Category: 6 to 9 months

Bath Time Foam Blocks

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Veronika is sitting so well in her tub now that it felt like time to mix things up and add a new game to our standard splashy fun.

First, I used a set of foam building blocks, normally a playroom toy, as bath toys. These were great because I could push them down under the water and show her how they instantly pop back up.

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She got the idea right away! With each pop up, I made noises of surprise and delight, which soon had her doing the same.

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If you want, you can also purchase foam sponge toys intended for the bath. We love the animal bath toys set from 3 Bees & Me, which comes with a handy storage bag and features everything from a tiger to a squirrel to a kangaroo. These are large enough for the littlest hands to grip, even in slippery water.

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As with the blocks, I showed Veronika how to push them underwater and then watch them surface again.

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Of course they found their way quickly to her mouth, too. In sum, we’re excited to play with foam in many a bath to come!

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Feel the Wind

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Introducing your baby to the elements is a beautiful way to foster a lifelong love of nature. Since she was born just before winter, Veronika has already felt snowflakes, and the pitter-patter of raindrops. Now that it’s warmer, there are some new sensations I’ve been excited to introduce her to!

We had a windy but warm day today, which made it a nice day to let Veronika feel the breeze without getting a chill. It’s hard to tell in the picture above, but the leaves were whipping around! As we watched the leaves dance and felt the breeze, I signed “wind” for her as well.

Next, I sat her on a blanket in the grass simply to enjoy the feel of warm sunshine on her skin (don’t forget the sunscreen and a sun hat, of course!). “Sun” is another great sign to teach your baby, as are other general weather words like “clouds”, “rain”, and “snow”.

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Later, I removed her socks and dangled her feet in the grass for that perfect sensation of tickly grass on bare feet.

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These sensations were just a brief intro to nature, and I can’t wait for all of Veronika’s nature firsts to come: the first leaf pile to jump in, smelling a flower, watching autumn leaves turn colors and fall. What are you looking forward to in nature with your baby? Please share in the comments!

 

Snowstorm

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Here’s a fun and simple sensory jar for your baby: an instant snowstorm no matter the season!

Fill a small plastic water bottle about 2/3 of the way with rubbing alcohol. Drop in a few things to swirl in the snow; small buttons are fun, and I also added gold and silver sequins. Next add about 2 teaspoons white or silver glitter. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with vegetable oil.

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Note: you can also tint the alcohol blue with food coloring if you want, but I found that this makes it harder to see the “storm” and preferred a clear version.

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For security, duct tape on the lid. Now swirl for your baby!

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This works well if you roll it on the ground in front of him or her.

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Veronika also loved looking at it up in the air though.

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And wanted to snatch it from my hands!

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If you’re trying to encourage a first crawl, roll the bottle along the floor and see if your baby will go after it!

Ask Direct Questions

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So you know your baby is learning to talk (well, babble that is, for now!), but now it’s time to teach him or her to have a conversation! This activity prompt helped me remember to guide her gibberish towards her first real give-and-take in language.

Today, whenever asking Veronika a question, I made sure to truly ask her. Make eye contact, and slow down your words. If the question pertains to a direct object (a bottle, a toy), pause and show it to your baby.

“Which toy would you like Veronika?” I asked. “The puzzle or the bumble bee?”

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I gave her a moment to select her choice, both vocally and by hand (and mouth!).

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The real key is to pause and wait for an answer. You might not get one at first, but soon, your baby will realize that this silence is meant to be filled.

“Would you like a rice cake, Veronika?”

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Yes!

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“Would you like some oatmeal, Veronika?” That’s a no thank you!

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Keep this up, and it will not only teach your child the fine art of back-and-forth in conversation, but also help them feel capable and important for making decisions.

Jell-O Hands

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Gel desserts are the perfect food edible sensory play sessions with a baby. It’s squishy, it wobbles, and if little fingers get some of it into little mouths, it’s perfectly safe to eat. We love the vegan jel desserts from Simply Delish.

To make a fun mandarin orange version, drain one can of organic mandarin oranges (such as Native Forest) over a bowl. Place the orange slices in a large bowl and set aside. Reserve 1/3 cup of the juice and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Dissolve one sachet of jel dessert in the chilled juice. Add enough boiling water to equal 12 ounces and stir to combine. Pour the juice mixture over the orange slices. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to the fridge and let set for 1 hour.

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I placed the jell-o on Veronika’s high chair tray.  She was quite skeptical at first!

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Once I demonstrated with a finger how it wiggled and wobbled, she was game!

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Little fists loved squishing and squashing through the jell-o.

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And she liked trying to hold on to slices of orange.

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Some of it made its way to her mouth, and a lot more ended up on the floor!

