MY baby is SO SMART

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• FUN ACTIVITIES TO DO WITH YOUR BABY
• (These activities are based on
• the developmental principles of Jean Piaget.)
• Sabrina Sherrill MFT
• [phone]
• Sabrinamft_at_sbcglobal.net

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• Outline
• Activities focus of three principals of cognitive
  development
• Concepts
• Memory
• Problem Solving
• The Activities are divided into four age
  categories
• 4 8 months
• 8 12 months
• 12 18 month
• 18 24 months

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• These activities are designed to enhance the
  parent child relationship through fun interactive
  activities. This interactive process is designed
  to enhance attachment and strengthen the
  parent-child bond.
• These activities are NOT designed to be used as
  an assessment of development. The age ranges are
  designed to service as a guide but not as any
  type of evaluation.
• If this is used as a curriculum for presentation
  actual demonstrations are recommended if possible.

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• CONCEPTS 4 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Hand them an upside down empty baby bottle.
  Watch your baby work.
• GOAL baby turns bottle upright and attempts to
  suck on the nipple.

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• CONCEPTS 4 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Hand them a toy telephone. See what they do.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with a telephone, placing the receiver to
  their ear.

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• CONCEPTS 4 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Hand them a toy animal, cow, duck, dog, etc.
  Observe what they know about the animals.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they recognize
  the animal, usually by imitating the sound i.e.
  barking, quacking, making walking actions.

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• CONCEPTS 4 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Hand them a spoon. What do they know about a
  spoon?
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with a spoon, i.e. placing it in their
  mouth.

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• MEMORY 4 - 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• When engaged with our baby you begin to play
  peek-a-boo, hiding behind your hands etc.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know that
  you are still present and they gleefully
  anticipate each time you say BOO!

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• MEMORY 4 - 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• With your baby seated in your lap capture your
  babys attention with a toy, then while your baby
  is watching, place it on the ground in front of
  you and partially cover it with a scarf.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know that
  the toy still exists and they grab at the toy
  even though it is only partially revealed.

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• MEMORY 4 - 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• With your baby seated on your lap, capture your
  babys interest with a toy, place the toy on the
  floor in front of you and while they watch, cover
  it totally with a scarf.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know that
  the toy is still present even though they can no
  longer see it.

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• MEMORY 4 - 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• While playing with your baby place toys into
  pockets, containers etc. while they watch.
• -GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know
  that the toys continue to exist even when you
  hide them in a variety of ways.

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• PROBLEM SOLVING 4 - 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Lay your baby on their back under a mobile.
  Place a bootie which has a shoestring pinned to
  the toe on their foot. Tie the other end of the
  shoe string to the mobile.
• GOAL your baby moves their foot and realizes
  that when they move the foot attached to the
  mobile it causes the mobile to move. They
  purposefully begins moving their foot.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 4 - 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Using a shoe string create a musical bracelet
  using a light weight rattle or baby keys that you
  loosely tie to their wrist. (once you have
  completed the activity remove the bracelet).
• Goal your baby utilizes elementary
  experimentation, shaking, moving their hand when
  they realize they are causing the noise.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 4 - 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Introduce simple Cause and Effect toys with
  simple easy to push buttons which create sounds
  or lights. Model once.
• -GOAL your baby repeats the actions modeled or
  discovers for themselves and then repeats the
  action to cause the reaction. toy.

