Tag: infant

The Wheels on the Bus

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Veronika and I had a bus-themed day today, threading the vehicle through our play and activities in just about every way! A theme-day like this can be a fantastic way to fill the time with your infant.

Babies love buses; somehow that’s just a thing. Maybe it’s because they’re so big and yellow, or the excitement of seeing big kids get on and off, or just the fact that they all hear ‘Wheels on the Bus’ from a young age. But babies love buses.

Veronika and I started with the song. I love the way the verses lend themselves so naturally to motions with baby’s body. To wit, I swish Veronika from the hips down for the wipers…

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…or pedal her legs round and round…

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…or beep her nose for the horn.

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You can also show your baby a cute clip of the song, like Little Baby Bum’s version.

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Then, we spent some time with bus-themed play. We read a book about buses (Usborne’s clever Baby’s Very First Bus Book has wheels that your little one can spin!) and played with a plastic bus toy; she couldn’t get enough of scooting it around during tummy time.

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How did we cap it all off? With a ride on a real bus, of course! I selected an easy route downtown where I could park the car, take the bus only a stop or two, and make it back to the car on a little walk. You could also pick a round-trip destination on a bus if there’s a place you and your baby need to visit.

She seemed very intrigued as we waited at the bus stop. Here comes our bus, right on time!

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Then she looked around wide-eyed during our ride! As the bus bounced along, I sang ‘Wheels on the Bus’ quietly into her ear.

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In sum, a bus-y day!

Apple Fingers (and More Food Exploration)

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Pediatricians recommend waiting until your baby is six months old to start solids, with lots of reasons behind the decision. First, babies actually consume fewer calories when they fill up on fruit and veggie purees or rice cereals because breast milk contains such ample calories. But I let both my kids “practice” with solids at five months and here’s why: I want Veronika to hone the skills of eating now (babies four months and older learn to move food from the front of the mouth to the back in order to swallow), so that she can truly dine at six months.

To wit, I’m slowly introducing a few tastes and textures into her world, and she is already smitten. These cute games will help your baby understand food – and have fun!

First, we played a game of “apple fingers.” I smeared a little apple puree onto Veronika’s tray, and didn’t need to wait long before those little fingers figured out exactly what to do.

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Let your baby smoosh it around and get real messy.

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Unlike her big brother, Veronika wanted control of her spoon right away. This girl knows what she wants!

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And of course, let those little fingers make it to the mouth. Your baby will receive just enough of a taste for an eye-popping surprise, and you can count fingers as he or she licks.

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It’s a wonderful introduction to all the healthy and delicious foods to come.

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The next day we explored food even more. I smeared a little rice cereal and sweet potato puree onto her tray.

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She didn’t waste much time before swishing her fingers in. This is almost like fingerpainting for babies!

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With the bonus of yummy fingers.

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When she seemed frustrated that she wasn’t getting much to taste, I handed her a spoon. She knew just what to do!

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Finally, you can let your baby explore foods with other textures under careful supervision. I sprinkled a few homemade corn muffin crumbs on her tray.

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She was delighted scattering them about, almost impish, as if she knew she was making a mess.

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Definitely watch closely if you give your baby something like this, though, since babies under 8 months old aren’t really old enough for baked goods.

 

Mirrored Action Song

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I’ve been doing fingerplays and action rhymes with Veronika since she was tiny, but now it’s time to encourage her to get in on the action! As your baby nears his or her sixth month, you’ll find they might be trying to copy all the moves. You can help the process along with this cute game. It’s a great one for big siblings who are eager to interact with a little sib, too.

I sat Veronika down in a chair facing me, and Travis and I acted out a few simple motions. Clapping first.

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Then stomping.

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Then patting your head.

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For each action, we gently moved Veronika’s limbs in imitation. Travis loved helping her hands clap.

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And feet tap.

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She looked very surprised at patting her own head!

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Now we wanted to put it all to music, and we knew just what to sing: If You’re Happy and You Know It, of course! Based on her smile, I think I’m a good performer.

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We sang through the song, doing each motion (“If you’re happy clap your hands… If you’re happy stamp your feet… If you’re happy pat your head… If you’re happy shout hurray…” and so on).

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It’s only a matter of time before she’s doing all the moves right alongside us.

Visit a Home Store or Show

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I haven’t featured a field trip with baby in a while, and it was time to include a new destination – home stores!

Whether its an actual home expo or just shopping at a home store at your local mall, these venues are perfect for exposing baby to familiar sights and vocabulary expansion.

As we walked around, I named common items for Veronika. “Bed” is an obvious good one of course.

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Or couch, or chair, or table.

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She was wide awake and seemed fascinated by the light fixtures overhead. And seemed right at home in the baby section.

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And if baby falls asleep, no worries – you can still get some shopping done!

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Then, if there is one near you, check out a home show or expo. These are more of a vendor-driven event where your little one will be equally entertained by home appliances or demos.

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Truly everything was visually fascinating to Veronika. Check out the laundry machines!

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Ooh, tile samples were pretty.

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And big brother got a lollipop.

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In sum, the perfect way to entertain baby and get out for a bit.

Idle Time

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One of my biggest regrets with my firstborn was not giving him enough time to do…absolutely nothing! Don’t get me wrong; there are definitely times to be a hands-on parent, but there are also times when it’s important to let baby be “bored”. Because here’s the secret: they won’t actually be bored! Downtime lets your little one learn self-awareness, and take in all the sights, sounds, and smells around them in a way that they otherwise can’t.

