Full Mobility - a World of Experiences
Your now completely mobile baby gets sensory stimulation from almost everything he does – from crawling on the grass to making mud pies. He feels, sees, hears and smells his entire environment as he plays and makes his way from one exciting place to the next.Sound
With babbling slowly turning into speech, auditory development is significant. Your baby begins to connect sounds to actions, such as the door slamming, or a barking dog.Touch
Your crawling baby not only keeps you on your toes, but can also get to many more interesting places and things. The ability to separate his fingers and use the pincer grasp opens up a new way to discover and explore. This makes his fingers his primary tool for feeling, replacing his mouth, which has been the primary touch organ so far.The Growing Importance of Parental Guidance
Despite the fact that his senses are mature, your baby still lacks experience and needs your help in his quest of exploring the world. He relies on you for the finer distinctions between similar things and, without your guidance, may miss out on important input.
Milestones
- Baby can now see small objects at a distance and distinguish between different geometric shapes.
- She can now distinguish between tastes and scents and express her preferences.
- With her finely tuned auditory skills, your baby can now make a distinction between different rhythms, volumes, tones and inflections.
- Baby can now make a connection between object and sounds, such as a barking dog or a ringing doorbell.
Tiny Tips
- Make meal time learning time by letting baby dig in and eat with her hands. As messy as it may seem, free reign at the dinner table is excellent sensory stimulation for all five senses at once.
- Share your pleasures and joys with your baby – your favorite tune, the scent of a rose or chocolate ice cream. This reinforces the idea that our world offers much pleasure – and it is there for everyone to see, taste, smell and touch.
- Encourage your baby to touch her world by offering her a wide variety of toys of different shapes, textures and materials.