Understanding Your Baby: Recipes For Play (Parent-Friendly Handouts)

Printable infant activities providing easy access to simple, enriching ways to support cognitive, communicative, motor, and social/emotional development.

A collection of 52 Recipes For Play

We know we’re “supposed” to sing, read, play, and talk to our babies… but what does that look like?

Have you ever asked yourself:

• What are the developmental benefits of the stuff I’m already doing?
• How should I read my baby a story? What am I supposed to sing?
• How often should I be talking to my baby (and what should I say to someone who doesn’t yet understand me)?

My “Recipes For Play: Birth to 12 Months” resource is a wonderful collection of simple, enriching ways to support your baby’s development in the areas of cognitive, communicative, motor, and social/emotional development. Based on the content of the bestselling book, Understanding Your Baby, “Recipes For Play: Birth to 12 Months” provides over 50 “play recipes” to keep you and your baby engaged and connected, and to give you the confidence you you’re maximizing this precious period within precious few moments.

• Each includes a list of all materials, step-by-step instructions, the developmental impact of the activity, & sample social scripts to get you started actually implementing the activity.
• A list of common household objects you can use in play with your baby, so you can learn to recognize how to harness the power of simple, open-ended materials already in your home (without having to spend a penny)!
• A set of high-quality, developmentally enriching ideas to share with a caregiver who will be spending time with your baby, to find common ground and to put your mind at ease that your baby will be enjoying high qualities with each of you.

“Recipes For Play: Birth to 12 Months” is perfect for professionals working with families: provide your families/clients with developmentally-appropriate play ideas that support your goals, and help them with skill carryover in the home environment.