Nine to Twelve Months
During this period your baby:
• Waves goodbye
• Crawls well
• Responds to name and understands "no"
• Drinks from a cup
• Stands alone for a couple of seconds
• Plays patty-cake
• Imitates others' activities
• Takes a few steps
• Understands and responds to simple instructions
Try these development stimulators
The name game
Your baby’s catching on to her own name. Make up songs and rhymes with her name in it. Then add others’ names, as in “Where’s Susie?” and “Where’s daddy?”
Ride the wave
If he’s not already doing so, teach your little one to wave “bye” to friends and family members.
Ins and outs
At this age, kids love to put things in boxes and bowls and then take them out again. It’s a never-ending fascination. You can add interesting embellishments, as in finding a loose-fitting lid to take off, too.
Pouring it on
She’ll be mesmerized by simple water play – stirring and splashing and pouring it with a plastic cup. Plenty of stimulus for language, too.
Dance to the music
Move, sway, wiggle with music – all kinds of music.
Face making
Copy each other’s silly faces. You’re helping her learn the foundation skill of imitation – and having fun together.
The tried and true
Go ahead and play “Pat a cake” with him. You’re following in a long line of parents who use simple rhythms and gestures to share a story. Expand to other simple fingerplays. (Ask your older relatives.)
Get messy
Try shaving cream or whipped cream on a cookie sheet for some “finger painting” fun. The feel is intriguing for your budding artist.
Push and pull
Toy shopping carts weighted down for stability are fun for baby to walk behind. Ditto for wagons.
(Page Six): Twelve to Eighteen Months
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During this period your baby:
• Waves goodbye
• Crawls well
• Responds to name and understands "no"
• Drinks from a cup
• Stands alone for a couple of seconds
• Plays patty-cake
• Imitates others' activities
• Takes a few steps
• Understands and responds to simple instructions
Try these development stimulators
The name game
Your baby’s catching on to her own name. Make up songs and rhymes with her name in it. Then add others’ names, as in “Where’s Susie?” and “Where’s daddy?”
Ride the wave
If he’s not already doing so, teach your little one to wave “bye” to friends and family members.
Ins and outs
At this age, kids love to put things in boxes and bowls and then take them out again. It’s a never-ending fascination. You can add interesting embellishments, as in finding a loose-fitting lid to take off, too.
Pouring it on
She’ll be mesmerized by simple water play – stirring and splashing and pouring it with a plastic cup. Plenty of stimulus for language, too.
Dance to the music
Move, sway, wiggle with music – all kinds of music.
Face making
Copy each other’s silly faces. You’re helping her learn the foundation skill of imitation – and having fun together.
The tried and true
Go ahead and play “Pat a cake” with him. You’re following in a long line of parents who use simple rhythms and gestures to share a story. Expand to other simple fingerplays. (Ask your older relatives.)
Get messy
Try shaving cream or whipped cream on a cookie sheet for some “finger painting” fun. The feel is intriguing for your budding artist.
Push and pull
Toy shopping carts weighted down for stability are fun for baby to walk behind. Ditto for wagons.
(Page Six): Twelve to Eighteen Months
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