ASQ Activities for Infants 12-16 Months Old

Resource Type

Parent Handouts and Info - Parent

Description

Activities for Infants 12-16 Months Old ASQ

Ages

All Ages

Age Groups

Toddlerhood (1-3)

Web Address

http://resources.childhealthcare.org/cocoon/dtw/parent-text/development/activities_12_16.html

Languages

English

ASQ Activities for Infants 12-16 Months Old

ASQ Activities for Infants 12-16 Months Old

Babies love games at this age (Pat-a-cake, This Little Piggy Went to Market). Try different ways of playing the games and see if your baby will try it with you. Hide behind furniture or doors for Peekaboo; clap blocks or pan lids for Pat-a-cake. Babies love games at this age (Pat-a-cake, This Little Piggy Went to Market). Try different ways of playing the games and see if your baby will try it with you. Hide behind furniture or doors for Peekaboo; clap blocks or pan lids for Pat-a-cake. To encourage your baby's first steps, hold your baby in standing position, facing another person. Have your baby step toward the other person to get a favorite toy or treat. Give your baby containers with lids or different compartments filled with blocks or other small toys. Let your baby open and dump. Play "putting things back." This will help your baby learn how to release objects where he or she wants them. Loosely wrap a small toy in a paper towel or facial tissue without tape. Your baby can unwrap it and find a surprise. Use tissue paper or wrapping paper, too. It's brightly colored and noisy.

Babies enjoy push and pull toys. Make your own pull toy by threading yogurt cartons, spools, or small boxes on a piece of yarn or soft string (about 2 feet long). Tie a bead or plastic stacking ring on one end for a handle. Tape a large piece of drawing paper to a table. Show your baby how to scribble with large nontoxic crayons. Take turns making marks on the paper. It's also fun to paint with water. Arrange furniture so your baby can work his or her way around a room by stepping across gaps between furniture. This encourages balance in walking. Babies continue to love making noise. Make sound shakers by stringing canning rims together or filling medicine bottles (with child-proof caps) with different sounding objects like marbles, rice, salt, bolts, and so forth. Be careful to secure lids tightly. This is the time your baby learns that adults can be useful! When your baby "asks" for something by vocalizing or pointing, respond to his or her signal. Name the object your baby wants and encourage him or her to communicate again-taking turns with each other in a "conversation."

Play the naming game. Name body parts, common objects, and people. This lets your baby know that everything has a name and helps him or her begin to learn these names. Make an obstacle course with boxes or furniture so your baby can climb in, on, over, under, and through. A big box can be a great place to sit and play. Let your baby help you clean up. Play "feed the wastebasket" or "give it to Mommy or Daddy." Make a surprise bag for your baby to find in the morning. Fill a paper or cloth bag with a soft toy, something to make a sound, a little plastic jar with a screw-top lid, or a book with cardboard pages. Play "pretend" with a stuffed animal or doll. Show and tell your baby what the doll is doing (walking, going to bed, eating, dancing across a table). See if your baby will make the doll move and do things as you request. Take turns.

Cut up safe finger foods (do not use foods that pose a danger of your baby's choking) in small pieces and allow your baby to feed him- or herself. It is good practice to pick up small things and feel different textures (bananas, soft crackers, berries). Let your baby "help" during daily routines. Encourage your baby to "get" the cup and spoon for mealtime, to "find" shoes and coat for dressing, and to "bring" the pants or diaper for changing. Following directions is an important skill for your baby to learn. Your baby is learning that different toys do different things. Give your baby lots of things to roll, push, pull, hug, shake, poke, turn, stack, spin, and stir. Most babies enjoy music. Clap and dance to the music. Encourage your baby to practice balance by moving forward, around, and back. Hold his or her hands for support, if needed. Prepare your baby for a future activity or trip by talking about it beforehand. Your baby will feel a part of what is going on rather than being just an observer. It may also help reduce some fear of being "left behind."

The ASQ User's Guide, Second Edition, Squires, Potter, and Bricker. Copyright 1999 Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Babies love games at this age (Pat-a-cake, This Little Piggy Went to Market). Try different ways of playing the games and see if your baby will try it with you. Hide behind furniture or doors for Peekaboo; clap blocks or pan lids for Pat-a-cake.	Babies love games at this age (Pat-a-cake, This Little Piggy Went to Market). Try different ways of playing the games and see if your baby will try it with you. Hide behind furniture or doors for Peekaboo; clap blocks or pan lids for Pat-a-cake.	To encourage your baby's first steps, hold your baby in standing position, facing another person. Have your baby step toward the other person to get a favorite toy or treat.	Give your baby containers with lids or different compartments filled with blocks or other small toys. Let your baby open and dump. Play "putting things back." This will help your baby learn how to release objects where he or she wants them.	Loosely wrap a small toy in a paper towel or facial tissue without tape. Your baby can unwrap it and find a surprise. Use tissue paper or wrapping paper, too. It's brightly colored and noisy.
Babies enjoy push and pull toys. Make your own pull toy by threading yogurt cartons, spools, or small boxes on a piece of yarn or soft string (about 2 feet long). Tie a bead or plastic stacking ring on one end for a handle.	Tape a large piece of drawing paper to a table. Show your baby how to scribble with large nontoxic crayons. Take turns making marks on the paper. It's also fun to paint with water.	Arrange furniture so your baby can work his or her way around a room by stepping across gaps between furniture. This encourages balance in walking.	Babies continue to love making noise. Make sound shakers by stringing canning rims together or filling medicine bottles (with child-proof caps) with different sounding objects like marbles, rice, salt, bolts, and so forth. Be careful to secure lids tightly.	This is the time your baby learns that adults can be useful! When your baby "asks" for something by vocalizing or pointing, respond to his or her signal. Name the object your baby wants and encourage him or her to communicate again-taking turns with each other in a "conversation."
Play the naming game. Name body parts, common objects, and people. This lets your baby know that everything has a name and helps him or her begin to learn these names.	Make an obstacle course with boxes or furniture so your baby can climb in, on, over, under, and through. A big box can be a great place to sit and play.	Let your baby help you clean up. Play "feed the wastebasket" or "give it to Mommy or Daddy."	Make a surprise bag for your baby to find in the morning. Fill a paper or cloth bag with a soft toy, something to make a sound, a little plastic jar with a screw-top lid, or a book with cardboard pages.	Play "pretend" with a stuffed animal or doll. Show and tell your baby what the doll is doing (walking, going to bed, eating, dancing across a table). See if your baby will make the doll move and do things as you request. Take turns.
Cut up safe finger foods (do not use foods that pose a danger of your baby's choking) in small pieces and allow your baby to feed him- or herself. It is good practice to pick up small things and feel different textures (bananas, soft crackers, berries).	Let your baby "help" during daily routines. Encourage your baby to "get" the cup and spoon for mealtime, to "find" shoes and coat for dressing, and to "bring" the pants or diaper for changing. Following directions is an important skill for your baby to learn.	Your baby is learning that different toys do different things. Give your baby lots of things to roll, push, pull, hug, shake, poke, turn, stack, spin, and stir.	Most babies enjoy music. Clap and dance to the music. Encourage your baby to practice balance by moving forward, around, and back. Hold his or her hands for support, if needed.	Prepare your baby for a future activity or trip by talking about it beforehand. Your baby will feel a part of what is going on rather than being just an observer. It may also help reduce some fear of being "left behind."