Development
4-9 months
- Explores objects with fingers, hands, toes
- Works to get objects out of reach
- Turns head toward bright colors and lights
- Explores objects by touching, mouthing, shaking, and banging
- Looks for ball rolled out of sight
9-12 months
- Finds toys hidden under boxes
- Imitates actions from memory
- Uses objects by function (phone to ear)
- Shows interest in picture books
12-18 months
- Plays simple games such as peek-a-boo
- Likes to take things apart
- Tries a number of things to activate toy (turns, bangs, pushes button)
18-24 months
- Plays alongside a friend (parallel play)
- Begins simple pretend play (talking on the phone, putting baby to bed)
- Completes simple puzzles of 2-3 pieces
- Points to a body part
2-3 years
- Group objects by category
- Engages in imaginative play with common household objects
- Names objects and points to many objects in one picture
- Stacks rings on a peg in order of size
- Completes more complex puzzles
3-4 years
- Engages in elaborate pretend play
- Experiments with cause and effect in play
- Understands basic concepts like tallest, biggest, same, more, etc.
- Asks who, what, where, and why questions
- Understands more complex words like time words (yesterday, tomorrow) and words to describe emotions (happy, disappointed)
5-6 years
- Places four pictures in sequence
- Imitates series of actions
- Sorts and classifies by category
- Learning to read and write basic words and numbers
Activities
Infants
- Allow your infant to feel different textures
- Provide experiences for your baby to look at a variety of colors, shapes and objects
- Talk about your baby’s world
- Sing to your baby and play music
- Read daily to your baby
Toddlers
- Play peek-a-boo
- Play hide-and-seek with objects
- Encourage play with puzzles, blocks, nesting toys and drawing materials
- Provide a variety of toys and activities that require your child to problem solve
- Play music and sing
- Read daily to your child
2-3 years
- Sort objects by color, shape, etc.
- Help your child “write” his own book by writing his words while he or she draws the pictures
- Teach the words; on, under, behind, around by playing games like Simon Says
- Provide a “dress-up” box for your child for imaginative play
- Read daily to your child
3-4 years
- Teach your child to count and recognize the numbers 1-10
- Conduct simple science experiments
- Play the memory game
- Compare objects of differing size and weight
- Cut objects into fractions of ½, ¼, etc.
- Read daily to your child
5-6 years
- Plant a garden with your child
- Show your child how to make simple recipes using measurements
- Allow your child to have a lemonade stand, making the lemonade and counting change
- Help your child write his or her name
- Read daily to your child