens (6).JPG

If you follow along with the Wonder Weeks for your infant (which I loosely do; I like to be aware when a wonder week is approaching, but have never used the app or explored further resources), then watch for one at about 19 weeks old. Veronika is right on schedule with this Wonder leap, as she starts to understand the sequence of events. It’s an exciting development for your baby, so don’t be upset by a day or two of unusual fussiness!

To help Veronika through the leap, today we played a game simply called, “what happens next?” As much as I could throughout the day, I talked about what would happen next with each action. Some were easy. Hold out your arms and say, “I’m going to pick you up next.” And then do!

What Happens (2)

Cause-and-effect toys work great for this game. What happens if I shake rice in a container? It makes a noise!

What Happens (3)

What happens next if I wind up a jack-in-the-box? The bunny pops out!

What Happens (4)

You can also walk around the house looking for cause-and-effect. Think light switches, faucets, or other easily observable changes.

What Happens (5)

And of course, as you’re getting your little one dressed or doing diaper changes, talk through it step-by-step. “Next I’m going to put on your diaper!” “Next we’ll put on your pajamas!” Even though she doesn’t entirely follow, Veronika babbles and smiles along whenever we chat like this.

What Happens (7)

What happens next? A big kiss I think!

Ready to Clap

Leave a comment

Ready to Clap (2)

Following up on Patty Cake, today Veronika and I played another game to prep her for clapping. This time, she automatically tried to clap one of my hands between her two, almost as if it were a toy. This is a great first step towards bringing her own two hands together.

To make clapping fun, we put it to music of course – this time it was If You’re Happy and You Know It, concentrating on the first verse. 

I alternated clapping my own hands…

Ready to Clap (1)

…bringing her two hands together in an imitation clap..

Ready to Clap (3)

…letting her clap one of my hands between her two.

Ready to Clap (4)

…and even modeling on a teddy bear!

Ready to Clap (7)

We did then move on to the other verses, but only briefly. Get those baby toes tapping.

Ready to Clap (5).JPG

And those arms up for “hoorays”!

Ready to Clap (6)

This might be a fun activity to involve big siblings, too, who can help out with the motions.

Finally, a cute video never hurts. We love this version from Little Baby Bum. We’ll certainly have something to clap about soon when Veronika does her first real one!

Draw Your Baby’s Family Tree

Leave a comment

Family Tree (6)

Following up on our extra large photo album, today I made another project to help Veronika recognize and know the closest members of our family.

On a piece of construction paper, first draw a basic tree shape with markers.

Family Tree (1)

I added brown lines for each family member we’d include in an upside-down V (to look like each picture is hanging from a wire).

Family Tree (2)

Now cut faces from photos, and “hang” on your tree. Whoops, you’ll notice I had to leave a few spaces blank until my next trip to the drugstore, but you can always add to your tree as you go.

IMG_0004.JPG

Veronika and I talked through all the family members, which is great since some relatives live near and some far. Make sure to point to each person as you say the name.

Family Tree (4)

And don’t forget a picture of baby!

This tree works great for tummy time.

Family Tree (5)

It’s also nice if you hang it on the wall, especially in a place your little one lies often and can take in the details of the family slowly.

 

Feed the Ducks

Leave a comment

Feed the Ducks (6)

Why is it that ducks and their quacks are one of the first sounds we teach babies? Perhaps it’s because, unless you live on a farm, your little one is more likely to have easier access these fun birds than to other common sound animals (think cows, horses, pigs, etc.). Plus the “quack quack” sound is just so irresistibly fun to make and hear. So today, we took a field trip to the park with the specific agenda to check out the ducks.

Whether or not you’re visiting fowl friends, parks are a fantastic outing with your baby. Long before he or she is old enough to play on the playground, there’s so much to see and hear at the park.

Feed the Ducks (1)

You can sit on a warm bench in the sun, walk on easy paths, or just let your little one soak up the ambiance. Little kids will be wide-eyed watching the big kids move on the playground structures.

Feed the Ducks (3)

Veronika likes seeing big brother Travis swing!

Feed the Ducks (4)

After some playtime, we headed toward the pond to find ducks, and were quickly rewarded.

Feed the Ducks (5)

Veronika listened to all the quacking and observed the way the birds splashed through the water. While we watched, I sang the little nursery rhyme Five Little Ducks (which we later watched at home!).

Feed the Ducks (8)

If you’re going to feed the ducks, please take caution. I didn’t do my homework until after we returned, where I learned that the pita bread I had torn up (even into tiny pieces, and even only one handful) wasn’t the best option.