By the very nature of being a second child, Veronika gets a lot more time to herself to simply watch, figure things out, and notice. One of the best times is first thing in the morning. After she’s been dressed and nursed, I lay her on her blanket while I get big brother (and the cat!) breakfasted and ready for the day.

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This gives ample time to explore. Her fingers develop fine motor skills as she plays with her toys…

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Or she finds her feet…

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Or gets those feet in soft cat fur – cozy!

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Or discovers that fingers taste yummy…

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Or practices her gross motor skills, whether that’s the first head turn from side-to-side, or later rolling for tummy time.

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I even catch her chatting with her toys!

In sum, these idle “do-nothing” moments are precisely what your baby’s brain needs sometimes, a chance to find fingers and toes, or just turn their head and look side to side and take in the world.

Daily Read

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I remember searching once for a daily newspaper for two-year-olds, back when Travis was a toddler; I couldn’t wait to start him on a life-long love of the news, ha! Well, this adorable little moving picture page is almost like a daily newspaper for infants. Change the pictures up as often as you like. Perhaps a “weekly digest” is the right speed to entertain your little one!

All you need is construction paper, poster putty, and a few old magazines. Look for pictures of common items in the magazines, like shoes, cars, food, books, animals, or other common things your baby will recognize, and cut them out.

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I arranged a few of the pictures around the edges of a piece of construction paper, attaching with the poster putty.

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We put a big picture of Veronika in the middle, then sat down together to go over the “news”!

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As we went over each picture, I named the item, or a feature about it, like its color or shape. A few days later, we repeated with a new set of the clipped pictures. This way, her daily news keeps changing.

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What pictures did you find to post? Please share in the comments!

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One Too Many

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In the past, I worked with Veronika on handing her one toy when she already held another in her grasp; it’s a great way to help little finger muscles practice gripping and letting go. Today, the challenge was harder: what would she do if she was holding two toys and presented with a third?

Use toys that are very similar for the best results (otherwise this becomes more like a game of toy choice). We have small shapes that she can grab on to easily, and which are quite alike, so they worked great for this game.

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She took hold of the circle when I handed it to her first, and it was easy to take the rectangle in her other hand.

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But oh no! What would she do now that triangle came along?

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It took a moment, but then rectangle was dropped.

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Uh oh, here comes rectangle back again! Who would be sacrificed?

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Down goes circle!

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She delighted in the game, and I could almost see her brain processing what to do each time. And of course there was the good fun of simply handling and gnawing on the shapes, as well.

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Pelvic Lifts with Baby on Board

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I just love it when activities are mutual beneficial, don’t you? In this easy little move, mama gets to tone up and feel strong, and baby gets a fun ride – a win-win!

To do the move, I lay down comfortably on an exercise mat, with my knees bent. Veronika sat on my tummy, her back resting against my thighs, and I held her securely around the middle.

Now raise your pelvis off the floor, so your torso and hips form a straight line. Exhale on each lift, and inhale on the way back down, repeating 10 times.

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Of course for me this was exercise, but for Veronika, it was pure fun! She absolutely adored the ride. Many thanks to big brother Travis who captured the beaming smile on her face.

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She loved it so much that we repeat several times throughout the day now; it’s a surefire way to get her to giggle and laugh. Mama gets toned, and baby gets happy!

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Bubble Bottle

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This little sensory bottle is the infant version of a soapy bottle I made for Travis as a toddler, incidentally one of the very first posts on this blog!

For a baby version, fill a small water bottle halfway with water. Add just a few drops of liquid dish soap and a couple drops of food coloring. Don’t shake it together yet!

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Screw the lid on very tightly. If you’re worried about it coming off (especially if your little one tends to put things in his or her mouth) you could even glue it on and let dry completely.

I sat down with Veronika and tilted the bottle so the color dispersed and the bubbles bubbled up. She loved looking right away!

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You can roll it on the ground for your little one.

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Or shake it overhead while they are lying down.

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Veronika immediately wanted to grab hold!

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As a bonus, the bottle will make plastic crinkling sounds as your little one grabs hold.

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It also works during tummy time, where Veronika reached out and tried rolling it back and forth by herself. Easy to put together, and I liked that it engaged multiple senses!

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Change the Scenery

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We’ve only decorated Veronika’s nursery with little touches here and there, and I wanted to add a nice change of scenery for her. There are two ways to make this cute bunting – the true way if you can really sew, or my super-quick hack if you have no skill with a needle and thread!

First, I traced a triangle onto paper, and cut out. Use the triangle to cut shapes from different patterned fabrics (available at a craft store).

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What a pretty assortment!

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Lay down a long piece of colored duct tape, and arrange the fabric triangles along the tape, evenly spaced. Fold the tape down to secure them in place, then hang on your baby’s wall or in the nursery windows.

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If you are more skilled – and own a sewing machine! – here are more detailed instructions. Safety pin the paper template onto the fabric, and cut two triangles for each desired pattern. Pin the pieces together inside-out, then use a sewing machine to attach on the long sides. Turn the flags the right way around and trim with pinking shears.

Insert the sewn flags into bias tape. Pin the flags to the tape at 2-inch intervals, and sew together. I’d love to see the results if you do this correctly, so please share in the comments!

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