Fun Baby Learning

But today he's only 11 months old, and the years ahead will be full of adventure, excitement and inevitably some tears. So what can you do to prepare for the days ahead? How can you make sure he develops enough socially to interact with the kids in preschool while at the same time climb trees and run the diamond during his kickball tournament?

We know what youre thinking: Theres still plenty of time for all of that, and hes only just beginning to walk. But now is the time to get his not-so-little-anymore body moving, to widen his eyes to the world around him and to turn those little words like truck and ma-ma into more.

At 11 months your child is cruising, says Kathy Erle, director of program development for Gymboree Play & Music on the West Coast. They are pulling themselves up and getting ready to walk and toddle around. Cognitively they understand words and are able to express themselves through simple words and gesturing. Incorporating simple games into everyday activities are important at this stage and can significantly increase motor and social development.

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We are in [an era] of studying a whole child approach, says Susan Goodwyn, co-author of Baby Signs and Baby Minds and product development adviser to LeapFrog. Nothing develops in isolation. For instance, brain development promotes all kinds of other aspects like speech, coordination, social and physical development, along with other areas like recognition. Promoting stimulation in any of the areas promotes development in other areas, she says.

On the Move

“There are two elements to the physical development, says Maureen O'Brien director of parenting and child development at The First Years in Massachusetts, a maker of play items for infants. One is what we call the gross motor or large skills like walking and throwing. The other is fine motor skills. These are the things they can now do with their fingers that they havent been able to before.Feeding themselves with their thumb and first finger is one example. At this age they turn into perfectionists,she says. Their hand-eye coordination is better, and even though feeding is still messy, they can take more control.

O'Brien suggests a number of different games for this age group specifically for motor development. Good activities are the ones that come naturally, she says. Peek-a-boo is no longer done with the child on your lap. Now its with them crawling under the table and peeking around the dinning room chairs. Also take turns initiating things. Mom can hide from Baby, making Baby crawl to find Mom. Pots and pans or Tupperware drums are always fun at this age too, she says.

Climbing activities are also a good idea says Erle. You can create your own obstacle course in your home with couch cushions and pillows and guide them through it, she says. Also take five minutes and allow them to climb up three or four stairs. But watch them and make sure they are doing it the right way. Make that something safe and fun to do. For the kitchen, she says to designate a cupboard for safe things baby can play with. Letting them just play and explore is what they want to do, she says. Measuring cups also work well here and in the bathtub.

For outside, bubbles are also fun, Erle says. Let them chase and pop them, she says. Also, go on walks and allow them to explore different surfaces. Go out into the garden and touch leaves or let them help you plant seeds.

Socialites

While all of these physical activities will assist in social development, there are other games you can play with your child to enhance this aspect of learning. A great game is balls," says Erle. "One of the things kids learn at an early age is that when they roll a ball, it will come back to them. You can play the basic roll and back, or the ball can go through a cause and effect sequence. Drop it in the hoop where you can get a lot of people involved in the game, she says. Roll it on the floor through cloth tunnels, or roll it down slides. This will all help the child understand the reasoning behind it all.

Also, peek-a-boo with scarves and sheets is social. Lift the cloth high in the air and let it billow down over the childs face. This can be very entertaining for children.

Playing pretend is also a great way to get their social skills going, adds Brien. Play phones are great or even old real ones, she says. Let them have imaginary conversations with Grandma or even Sponge Bob.

Jamie Elliott Greene, a mother of two in Henderson, Nev., and owner of ASmartBaby.com, a Web site focused on developmental baby products specializing in 0 to 12 months, is partial to puzzles for social development. They help with mathematical skills, and it is something you can do with them. They can show you where things go, she says. In that same line of thought, O'Brien likes exposing kids to bright, fun visual books. You can help them turn the page, she says, and they can show you the progression of each character.

Singing and music is also a great activity. Kids at this age respond especially to music, Greene says. My first child would only fall asleep to music, and my second loved the rhythm of poems and nursery rhymes. Even singing while you are preparing dinner and in the car is a good activity, says Erle. You can sing and let them fill in the chorus, or they sing and you can clap, she says.

The most important thing to remember about children of this age is that nothing develops independently of anything else. So keep them interested and change things around. This will help them later on and help you keep your sanity.