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• PROBLEM SOLVING 4 - 8 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Holding your baby next to the light switch
  demonstrate what happens when you turn the light
  switch off and on. Give them the opportunity to
  reach the switch.
• GOAL your baby models your behavior to see that
  when they too activate the switch the light goes
  off and on.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• CONCEPTS 8 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Hand your baby a purse. Watch your baby work.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with a purse, i.e. filling it with play
  keys, phone, toys, carrying it around on their
  arm.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• CONCEPTS 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Give your baby a child safe necklace. Watch
  what they do.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with a necklace, i.e. placing it over
  their head or your head so that it lays around
  their/your neck.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• CONCEPTS 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Bring out the hats. What does your baby know
  about hats.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with a hat, i.e. placing it on their or
  your head.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• CONCEPTS 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Bring out the cars. How much does your baby know
  about cars?
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with a car, i.e. rolling it on the ground,
  making the noise of a motor etc.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• MEMORY 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Sitting next to your baby on the floor begin
  hiding toys under scarves etc. Out of their
  sight, so that they are not watching you hide the
  toy. Ask them to find the toy.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates memory both that the
  toy still exists but also memory of the game that
  you have played in the before.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• MEMORY 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Utilize lift the flap books to reinforce your
  babys memory.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they remember
  what is behind the flap in the book. They get
  excited and show anticipation often making the
  noises of the animal or object behind the flap
  before lifting the flap.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• MEMORY 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Utilize Pop-up toys to further enhance memory.
  
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they remember
  what animal or object will pop-up. You may begin
  asking them to find specific animals, object if
  the toy has multiple choices.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• MEMORY 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Utilize plastic Easter eggs, boxes with lids,
  containers etc. to create games that reinforce
  memory. Hide Cherrios, safe items even yourself
  or your baby with blankets, large boxes etc.
• GOAL your baby actively participates in these
  new games happily showing their joy when items
  reappear.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• With your baby seated on your lap you show them
  a toy which has a string attached. When your
  child reaches for the toy you place it on the
  ground out of your childs reach with the string
  closest to them.
• -GOAL your baby grasps the string and pulls
  the toy to them allowing them to grab the toy.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Your baby is seated on your lap. You place
  scarf on the ground in front of you both. You
  show your baby a toy then you place it out of
  reach onto of the scarf.
• GOAL your baby grabs the scarf and pulls it
  toward themselves as a means of bringing the toy
  within their reach, thereby enabling them to
  reach the toy.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Hold your baby next to their crib. Show them
  their bottle inside of the crib.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know how
  to get the bottle through the rails of the crib,
  turning the bottle from a horizontal position to
  a vertical position so that it fits between the
  rails of the crib.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 8 - 12 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Utilize donut stacking toy to introduce
  serration and placing rings around a post.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates the problem solving
  skills needed to see how the donuts fit on the
  post.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• CONCEPTS 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Put your baby behind the wheel, of a toy riding
  car.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with a steering wheel i.e. grabbing both
  sides of the wheel and pretending to steer.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• CONCEPTS 12 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Give your baby the remote control. Watch your
  baby work.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they are
  familiar with the purpose of a remote control,
  pushing the buttons and aiming it at the TV.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• CONCEPTS 12 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Help your baby with a play vaccuum, lawn mower
  etc.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with these appliances i.e. pushing back
  and forth or in a definite path and making the
  noise.

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• CONCEPTS 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Put your baby in front of a computer key board.
  Watch your baby work.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with the key board, i.e. purposefully
  hitting the keys and expectantly watching the
  screen.

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• MEMORY 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Utilize Jack in the Box or Pop-Up Stick
  puppet to reinforce memory.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know that
  the toy still exists even when it disappears.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• MEMORY 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Begin simple games of Hide and Seek hiding
  behind furniture etc.
• GOAL your baby actively searches for you and
  expresses displeasure when you disappear.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• MEMORY 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• While playing with your baby on the floor
  cover a toy with a container then place a scarf
  or blanket over the container while they are
  watching.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know that
  the toy continues to exist even though you have
  hid it under multiple types of barriers.

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• MEMORY 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Make memory cards, gluing pictures of family,
  pets and friends onto note cards and color back
  of each card with a different color. Use cards
  for simple game. Placing a couple of cards face
  down after discussing the pictures and ask your
  child to locate the identified person.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates ability to find
  requested card.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• With your baby seated on your lap engage their
  interest in a toy (stuffed animals work best)
  then place it on the ground out of their reach.
  Place a long ruler or safe wide stick within
  their reach.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates problem solving
  skills by using the stick to scoot or hit the toy
  toward them enabling them to grasp the toy.