Feed the Ducks (7)

Instead, I could have tossed rolled oats or defrosted peas, both of which we had at home. Sorry ducks!

Extra Large Family Photo Album

Leave a comment

Large Album (2)

As your child becomes more familiar with faces, not just in the immediate family but of relatives as well, pictures are a big help. That way, family and friends whom baby sees often – but not every day – will become even more recognizable. This can also ease separation anxiety, if he or she is ever left alone with these friends and relatives.

To help, we made an extra big photo album today! This project isn’t fancy; I put the pics in a single=subject spiral notebook like you used to use in school.

Large Album (1)

Note: I would have made the pictures even bigger, except that printing costs go up as photo size goes up. But 5×7 prints seemed to work well, fitting nicely onto the pages of an 8×11 notebook.

I made a quick cover from construction paper, positioning the album in landscape mode.

On each page, affix a picture. I used tape so that no edges would curl up, which I feared would happen over time if I used glue.

Large Album (3)

You can add a caption under each picture, which means this album will do double-duty as your child ages, and wants to go through early memories!

Large Album (4)

Make sure to include lots of familiar faces, family friends, and big moments.

Large Album (5)

And of course, pictures of baby too! Infants love looking at themselves.

Large Album (11)

Veronika seemed fascinated when we flipped through. She wanted to reach out and turn the pages.

Large Album (10)

And seemed very clued in to the faces she was looking at.

Large Album (9)

Travis loved flipping through the album, too. Despite its very unprofessional appearance, we plan to add pictures as the months move forward, and we’re hoping this is an album we’ll treasure for years to come.

Large Album (8)

Can You Move Like Baby?

Leave a comment

Move Like Baby (6)

Travis is so excited at the ways Veronika is changing these days, more deliberate with her movements and much more vocal. I dare say I can step back and watch the two of them play now (!), which is mainly him being silly around her and trying to make her laugh. But today, it was Veronika’s turn to be the leader, and Travis’s turn to follow.

I challenged him to move in the same ways she did, and pretty soon we had lots of giggles and attempts to copy her little body.

First, he got under the playmat to bat at a toy next to her.

Move Like Baby (5)

Quality sibling time!

Move Like Baby (1)

We moved Veronika over to a blanket, where she was reaching for her socks and grabbing for her feet. Travis held on to his toes.

Move Like Baby (2)

She also gives lots of little kicks and arm wiggles these days, and it was hilarious to watch Travis imitate these motions.

Move Like Baby (4)

If your baby is rolling, older sibs can copy that, too. Meanwhile, catching the two of them doing tymmy time together was one of their most precious sibling moments yet.

Move Like Baby (3)

In sum, this is a great activity for older siblings or big cousins who are still wondering how they can interact with a new baby. It’s sure to produce lots of giggles in everyone. Thanks to Hands on As We Grow for the idea!

Quick Change Baby

Leave a comment

All Change (3)

Does it seem like your baby’s mood can change in a nanosecond? You’re not imagining things. Even a relatively mellow baby like Veronika can go from perfectly content to fussy in a moment, and every parent needs to be prepared for these occasions.

After you’ve ruled out the obvious – a hungry baby, a diaper change – sometimes a baby just needs a quick change of pace. Today, I focused on strategies for when these moments strike. Here she is happy one minute…

All Change (1)

…and oh no, cranky the next!

All Change (2)

My first go-to strategy is animal pictures. Veronika loves gazing at animals, so her Ranger Rick Cub magazine is perfect. If I open to one of the pages, she instantly calms.

All Change (5)

Second, find out what toys are your child’s favorite, and have those on hand. A cozy, favorite seat helps too. Today, Veronika got a little overstimulated watching her brother use a tracing toy…

All Change (6)

…but between this swing and her beloved “Joanna Banana,” she was suddenly all smiles.

All Change (7P

Uh oh, here she is getting fussy during tummy time.

All Change (4)

And when she’s really fussy, that’s when I call in the troops (Travis that is!). Big siblings have a knack for getting smiles out of babies when no one else can. A little dance and some soothing music (yes, that’s Mozart’s Symphony #40 you hear) might just do the trick.

In sum, pay attention to your child’s triggers, and be one step ahead. Armed with just a few things that can calm baby fast, you’ll outscam that quick change baby every time.

Introducing “In” and “Out”

Leave a comment

In and Out (2)

Today, Veronika and I focused on two important words: in and out!

