As babies absorb new sensory experiences, they learn to connect what objects look like with how they feel. Later, they use their experience to imagine how objects feel-smooth or rough, cool or warm-just by looking at them. You can contribute to your baby's imagination "bank" long before your baby's hands reach out to the world. Provide toys with a variety of different textures and fabrics. Give safe, teethable toys with interesting surfaces for baby's mouth to explore, baby's first way of touching. Even your baby's bath can supply a wealth of sensory experiences. By providing lots of tactile sensations, you're activating the parts of baby's mind where imagination develops.

 

Your child is hungry for visual stimulation-first within a focal range of about eight to 10 inches, then increasingly farther. Soon your baby connects seeing you walk across the room with hearing footsteps and begins imagining you at the sound of your footsteps. To spark baby's imagination with new sights, offer a variety of light and dark patterns. Rotate the detachable toys that dangle from a floor gym. Provide child-safe mirrors to increase what your baby sees-baby, you, baby's surroundings. On walks, introduce moving patterns: a flowing fountain, swaying branches, waving banners. Visual novelty creates the connections that feed imagination

 

 

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Examples of toys that spark imagination:

* Floor gyms with hanging parts to encourage swiping and batting

* Floor gyms with flashing lights and music

* Crib mobiles

* Crib music boxes with moving lights

* Toys that squeak or ring or clack

* Toys with high-contrast geometric designs

* Toys with a variety of bright colors and/or lights

* Child-safe mirrors

* Activity quilts

* Toys with friendly faces

* Board books and cloth books for patting, pointing and talking

* Recorded songs and music

* Soft animals or balls of varying textures

* Teethable toys What excites your baby's sense? What enthralls? As you interact you will know by your baby's reaction. Little arms wave. Babbling begins. Your baby is making connections and analyzing things more than you expect. However sometimes your baby needs a break to prevent over stimulation.

 

 

 

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