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• PROBLEM SOLVING 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• While playing on the floor with your baby, show
  them a plastic jar or container which contains a
  child-safe beaded necklace. Pour out the beads
  and hand both the beads and the container to your
  baby.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates the problem solving
  skills needed to get the beads back into the
  container.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• While your baby is seated in their highchair,
  attach a toy to the highchair with a shoe string
  or yarn. After your baby has played with the toy
  on their highchair drop it off the tray, laying
  the shoe string across the tray.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they have the
  problem solving skills needed to pull the string
  to bring the toy back to their tray.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 12 - 18 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Introduce simple Shape Sorting toys with very
  few shapes.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates ability to find
  right hole for each shape.

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• CONCEPTS 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Give your baby a toy plastic hammer and pounding
  board. Watch how they use the hammer.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know how
  to begin to use tools i.e. purposefully hitting
  the pegs to make them become flush with the
  board.

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• CONCEPTS 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• When your baby is seated in their highchair, tape
  some paper to the tray and give them a non-toxic
  crayon or felt pens. (redirect any attempts to
  place in their mouth)
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with these tools i.e. purposefully using
  the pens/crayons to make marks on a piece of
  paper.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• CONCEPTS 18 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Give your baby a book.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know what
  to do with a book, i.e. they turn the pages,
  imitate noises made by pictures in the book,
  animal, cars. Pretend to tell the story.

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• CONCEPTS 18 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Provide your baby with simple Dramatic play
  materials i.e. Dress- up clothes, shoes hats.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates what they have
  learned about culture and gender from you as they
  imitate what they know using dress up clothes.

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• MEMORY 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Before your baby enters the room hide familiar
  objects then ask your baby to find the toy.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know that
  the toy continues to exist even though you have
  hid it while they were not in the room.

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• MEMORY 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Hide familiar objects under more than one
  barrier, i.e. under a scarf then cover the scarf
  with a box, prior to your baby coming into the
  room. Ask them to find the toy.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates memory needed to
  find the toy.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• MEMORY 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Using stacking toys hide multiple items in
  multiple levels.
• GOAL your baby can retain the memory of more
  than one object and will search until all are
  found.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• MEMORY 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Using Nesting dolls, hide the baby inside the
  smallest doll then place all the dolls back
  together.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they maintain
  the memory or knowledge that the toy is still in
  existence even though it is hidden inside several
  toys.

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• PROBLEM SOLVING 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Engage your baby with a toy then place it on a
  table out of their reach. Make sure that a chair
  is next to the table. Step back but remain close
  for safety. Observe your childs behavior.
• -GOAL your baby shows their problem solving
  skills by climbing onto the chair to get the toy.

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• PROBLEM SOLVING 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• While sitting with your baby on the floor,
  introduce them to a friction car. (friction cars
  have a device attached to the rear wheels, you
  place the car on the floor and roll it backwards
  slightly. When it is released it quickly is
  propelled forward).
• -GOAL your baby models the technique that you
  modeled to activate the toy.

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MY baby is SO SMART!

• PROBLEM SOLVING 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Utilize Cause and Effect toys like the ball and
  hammer toy. Demonstrate how the toy works once
  and then give to your child.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they know how
  to get the balls out of the toys by hitting the
  balls with the hammer so they will come out of
  the bottom of the toy.

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• PROBLEM SOLVING 18 - 24 months
• Let your baby show you what she/he knows
• Seated on the ground with your baby, you
  demonstrate the use of a ramp with toy cars.
• GOAL your baby demonstrates that they understand
  the act that you have modeled by repeating the
  same action. Then they apply this principle to
  other objects, testing to see which ones roll.

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• References
• Boeree, Dr. C. George, Jean Piaget 1896 1980,
  http//webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/piaget.html
• Piaget, Jean, (1969), The Psychology of the
  Child. Basic Books. USA.
• Singer, Dorothy, (1996), A Piaget Primer, How a
  Child Thinks, Plume Books, New York.
• Van Wagner, Kendra, Backround and Key Concepts of
  Piagets Theory. http//psychology.about.com/od/pi
  agetstheory/a/keyconcepts.html