First, we played an in/out game with a basket. Fill the basket with any favorite toys, then alternate putting them in and taking them out. We started with a big pile.

In and Out (1)

One by one I moved the items inside. “In,” I said each time, as she watched. “Out” was more fun, because with each one, I handed it to her for some exploration.

In and Out (3)

Come on out, cricket!

In and Out (4)

I realized, though, that this version of the game involved way too many toys. There was so much to play with and touch that “in” and “out” got lost in the verbal shuffle.

In and Out (5)

Instead, we played a second round using her fantastic shape boxes; these were perfect, as each one (in rectangle, triangle, square, and circle varieties) contains only 4 items of the same shape.

In and Out (7)

This time I simply said “out out out” or “in in in.”

In and Out (8)

Once that’s done, you can still focus on these words all day! I made a point of saying the words everywhere we went: in and out of the car, in and out of buildings, in and out of bed, etc.

IMG_20190308_092654.jpg

Think of all the ways you can teach the concept during the day, and make a point of emphasizing it for your child. He or she will soon tune right in to these two simple –  important! – words.

 

Toys That Light Up

Leave a comment

Light Up Toy (3)

My poor little girl has her first fever today, which was bound to happen after her older brother brought it home from school. It breaks my heart when babies are sick – more so than with big kids – because you can’t explain to them why they feel so crummy! She just wasn’t her usual self, with no smile on her face, and no interest in her favorite textured and crinkly toys.

Times like these, I reach for toys that light up, ideally ones that are easy for a baby to grab and hold onto at this age. The added visual element seems to perk up even the fussiest baby, which is also what makes light up toys great for when you’re on the go and a child is stuck in a car seat or stroller. That’s why our light-up puppy is Veronika’s go-to when we’re out and about.

Light Up Toy (4)

Indeed, the colorful elements on this little doggie rattle caught Veronika’s eye today, and she was enticed to reach for it despite feeling ill.

Light Up Toy (2)

The look on her face in these pictures just breaks my heart, but she’s trying!

Light Up Toy (1)

As a happy ending, here she is playing with the rattle once she was feeling much better in the afternoon.

Light Up Toy (5)

And the changing red and green lights still caught her eye.

Light Up Toy (6)

Get Out and About

Leave a comment

Art Gallery (8)

Veronika is four months old, and that’s a great age for field trips! Although I posted a few suggestions for getting your infant out and about early on (to museums or plays, for example), let’s be honest; Veronika slept most of the time.

But now she’s wide-eyed and alert for roughly 2 hour stretches, and it’s a great time to revisit some of these old suggestions, plus add in a few new ones.

To wit, when I took her to an art museum this time, she didn’t doze off in front of the canvases. Instead, there was lots of wide-eyed gazing at the bright colors on the wall, even if she didn’t know what she was looking at.

Art Gallery (9)

Or she occasionally preferred devouring a toy over admiring the art.

Art Gallery (3)

Our particular local museum is perfect for families with children, with just two rooms, and activities for the big kids. Veronika loved watching Travis craft…

Art Gallery (7)

… and paint on a digital computer.

Art Gallery (6)

Whoops, she was sleeping by the time we were at an art gallery down the street! But that’s the other great thing about field trips with your 4-month-old. They still nap easily on the go, and hopefully she soaked up some of the ambiance.

Art Gallery (11)

Another place to take baby at this age? A sporting event! This can mean a local high school game, or a minor league stadium, both of which are family-friendly. In our case, we hit up a local tennis expo.

tennis (2).jpg

Another great option is a local market. We love our town’s farmers’ market, so I was thrilled to learn an indoor version is held in winter.

Art Gallery (15)

Both kids loved this; Veronika got to take in the sights and smells – vibrant red apples, the yeasty aroma of fresh-baked bread – and Travis got a morning of culinary exploration and taste testing. Many markets – including ours – also feature musical entertainment, so check your local listings.

Art Gallery (13)

Finally, we headed to a garden center. As with the farmers’ market, there were so many sights and smells here for a baby to soak in.

Garden Center (12).JPG

We got lucky that the annual flower show had just opened, and was divided into areas featuring each of the five senses. Veronika got to smell flowers up close…

Garden Center (1)

…pause to hear waterfalls splashing in the “sound” area…

Garden Center (11)

…and marvel at butterflies and colors in the “sight” portion.

Garden Center (15)

Where else have you taken your little one? Please share in the comments!