Exploring the environment 

looks like the following:

As a baby, they begin:

• They move their eyes and head to visually look around their environment, 

• Hold items you place in their hand for several seconds,

• When being held or in supported sitting, they reach for objects they see (may or may not be able to grasp the item but it is clear they want to!)

• Once they are rolling over, they begin reaching for items on the floor in front of them. 

As they begin sitting up well, they begin: 

• Grasp items, 

• Pat at toys and items, 

• Use their whole hand to press buttons or make an item work,

• Shake a rattle, 

• Bang a toy on the floor or table 

• Turn items over, 

• Touch the surfaces of items,

• Puts objects to their mouth,

• Is curious about things they see and hear!!

• If they do not want something, they may push it away or turn their head to refuse it. 

As they start crawling, pulling up, standing, and walking, they begin:

• Get into EVERYTHING! They are always trying to mouth, shake, bang, throw, push, and pull on things. 

• They may try to open cabinet doors and climb inside. 

• They climb on you and objects to get to items they want to touch. 

• And again- they are so, very curious. You find yourself saying to your child "You are doing to much!".

"So, what if my baby isn't exploring items? They don't even seem curious." 🤨 

Strategies To Try:

It can be very difficult when a baby or toddler isn't naturally curious. 

Sometimes, a caregiver might refer to their baby who isn't exploring items as "an easy baby" or "quiet". At first, this seems like a positive trait but later parents find their "easy baby" turns into a toddler who isn't babbling, imitating faces or gestures, and doesn't start talking. As well-checks come up at the pediatrician, parents are asked at 1-year ""Has your baby started using their first word? If not, you should hear it soon!" At the 18-month appointment parents are asked ""Is she/he using more than 10 words and using over 16 gestures?" And then at the 2 -year well-check the question jumps to "Are they using over 50 words?" 

By then, we've missed 22 months of progress when we should have started with getting children to EXPLORE their environment! 

No matter if your baby is one month old, a toddler, or getting ready to start school, if they haven't mastered exploring their environment, we must start with mastering this skills to be able to move on to the other Pre-Verbal skills. 

Start by setting up your child's environment:

Turn the TV off if your child tends to focus on it rather than items.

Pick an area you plan to use. The area should keep your child contained (a room with a door you can shut to prevent them from leaving you, a baby gate keeping them in the area with you, a play pen, or even the bathtub). There should be few items out at a time as having tons of items out makes it overwhelming for a child who isn't yet plundering and exploring. 

Pick out items that encourage using the senses. 

Here is a list of tactile ideas. These are things your child would use with your supervision meaning you do not have to leave all these items out. I completely understand that when parents see words such as “play dough” or “shaving cream” they may feel worried or think “There’s no way we could try that! My child would not know what to do” or “They would make a mess!” or “They would put it in their mouth!”. I promise choosing some of these ideas will be a great way to teach your child new skills, set expectations during play routines, and most importantly- it is providing your child with something they are seeking (tactile experiences). If we provide experiences a child is seeking out we are providing something they need and we will see less seeking behavior. These experiences lead to increased attention span as they may stay on task for an extended time with tactile experiences. 

🧤Play with a variety of toys. There are many different toys that can help babies explore different textures. Some examples include textured balls, rattles, foam toys, wooden toys, and stuffed animals, just to name a few. 

🧤Explore different textures. Introduce them to all sorts of cool feels: fluffy fur, bumpy sandpaper, smooth wood, crinkly tin foil, and chilly metal. You can hide these treasures in a "feely box" or spread them out on a tray for a grand exploration. 

🧤Take a Walk Together. Walking outside is the perfect place for kiddos to explore different textures, such as the bark, the sand, woodchips, flowers, and leaves. There is so much to see, feel, touch, smell, and hear outside. 

🧤Give Your Little One a Massage. A massage is a great way for babies to experience different textures and sensations. Touch your child’s hand, arm, foot, or leg with different ideas, such as a stuffie, hair brush, block, rattle, or foam toy. You want to use a bit of a firm touch as many babies may not enjoy a tickling sensation at first. 

🧤Explore Textures of Clothing. Show your baby different textures of clothing, such as soft cotton, rough denim, bumpy textures, and smooth silk. You might try placing it in their hands and rubbing it on their arm or leg during play. 

🧤Give Your Child Items to Explore in the Tub. A bath is a great way for babies to explore different textures, such as the water, the bubbles, and the bath toys. Make toys move, float, and splash to get a reaction out of your little one. 

🧤Play with bubbles. Bubbles are a fun and sensory way for babies to explore the air. 

🧤Show Your Child How To Paint with Their Hands. Let your baby paint with their hands using non-toxic finger paints or edible items such as pudding. This is a great way for them to explore different textures and colors. 

🧤Create a sensory bin. Sensory bins offer an excellent opportunity for babies to explore various textures, colors, and smells. You can create one by filling a bin with diverse materials like sand, rice, beans, water, or even shaving cream. 

🧤Create a sensory bottle. You can fill a bottle with a variety of materials, such as beads, glitter, water, and food coloring. This is great for children who do not want mess on their hands just yet. I recommend gluing the top of the bottle closed to be safe. 

🧤Play with playdough. Playdough is a versatile material that babies can use to explore different textures and shapes. There are lots of new doughs on the market now providing different feels and textures. 

🧤Read books with textured pages. Tactile books can be found at stores and libraries. The pages include many different textures, including soft, rough, bumpy, smooth, and even sticky!