Fun Start: An idea a week to maximize your baby’s potential from birth to age 5

Books with large colourful pictures that have little detail appeal to children of this age. The child will delight in hearing the books read over and over, even though she often may not sit still long enough for the books to be completed at a given time. Songs, rhymes and rhythms will also capture the child’s interest. Continue to repeat them often, and the child will soon be reciting her favourite ones from memory.

The child at this age is curious and will readily explore her immediate environment by feeling, poking, digging, pulling, pushing, peeking and banging. She will also enjoy stacking and carrying objects, filling and emptying containers, and putting on and taking off the lids of available containers.

Life is a very busy time for a one-year-old child. She is more aware of herself. She will show more affection and will use gestures or point to convey wishes. Gradually, she will begin to communicate more verbally with a limited vocabulary. The more you interact with her by talking, reading, showing and performing activities, the more comfortable your child will be with you. This will serve to instill trust and security that will help to motivate your child’s learning.

The Face and Head Game (#ulink_a4d0512d-a233-5e7b-a8d4-72323c13e122)

This activity develops

the sense of touch

eye-hand coordination

association skills

listening

language development

following directions

confidence

awareness of left and right

Touch the child’s head with your hand and slowly move your hand from the neck to the left side of her head, across the top and down the right side of her head to the neck. This will give the child the feeling of the outline of her head. Tell the child that you have moved your hand around her head.

Draw a large circle or oval on a blank piece of paper and tell the child that you are drawing a picture of her head. Gently touch the child’s left eye and tell the child that you are going to draw a picture of her eye. Draw the left eye in the proper place on the drawn face. Touch the child’s right eye and do the same as with the left eye. Touch the nose, name it and draw it on the paper face. Touch the mouth next and name it as you draw it in place; make the mouth smile. Tell the child that you have drawn a happy face on the paper. Then touch and draw the left and right ears, naming and talking about them as you draw. For realism, add some hair to the drawing.

If the child still appears to be interested, take her pointer finger and trace around the outline of the drawn head. Touch the left eye, then touch the right eye, naming them as you touch them. Touch and name the nose. Then touch the smiling mouth as you sweep your hand from left to right on the drawn smile. Next touch the left and right ears as you name them. Point to the drawn hair and touch the child’s hair as you say the word,‘hair’.

Repeat this activity throughout the week. In addition, point to the faces of the family, as well as those found in books and magazines, and identify the parts of the head each time that you talk to the child about the parts of the head. Praise the child for any positive response.

At another time, use large buttons, cotton reels, felt pieces, scraps of paper or anything that can be used for markers. The markers should be easy for the child to pick up and hold. Do not leave the child alone with any markers that can be swallowed! Use the drawn picture of a face or any large face and instruct the child to put a marker on an eye. It is not advisable to use the words left and right, so allow the child to place the marker on either eye. Then tell her to put a marker on the other eye. Repeat the procedure for the nose, mouth, ears and hair. Help the child, if necessary, and remember to praise her whenever possible.

Another activity that can be performed to reinforce the memory of the parts of the face is to paste a picture of a large face on cardboard or construction paper. When the paste is dry, cut the face in two pieces (left and right). Tell the child to put the face together.

Throughout the week, repeat these activities with your child, especially when the child seems to need you. While you are doing housework, you can interact with your child by telling her to point to any one of the parts of the face. Politely help or correct the child if necessary and remember to praise her.

Cotton Reels (#ulink_4eb40412-c2a9-5029-9e4d-c45873800b04)

This activity develops

free exploration

rhythm and awareness of the pattern 1-2

awareness of sets of two

eye-hand coordination

independence

Select an assortment of cotton reels and allow the child to explore with them. If the child does not show an interest in them, encourage her to look at, feel, push, roll, tap or stack and knock them down.You may need to show the child how, but be sure to allow the child to play and explore before introducing any further activity.

At another time, encourage the child to bring two reels together and tap out the rhythm of 1-2, 1-2. Sing the words ‘one-two, one-two’as you clap your hands together. Stand and tap your feet on the floor to the rhythm of 1-2, 1-2. Encourage the child to tap the reels while you clap or tap your feet. The child may lay the reels down and copy your actions. If this occurs, allow the child to do so.

Some time during the week, show the child how to stack the reels into sets of two. If the child stacks them higher than two, politely suggest that she make hers the same as yours. However, if she insists on stacking the reels her own way, allow her to do so and try again later.

You and your child can have fun rolling a cotton reel back and forth to each other. The child may also be interested in stringing or threading the reels together. They can be strung with string or wool. A pipe cleaner can be twisted to make a needle. Thread the string or wool through the eye of the needle and secure the first cotton reel for the child with a large knot or a piece of tape. Show the child how to string the reels and encourage her to try it independently. Help her whenever it is necessary. Remember to give praise for any positive actions.

Pick Up (#ulink_73264429-96c5-5036-8abf-c4a32269c1d1)

This activity develops

left to right awareness and eye training

listening

following directions

language enrichment

awareness of ‘in’ and ‘out’, such as in the bag or container

Assemble and place in a row such items as a cup, a block, a spool, a clothes peg, a spoon and a large paper bag. Name each item for the child and instruct her to put them in the bag. Tell the child to empty the bag and repeat the process.

At another time, place these items in different areas in the room in clear view of the child. Name one of the objects and ask the child to place it in a bag. Help the child if necessary. Encourage the child to find another item and place it in the bag. Continue with this procedure until all of the items have been located and placed in the bag. Do this in the kitchen or another room where you may be working, and encourage the child to work independently.

Choose some other items that are familiar to the child, such as a stuffed animal, a small ball, a rattle, a small book, etc. Name each object for the child, and then instruct her to place these in the bag, one at a time, as you call them by name. Try to put them in a row and call them by name from left to right.

The following activity should be done with close supervision. This is important for awareness of detail and eye-hand coordination. Assemble in a row a raisin, a button, a piece of string, a paper clip and a key, and instruct the child to pick up these items, one at a time from left to right, as you call them by name in that order. They should be placed in a small container as the child picks them up. It is not necessary to use the words left and right, even though at this age, left and right awareness is important. Repeat this activity only with close supervision to prevent the child from swallowing or choking on these small items.

Containers and Lids (#ulink_ce4b61c3-398e-5481-8ed1-885920c4a2d6)

This activity develops

problem solving through free exploration

awareness of ‘on’ and ‘off’

awareness of matching lids

enhancement of the sense of touch

Assemble a plastic jar and lid, a saucepan with a matching lid, a shoe box and lid and several other things with matching lids. Make certain that the lids will be easy for the child to take off and replace. If the task is too difficult, the child will become frustrated and lose interest.

Once the materials are assembled, present three of these containers to the child and allow her to remove and replace the lids. The child may need some assistance in putting the correct lids on the containers, but be sure to allow the child the privilege of trial and error. Nevertheless, assist the child whenever necessary to avoid frustration.