25 Creative Activities For Infants

TEARING ACTIVITY FOR INFANTS

RESOURCE:

A year of Fun Just for Babies

OBJECTIVE:

To encourage a bay to tear paper

MATERIALS:

Wrapping paper

PROCEDURE:

Show the baby how to crumple a small piece of wrapping paper. Encourage baby to do the same. Show the baby how to tear the paper into pieces. Encourage him to do it, too.

MANIPULATIVE ACTIVITY FOR INFANTS

RESOURCE:

A Year of Fun Just for Babies

OBJECTIVE:

To show baby how to fit smaller objects into bigger objects

MATERIALS:

Several plastic measuring cups of different sizes

PROCEDURE:

Show baby how to nest a Ð'Ñ* cup measuring cup into a 1 cup measuring cup. You can use several different measurements or use plastic bowls. You can also stack them upside down with the biggest on the bottom and the smallest on top, making a tower.

AUDITORY ACTIVITY FOR INFANTS

RESOURCE:

A Year of Fun Just for Babies

OBJECTIVE:

To encourage baby to find where sounds are coming from

MATERIALS:

A clock that ticks, shoebox

PROCEDURE:

Hide the ticking clock inside a shoebox. Ask baby what he hears. Encourage him to try to find where the sound is coming from.

PUPPET ACTIVITY FOR INFANTS

RESOURCE:

A Year of Fun Just for Babies

OBJECTIVE:

To make a puppet to play with the baby

MATERIALS:

Cardboard, scissors, markers

PROCEDURE:

Cut a 3 Ð'Ð... inch circle shape from the cardboard. Draw a smiling face on one side with the markers. Cut two 1 inch holes near the bottom of the face. Place your middle and index fingers through the holes. Have the puppet point and identify the baby's body parts. When the puppet names a part, use your fingers to tickle that body part on the baby.

TACTILE ACTIVITY FOR INFANTS

RESOURCE:

A Year of Fun Just for Babies

OBJECTIVE:

To teach baby the importance of touch

MATERIALS:

None

PROCEDURE:

Hold the baby in your lap. While talking to the baby, walk your fingers up and down the baby's arms. Move the baby's hand up and down your arm, too.

ASSEMBLAGE ACTIVITY FOR INFANTS

RESOURCE:

A Year of Fun Just for Babies

OBJECTIVE:

Baby will attach and detach items on a poster

MATERIALS:

Velcro, heavy canvas cloth, small cloth items, such as socks, a washcloth, a mitten, a doll

PROCEDURE:

Sew several 2 inch pieces of Velcro onto an 18 by 24 inch piece of heavy cloth. Sew matching pieces of Velcro to the soft items. Attach the objects to the poster by pressing the Velcro pieces together. Hang the poster near the floor. Show the baby how to pull an object off. Help the baby reattach the items so he can pull them off again.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITY FOR INFANTS

RESOURCE:

A Year of Fun Just for babies

OBJECTIVE:

To let baby explore the outdoors

MATERIALS:

Access to outdoors

PROCEDURE:

Take the baby outside. Let him crawl through the grass. Talk about it's color and how it feels.

BODY ACTIVITY FOR INFANTS

RESOURCE:

A Year of Fun Just for Babies

OBJECTIVE:

To teach baby to recognize the names of body parts

MATERIALS:

None

PROCEDURE:

Put baby's hand on a part of your body as you name it. Use the baby's hand to touch the same part on his body as you name the part again. Continue the game by pointing to different parts of your body.

SCIENCE ACTIVITY FOR INFANTS

RESOURCE:

A Year of Fun Just for Babies

OBJECTIVE:

To introduce baby to bubbles

MATERIALS:

A bottle of bubbles

PROCEDURE:

While sitting on the floor with baby, blow bubbles around him. Encourage him to reach out and catch the bubbles.

OLFACTORY