Tag: baby

Squishy Art Play

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Today was Veronika’s first art project!

What’s the safest art for a seven month old? Covered up! Because Veronika puts everything in her mouth, there is currently no way to safely give her markers, crayons, or paint – even all-natural or non-toxic stuff – unless it is safely sealed up. But art inside a plastic bag is the solution you’re looking for.

Place a piece of thick paper (like watercolor paper) inside a gallon zip-top bag; for the best fit, I folded our paper in half. Add a few splotches of color, and seal tightly.

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I placed this bag on Veronika’s high chair tray, and encouraged her to squish it around.

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She was a little confused at first, and more so when she realized she couldn’t actually the paint on her fingers, as she can with food on her tray. I talked about the squishy blobs she was feeling, and helped her press her hands into the piles of paint under the plastic.

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Soon she had the idea!

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Truth be told, she was a little frustrated that she couldn’t lift the whole art project up and try it for dinner. But she still had fun exploring!

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When she tired of the game, I removed the paper – her first work of art!

Squishy Art (7)Because the fingerpaint was smeared on quite thick, I folded it over the other (blank) half of the paper, resulting in a cool symmetrical painting.

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Overall, this was a great first art project for a baby, and it encapsulated all that I love about watching kids make art: that the process is a lot more important than the final product; that our role as grown-ups is to facilitate and make sure a little one is using materials safely, but to let them be the “artist”; and that after serving as a model or guide, the most fun can be had when you step back and watch your child create!

Exaggerate Your Facial Expressions

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As your baby learns about emotions and expressions, bigger is better. So today, while reading books and telling stories with Veronika, it was all about exaggeration!

My go-to stories to tell are Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the Three Little Pigs. Both of these feature a range of emotions, and Veronika echoed them back to me on her face.

Goldilocks was so excited to find the yummy porridge!

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The bears were very concerned when they got back to the house.

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Mama bear was surprised someone had eaten her porridge!

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Hurray, the three pigs are safe from the big bad wolf.

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Books with baby faces can also help your little one learn about facial cues. We love Baby Faces by Margaret Miller, which simply features… baby faces! I point out each emotion to Veronika, made the expression on my own face, and tell her what she’s looking at.

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A useful activity to help your baby pick up on facial cues – an important skill for the lifetime ahead!

Take a Train Ride

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We’ve had lots of firsts for Veronika lately, everything from swimming to hiking to rides in a bucket swing. Today’s new activity was her first train ride!

I set the stage for the big event in the morning, pulling out a few old train track toys (be careful baby doesn’t put magnet trains in his or her mouth), and singing train songs.

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Then we made pretend tickets and played train at home!

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Big brother Travis loved helping with this step.

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Finally it was time for the real thing. Unless you truly have a destination in mind, the best bet is to go to your local station and just ride one stop or two. Our 9 minute ride was the perfect distance to engage Veronika without overwhelming her.

As we waited on the platform, I pointed out other trains going by, as well as the people waiting.

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Here comes the train!

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On board, she had a blast! She loved looking out the window (and okay, playing with the vents under the window). We listened to the crackle of announcements and the ding of the doors.

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Another adventure, under her belt!

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This Is the Way…

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Let’s be honest; taking care of a baby can seem like a series of repetitive steps that you do each day – feeding them, dressing them, bathing them. But don’t forget that everything you do is fascinating for your little one, still. One way to make it fun – not only for Veronika, but also for myself – is to put it to music.

My favorite song to sing as we do daily routines is “This is the Way” (to the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. Pretty much anything can fit into this song.

This is the way we take a bath

Take a bath, Take a bath

This is the way we take a bath

Early in the morning

Adapt the lyrics for each thing you do each day!

“This is the way we wash our hands… after having a meal.”

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“This is the way we put on your clothes…early in the morning”

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I also sing the song to her as I go about getting ready for the day, with verses for my shower, for toweling dry, and for getting dresses. You can also enlist baby to be your helper. “This is the way I brush my hair,” I sang to her, and then let her have a turn.

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Musical cues like these can help a baby understand where you are in your daily routine, and also sneaks in language learning.

 

Hands Day

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One fun exercise to do with your baby is to pick a body part and devote the day to it. So today, it was all about hands for me and Veronika!

To start, I sang nursery rhymes that prominently feature hands. Examples include Where is Thumbkin or If You’re Happy and You Know It.

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For the latter, I changed the words so all the versus applied to hands: if you’re happy wiggle your fingers; shake your hands; etc.

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Next we read books that featured hands. There are lots of great body parts books for babies, so turn to the relevant pages and focus on those.

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I pointed to the hands of the people in the illustrations.

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I also pointed out hands throughout the day. Mommy is cooking with her hands. Mommy is writing with her hands.

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If you have paintings around the house with hands, show baby those, too!

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Try a Hike with a Carrier

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Today was hiking day for Veronika!

A baby carrier is such a great investment for experiences like these; whether the one you choose is worn on the front or the back, and whether it has baby tummy-facing or facing out, I highly encourage a hike. There is so much for your baby to learn about in nature!

