Babies learn by using their senses. They explore by touching and mouthing objects, listening to voices and music, and seeing the colorful, fascinating wonder all around them. Through this exploration, babies learn very important concepts such as cause and effect when they shake a rattle and hear a sound, or when they yank on their mother’s nose and she jumps back and winces and says, “Ouch!” They learn about size and shape by stacking blocks, mouthing them, and trying to fit them into the correctly-shaped holes. They learn to solve problems when they discover how to turn the crank to get the jack-in-the-box to pop up. They learn how to use their bodies to achieve a goal when they crawl or roll to a favorite toy that you’ve put out to reach.
What can you do to support your baby’s Thinking Skills?
Offer interesting objects to explore.
Respond to your child’s communications.
Provide the help your child needs to solve problems.
Play disappearing and reappearing games.
Encourage your child to explore objects and toys.
Take “touching” walks.
Make the most of daily routines.
Give your child some “real life toys”.
Zero to Three. Early Connections last a lifetime. Parenting Resource. Developing Thinking Skills From Birth to 12 Months.
