Babies can learn, and they learn fast. As it turns out, parents have a hand in making this happen — and not just in the genes we pass along. Science clearly shows that baby’s brain development depends largely on early experiences and while DVDs and brain-enhancing toys come in useful, there are many other ways parents can help out little growing brains absorb lessons.
When You’re Out And About
Be a personal narrator and tour guide
Narrating your day helps baby pair words with what he’s seeing. Speak slowly, simply and in that higher-pitched tone that slips out naturally (research shows it enhances baby’s learning). Don’t worry, you’re not talking to yourself – You are talking to your baby, for months before they talk, babies understand much of what you’re saying and may even start making incredible connections.
Help him take it all in
If you’re on a walk and hear a dog, ask your baby, “What do you hear?” Then answer: “That’s a dog. Woof, woof! The dog is barking” Do this every time you encounter a barking dog and your child will probably start answering with the sound (Woof, woof!). Eventually, he’ll refine his response to “dog.”
Try a similar approach to teach him about physical sensations. If it starts drizzling while you’re out, before you run for cover, let your little one experience and feel some raindrops on the face. Say, “Oh… it’s raining. You’ll get wet.”( Do head on home, you don’t need to get drenched for this simple lesson).
Be polite and engaging
Smiling and gesturing to the cashier at the grocery store not only teaches baby cause and effect (he smiles and gestures back), it also helps develop a baby’s social IQ. Children watch you for clues on how to interpret a situation.
Waving and smiling are friendly things you do when you see someone you like. You don’t have to, however, for the sake of teaching your baby, make like a politician, and greet everyone you see. It’s worth the effort you see, for your little one is watching and learning from your every move.
Engage them in positive ways
Simply engaging with baby daily in positive ways helps build the trillions (yes, trillions!) of brain connections that lead to language development, problem-solving skills, and the emotional IQ that’s so important for getting along — and ahead! — in the world.
Keep it fun
The key element here is not to try too hard but to have fun with your little one and open up his or her senses to the world around us. Try these 12 easy and fun baby learning activities, either at home or while out and about.
Keep some things constant
A baby’s brain processes new information most efficiently when in familiar surroundings. Then, the brain can go into autopilot and take in newer details. Try variations on common themes.
For instance, go for a walk every day at the same time but switch up your route. It must be fascinating for a baby to realize that there are so many different colours, shapes, and movements to see. Slowly, the baby begins to group everything he sees into categories.
At Snacktime
Initiate a two-way conversation
Have free-flowing ‘conversation’ with your little one during meal or snack times. Ask your child about the food he or she is eating and give them a chance to respond. It is important that a child feels that his or her response means something to his parents, so show the little one, in any way that’s best for you, that you understand what he feels about the food.
Also, you can try out the idea of reciprocity by playing back-and-forth with a spoon or cup: You ask for it by name, she gives it to you, you thank her. Then give it back and encourage a “Thank you” in return.
Number sense can begin early
As early as 4 1/2 months, babies have a “number sense” that allows them to notice changes in the number of objects in front of them, according to research out of Harvard University. Utilise this to teach your baby by counting out food items on his plate. This helps to speed up this connection of numbers in correspond to how many objects he sees.
Look at that glorious mess
Making a mess is a baby’s way of learning new things, so don’t get mad! When your baby tosses his sippy cup to the floor, say, “Oops, you threw your cup down,” and, as you lift it, say, “So we have to pick it up.”
So you see, they’re not testing your patience, but rather, they’re just curious to know what happens to the mash when it hits the floor. Before you feel compelled to correct, ask yourself if the constant reprimanding is necessary. Research shows when parents say things like “don’t” or “no,” the baby’s language is slower to develop because these commands inhibit exploration.
During Playtime
Leave it to them
The thing with giving a child an open-ended object to play with, such as a small box or a container, you will not feel compelled to show the little one how to play with it as he can do whatever he wants – the possibilities are endless! However, it may not be the case with fancier, ‘specific function’ toys. If you feel the need to show him how it works, do it and then leave it to him. When you see your child playing with a toy ‘incorrectly’, so to speak, resist the urge to fix the situation. After all, it’s his playing and learning experience to enjoy!
He’ll also learn that, with effort, he can solve problems. If a situation seems to frustrate him, offer emotional support. Acknowledge when it’s a difficult situation, applaud his effort then help guide him to a solution.
Expand the idea of ‘educational’ toys
Yes, shape sorters teach spatial reasoning and problem-solving, but then again, so does letting him figure out how to retrieve the ball that rolled under the couch. You don’t have to restrict yourself to specific brain-boosting toys to let your kid have a learning experience while playing.
Turn on the tunes
Sing and dance with your baby! Some research suggests that, from birth, babies respond to the rhythm and tempo of the music and may even find it more engaging than speech. The sheer joy of singing and dancing together is what makes these activities so beneficial for brain development.
