Let's Play! The Book of Me & Cruise Control

1.The Book of Me

We all like to talk over our day's experiences as we get ready to turn in for the night, and your baby is no exception. The trick is, he can't tell you much yet. One way to get him to "share" is to put together a scrapbook of things that help illustrate his day's adventures, then look at it together each night.

Skills developed: hand-eye coordination
What you'll need: cardboard, paper, plastic bags or plastic wrap, photographs, and a three-ring binder or string or yarn for binding

Start with some photos of your baby and the people he sees every day: siblings, babysitters, friends from his playgroup. A photo of his favorite stuffed animal might also be a hit. You can add a leaf you found together on a walk, a flower from the garden, or a "drawing" that your baby made that day. Paste the photos and other mementos on pieces of stiff paper or cardboard, then cover them with plastic wrap or see-through plastic bags and tape the plastic down. You can tie the book together with string or yarn, but it will be sturdiest if you insert the pages into a three-ring notebook. Store it in a safe place: Today it's a wildly useful bedtime tool, tomorrow a treasured keepsake.


2.Cruise Control

Babies will walk when they're good and ready — this is one skill you can't rush. But as your baby gets closer to taking her first steps, it's fun to "sneak-preview" the joys of getting around.

Skills developed: hand-eye coordination, walking
What you'll need: kitchen-table chairs

Line up a row of chairs against a wall (preferably in a carpeted room). Help your baby stand up and hold on to a chair at one end of the row, then show her how to use the chairs to propel herself slowly along from one to another. If she needs extra incentive, take a favorite toy and place it on the farthest chair, and when she reaches the toy, help her get it, then clap and give her a big hug. Put another toy at the opposite end and send her back in the other direction. You can keep it up as long as she's having fun and still steady on her feet.

Remember: Each baby develops at a different pace, so if yours isn't quite ready for this week's activities, don't worry — just try them again in a few weeks.

source from http://www.babycenter.com