Fun Start: An idea a week to maximize your baby’s potential from birth to age 5 - June Oberlander R.

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time. This activity is designed to stimulate the baby to want to move forward. Body contact with the floor and the struggle to move towards an object should serve to initiate an interest in crawling in a rudimentary manner. Eventually the baby will discover that he can move forward and obtain an object with very little effort.

       Drop and Fall

      This activity develops

       eye-hand coordination

       an awareness of the concept ‘down’

       the sense of touch

       the desire to become independent

       listening for the different sounds that objects make when they fall

      Obtain an object such as a spoon or a clothes peg. Show it to the baby and allow him to hold and feel it. Place the baby in a sitting position on the floor. Hold the object slightly higher than the baby’s eye view and encourage him to watch as you drop the object.

      Does the baby attempt to reach for the object? Show the object to the baby again. Call it by name. Hold the object up and let it fall. Say the word ‘down’ as you drop the object. Repeat this several times, emphasising the word ‘down’.

      Hand the object to the baby. Does he attempt to drop or throw it? Retrieve the object for the baby to drop, or throw it again and again until he loses interest.

      Choose some other objects for the baby to feel, hold, drop and watch as each object falls. As each object is dropped, use the word‘down’to stress the concept.

       Listen to the Sounds

      This activity develops

       an awareness of a rhythmic pattern

       the feeling sensation of the vibrations produced when tapping on the various objects

       eye-hand coordination

       an awareness of different sounds

       free exploration

      Obtain a large empty tin can such as the one used in week 17. Use a wooden spoon or a stick and tap on the plastic lid at the top of the can. Develop the rhythmic 1-2, 1-2 pattern as you tap on the can with the wooden spoon or stick.

      Encourage the baby to use the wooden spoon or stick and copy your tapping pattern. It may be necessary for you to help the baby hold the spoon or stick to tap on the plastic lid of the can. Count out the rhythmic pattern,‘1-2’as you tap. Continue to do this until the baby loses interest. Repeat later at other times. Eventually the baby will be able to tap on the can independently, but not necessarily with the rhythmic pattern.

      At another time during the week, assemble a shoe box, a stuffed paper bag, a magazine, a piece of wood and various other similar items for the baby to tap on and listen for the different sounds. Place them in a row and encourage the baby to explore each object. Then allow him to tap on each object with his hands. With your help, the baby can hold the wooden spoon or stick and tap on the various objects. The different sounds will serve to interest and entertain him briefly. Remember that a baby’s attention span is very short. However, through this experience, he will learn to touch, hold, move and make sounds with the various objects. If the rhythmic pattern is repeated often enough, the baby will learn to tap out one of his own.

       The Sock Ball Throw

      This activity develops

       an awareness of throwing an object for a purpose

       eye control in focusing on a moving object

       enhancement of the sense of touch

       further development of eye-hand coordination

      Locate the sock ball that was used in the week 6 activity or make a new one. Allow the baby to hold and feel the sock ball. Take the sock ball gently from the baby and throw it a short distance. Make sure that it is within the baby’s eye view. Retrieve the sock ball and throw it again. Then give the sock ball to the baby and encourage him to throw it. Help him to try to aim and throw the ball. Praise the baby for any positive attempt that he makes. This will motivate him to want to continue. Repeat this activity at various times.

      At another time during the week sit on the floor facing the baby and throw the sock ball gently to him. Does he reach and grab for the sock ball or does he just let it fall? Encourage him to get the ball and throw it to you. He may want to hold the ball, but try to encourage him to throw or give you the ball. Praise him for any attempt that he makes. Try to avoid saying, ‘No, no, watch Mother.’You can say instead,‘I throw the sock ball this way. Can you throw it like that to me?’Then give the baby the sock ball. He may just look at it or put it down. If this occurs, stop the activity and try again later. With practice, the baby will learn to coordinate and be able to throw the ball. However, the ability to aim accurately will come later. This activity is primarily designed to stimulate the baby to develop an interest in throwing for a purpose. At this age, babies enjoy throwing and dropping objects for no special reason.

       Toss the Ball Up and Watch

      This activity develops

       eye-hand coordination

       an understanding of up and down

       eye contact with a moving object

       confidence through praise and encouragement

      Use the sock ball again and with both hands toss the sock ball up in eye view of the baby. Talk to the baby as you do this. Encourage the baby to look up and watch the ball as it goes up. Use the word‘up’as you say,‘Watch the ball go up.’This activity should be repeated, as well as the activity for week 24 when the concept ‘down’was stressed. The baby should be motivated to look up and watch the ball come down. Change your voice inflection each time the ball goes up as you say the word‘up’. Likewise, as the ball falls, use good voice inflection for the word‘down’.

      Give the ball to the baby and encourage him to use both hands and toss the ball up. Call the child by name and praise him for any positive attempt that he makes. Help him if necessary and avoid negatives such as,‘No, no, do it this way.’ With practice, the baby will enjoy tossing the ball while you say the words ‘up’and ‘down’. Be sure to praise him for his efforts.

      This activity should be repeated, as well as many of the previous activities. Doing an activity only once does not produce any mastered skills nor does it reinforce any spatial or basic concepts. Repetition is necessary.

       Awareness of Feet

      This activity develops

       further awareness of left and right

       further awareness of feet and toes

       free exploration

       grasping coordination

       enhancement of the sense of touch

      Lay the baby on his back and bring his left leg up so that he can grasp his left foot. Place his left leg back down and lift the right leg so that the baby can grasp his right foot. This

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