1.Hide & Peek
This simple tablecloth game is great fun and very reassuring for babies just beginning to understand that out of sight doesn't mean out of mind.
Skills developed: understanding of object permanence
What you'll need: a table with crawl space underneath and a long tablecloth, sheet, or blanket
Throw a large blanket, sheet, or tablecloth over a table so that it reaches all the way to the floor. Show your baby how she can crawl underneath the table (you may need to get down there first yourself and coax her along if she's timid). Then demonstrate how, when you're outside the tablecloth and she's underneath, you can't see her. Ask, "Where's my baby?" When she crawls out or peeks out from under the cloth, say, "There's my baby!" Next, bring her outside with you, then hide a doll or stuffed animal underneath and ask about it: "Where's Teddy?" Let your baby crawl underneath to find her lost friend, and when she does, exclaim, "There's Teddy!"
2.Water Balloons
What better lesson in cause and effect than to blow up a balloon and let it go? Add water and it becomes an immersion course. (Save this game for those evenings when everyone's a little punchy and you don't mind cleaning up the bathroom afterwards.)
Skills developed: hand-eye coordination, sense of cause and effect
What you'll need: a sturdy balloon
With your baby sitting securely in the tub, put a bit of water in a balloon and blow it up, but don't tie it. Give it to him and show him how to let it fly — then watch it zoom around the room, spraying water as it goes. (Close the shower curtain to keep the room from getting completely soaked.)
Warning: An uninflated balloon presents a serious choking hazard, so don't let your baby put the balloon in his mouth, and never let him play with it unsupervised.
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
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