With record-breaking cold weather and snow I know many moms & dads can’t wait for better weather to arrive so we can engage on outdoor activities conducive to learning. If you have been struggling with cabin fever and your baby is not quite old enough to go outside and play in the snow let’s look at a few indoor activities aimed at helping your little one improve and reinforce their baby signing skills and learn new vocabulary.
Sing and Sign
From a very early age babies are responsive to music and rhythm. Multimedia such as the Baby Signing Time Collection can help your baby understand concepts by receiving visual feedback and easy to recall language patterns. Because response to sound is one of the very first things we learn a baby who is learning how to sign by using age appropriate songs will also benefit from:
- Improved concentration and recall.
- Speech & language development.
- Image to sound association. Particularly related to animal and object onomatopoeia.
- Better grasp of rhythm and pattern.
- Social response.
When using song to teach signs to your baby or toddler there is no need to sign every single word. Focus on nouns first then incorporate verbs that are relevant to the child’s developmental stage. Because motor response is slow selecting just a few signs in association with each song will reduce frustration.
Topical Make-Believe & Models
Life is busy and exposing baby to new experiences can be time and cost-intensive. Perhaps your family is in no position to visit a farm or head to the ocean but you know your baby needs to develop awareness and vocabulary associated to different settings. To overcome this hurdle why not secure themed toys such as a little collection of plastic farm animals or if you are crafty why not create an aquarium in a bucket using plastic fish. Engage in play by showing your baby or toddler behaviors, and sounds associated to each animal or object. Models & toy sets are also great to bring dimension to reading activities or baby sign language flash cards.
Reading & Board Books
Babies are highly visual and always show great interest in books. Select books that expose your baby and toddler to vocabulary expansion opportunities and work on adding one or two signs each week from the same book. If your baby is under a year old look for board books that introduce your little one to texture, sound and color in order to help him or her develop their senses and motor skills.
