Let's Play! Flying Seesaw & Pour It On

1.Flying Seesaw

An almost-11-month-old is bound to be enthralled by this dynamic exercise.

Skills developed: sense of cause and effect
What you'll need: a cardboard tube stuffed with newspaper for stiffening, a short square board or large rectangular children's book, a small stuffed animal, a child's hammer or mallet

Lay the tube on a flat surface — preferably a smooth floor. Balance the board or book on the cylinder like a teeter-totter with one end down and the other angling upward. Set the stuffed animal on the lower end of the book. Announce, "Let's watch Bunny go for a ride," and have your child hit the high end of the book with the hammer. (If you don't have a hammer or mallet, have your baby use his fist.) Then watch your baby's face as the animal goes flying. Warning: He'll want to repeat this over and over, so for your sanity you may want to add a challenge, such as measuring how far away it lands.

Variation: Put a stuffed animal at both ends of the board or book to make a seesaw, then show your child how to balance it.

2.Pour It On

There's a reason Montessori-style preschools feature so many activities that involve pouring: It's a great way to explore concepts like "full" and "empty" and develop dexterity to boot.

Skills developed: hand-eye coordination, spatial relations
What you'll need: a large dish tub or bucket; some plastic cups, bowls, and other containers

Because it's messy, try this activity outside, or in a kitchen or bathroom with a bath mat or towel on the floor. Fill the dish tub or bucket about halfway with water, and set out the various pouring implements next to it. If your baby is walking, you can set up this activity on a low bench or chair; if she's not, have her sit next to the bucket.

Show her how to scoop water out of the bucket and pour it back in. When she has the technique down, show her how to transfer water into a larger cup or bowl using a smaller one as a tool. Funnels, measuring cups with spouts, and basters also make for great water play.

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