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The activity looked so fun that big brother Travis wanted to join in, too!

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Treasure Basket

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This game is so simple, yet sure to delight your six-month-old, who is probably new to sit-up playtime!

Fill a small basket or bin (ideally one that your child can lift with his or her own hands) with a few odds and ends. For Veronika, I added a rubber spatula, two soft toys, two foam blocks, a squishy toy, and a set of baby car keys.

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One by one, I showed her the toys, and described them. In this way, we emptied the bin and then I filled it back up again.

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The second time through, I let her rifle through the bin on her own and select the toys in any order she wanted.

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As she came to each item, I again talked about its shape or size or another feature. For instance, the spatula was perfect for talking about length.

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And the blocks were perfect for talking about color.

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I loved when she pulled out the square block and squishy circle and began drumming them together.

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She seemed so excited to have free-reign to rifle through the bin with nothing inside off limits. There’s something that babies start to love at this age about pulling things out… And we better get used to it, because there are toddler days ahead!

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Water Play

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It hit 75 degrees today, which meant I got my little girl out in her bloomers for water play for the first time in her life.

Everything about this activity was novel for my six-month-old, from the soft towel we spread out on the grass, to the basin of toys I set out.

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Fill a bin (or baby bath!) with lukewarm water even if it’s very hot out to avoid extremes in temperature, and add a few fun toys: I included bath toys, plastic spoons, and measuring cups.

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Then I simply sat back and watched Veronika go! She loved reaching her hands in…

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…and fishing out toys one at a time.

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The spoons were a big hit.

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You can add a little bit of bubble bath, too, for some foamy fun.

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I also showed Veronika how to pour water from a cup, or splash her hands on the surface of the water to make splashy sounds.

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Big siblings may want to get in on the fun, especially if it’s a perfect late spring day.

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Needless to say, Veronika was soon soaked, but loving it!

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She was having so much fun she didn’t mind one bit.

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Sing in a Silly Voice

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I love musical play with Veronika, but today when I pulled out the songs, it was less about rhythm and more about the giggles!

Sit with your baby and sing a few favorite childhood tunes. Each song you sing, use a different voice. For inspiration, I flipped through a small songbook we have with musical chimes. The chimes definitely held Veronika’s interest, sometimes more so than my voice!

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But she took notice and started giggling when I began singing oddly. Try a high voice.

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Or a low voice. Mom, you sound weird, her look seems to say here.

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I sang in silly accents, like country or French. And of course, I provided Veronika with a few baby instruments to play along.

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If you prefer, stick to only one song but switch up your voice each time. This might even help your baby anticipate the change! Another fun one to try is whispering the song.

Morning Exercise

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If you’re finding it hard to squeeze in muscle toning activities with a young baby, then make them a game for your little one. To be honest, I had more fun watching Veronika giggle and laugh when we tested these moves out, paying more attention to those gummy smiles than to my muscle movements. But if you incorporate thesee into a morning routine, you’ll both benefit!

For the first move, I put Veronika on her stomach for tummy time. Lie on your stomach facing baby, and lift up into a push-up. She had to push herself even higher to watch me do this – a muscle toning activity for us both!

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For the second move, lie on your back and place your baby on your stomach, belly-to-belly. Do crunches. You get toned and baby gets a ride!

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For the third move, I did leg lifts while Veronika lay on the ground in front of me. I put a hand on her belly, and gently rolled her from side to side.

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(Note: This would be great with even younger babies, to encourage a first roll). Veronika absolutely loved this, cackling with laughter.

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Which made it hard to pay attention to my leg lifting form!

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For the final move, I sat with her between my legs, lying on her back. Hold your baby’s hands, and gently pull him or her up to a sit.

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At the top of the move, she wanted mommy’s pajama pants string!

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I lowered her back down and leaned over her, which provided a nice final stretch.

Include Yourself in Photos

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Today’s activity for your six-month-old is more for you, parents, a reminder to take pictures not just of that adorable baby, but also of yourself!

For the longest time, I had a policy of zero pictures of adults on this blog; I wanted the focus to be on the kids.

That policy had to change slightly once Veronika was born. Since a newborn can’t support herself, and many blogs demanded her presence in my arms, bits of me began to creep into pictures.

But the more I thought about it, the more my insistence on kids-only seemed silly. We love to stage manage our children for pictures, but then we get left out of the memories!

This past weekend, on a family vacation, I made a point: To include myself in the pictures. To be part of the memories.

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Don’t worry if you haven’t had time to shower, or put on makeup, or if your shirt has milk stains and paint stains. These are all badges of honor of this crazy, joyful time that is parenting young kids. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So after more than 1,300 blog posts, here I am!

Include Yourself