Although Veronika has had plenty of moments in the carrier, today we made a big event of a family walk in the woods. Big brother Travis loved heading off on the adventure!

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Stop to point out marvels of nature, like the face in this tree.

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Or the dappled sunlight on these roots.

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We spotted lots of little chipmunks and she loved watching them scurry.

Eventually the motion did lull her to sleep, and this will likely happen to your baby on a hike too… And that’s not a bad thing! Let baby nap while you take in the calm of nature. Once she was up about forty-five minutes later, her big eyes drank in the surroundings.

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What an adventure!

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Where have you taken your baby in a carrier? Please share in the comments!

Introduce Books with Texture and Noise

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Veronika already has a few books in her library that feature texture and noise, but I gifted her with a few new ones because she can approach them in a different way these days: reading solo! Interactive touch and sound will keep a seven-month-old happily entertained, even if you’re busy getting things done around the house, or on the go.

But first we read them together, of course. She loved the bright pictures and her fingers immediately went for textural elements, like soft fur or shiny metal.

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I pressed each sound button, which got a look of wonder from her each time, and described what she was hearing and seeing.

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Pretty soon, she was flipping through the pages and narrating this book to herself – a sight that makes my heart stop every time!

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I also bought a smaller book that’s perfect for car rides or stroller rides. The soft pages fit in her hands perfectly.

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Some pages rattle and some crinkle.

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The first time through, I described these sounds, and the textures she could feel like the soft fluffy cover. She will happily “read” this one to herself for ages.

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What interactive books does your baby like? Please share in the comments!

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Start Swimming

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Babies seem to love the water (I have a pet theory that they can still remember all that watery time in the womb, not so many months ago!). Whatever the reason, starting your children in the water young can have big benefits, helping them feel ready when the time comes to truly learn swimming and water safety.

Today, we got Veronika’s toes wet – literally!

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Start small if you think your baby will be nervous. However, you’ll probably be surprised at how calm a young baby is in the water – more so even than a toddler. A few recommendations: Make sure the pool you choose is clean. I do recommend chlorine rather than salt-water pools, because big brother Travis has fallen sick after swimming in the latter.

Go at off-peak hours, whether mid-week or at a non-crowded time on the weekends.

Finally, don’t forget the swim diapers! When Travis was little, I thought an overnight diaper and a swim diaper were the same thing – whoops. His little bum would inflate with tons of water instantly. Veronika, on the other hand, was swaddled in proper swim attire.

Now for the fun! I started out just dipping Veronika’s toes in.

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Pretty soon she loved kicking her legs and trailing her fingers through the water.

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This is great muscle work for a baby, and can also help tire him or her out if you’re hoping for a nap after. To wit, the very first thing she did after she was dry was fall asleep for her afternoon nap.

Play with a Pom-Pom

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I got crafty for Veronika today! This pom-pom was sort of a labor of love, but if that definition doesn’t fit our children, what does?

Trace a large circle (about 8 inches across) on paper. Add a smaller circle (about 2 to 4 inches across) in the middle. Cut out this template and trace onto two pieces of cardboard.

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A thin cardboard works best, like an empty cereal box or frozen pizza box.

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Place the two cardboard pieces together, and begin wrapping around with yarn.

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You can use only one color, but I liked a two-tone look, alternating layers of yellow and green. For a nice thick pom-pom, wrap in about four layers. Veronika couldn’t wait to get her hands on this thing!

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Insert scissors through the yarn to the gap between the two cardboard pieces, and begin snipping the yarn in half.

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Insert another piece of yarn right into the middle and pull tightly – you now have a ball! Tie that yarn securely.

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Before I talk about playtime, I want to mention how fun it was to make this next to Veronika. I worked for about an hour as she played with toys and cooed next to me.

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Especially if you are a first-time-parent, activities like this can help fill those hours or days with a baby that might otherwise seem endless. This one engages baby and caregvier both!

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Now it was playtime, and as you can see from Veronika’s face, the pom-pom is quite simply a delight!

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We tossed it in the air, or used it to hone her grasping skills.

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We tickled her toes with it.

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She played cheerleader as she watched big brother play.

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She basically just had a ball! Do supervise closely, since the homemade nature of this pom-pom means strands of yarn might come lose and pose a choking hazard.

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Swing Rhythm

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Today was Veronika’s first time in a baby swing!

As a veteran parent, I was ready with a few tricks to sure this first ride in a bucket swing went smoothly. 7 months old is still pretty tiny, so come prepared with a nice soft blanket. This can act as a wedge so your baby doesn’t slide around in the swing (and is also handy for drying off any rain from the night before, in a pinch!).

Well this little lady took to it right away! She looked about as at ease as if the swing were a hammock on a tropical island.

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For a few fun games, I tickled her toes whenever she swung toward me.

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You can also greet your child with a playful, “boo!” on each swing.

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She also loved when I pushed slightly harder and said, “higher higher higher!”

But in general, today was about gentle pushes, often letting momentum take over after only 1 or 2 pushes. She loved exploring the texture of the swing, too.

Does your baby like to swing? Please share in the comments!