• Play naming games with your baby. Point to her nose and say, “nose.” Do the same with her eyes, hands and toys.
• Play pat-a-cake with your baby.
• Play pop-goes-the-weasel. When you reach the “pop,” raise your baby’s arms in the air. Don’t jerk her arms or swing her by the arms.
• Partly hide a toy under a blanket or piece of cloth. Let your baby grab the toy and learn to pull the blanket off.
• Put several empty plastic cups into a shoebox. The cups can be different sizes. Reach into the box and take one cup out at a time. Pick out another cup and do it again. After you do this a few times, your baby will imitate you.
• Put a large picture of yourself and dad near her crib or high chair. When she says “mama” or “da-da,” point to the pictures. Say, “There’s mommy” (or, “There’s daddy”).

Floor Time Is Playtime

Here are two activities that you can do during floor time:

• Put your baby in a sitting position. Support her with pillows. Roll a soft ball to her and clap when she tries to roll it back.
• Give your baby two plastic cups. Show her how to bang them together or bang them on the floor.

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