At this age, your child is likely creeping and crawling all over the place. They are also likely using sounds and gestures when they babble and ‘communicate’. This game lets your child practice both skills in a fun way. No materials are required for this activity.
Instructions:
- • Tell your child that you are going to hide and that they have to find you.
- • Crawl away and hide nearby, like behind a sofa or in another room.
- • Watch your child. Do they crawl towards you? If they need encouragement, say ‘I’m here! Can you find me?’
- • When they find you, be dramatic and say ‘Great job! You found me!’
- • After doing this twice, sit down and stop playing. See if your child points, babbles, or grabs you to indicate that they want to play more.
During these first attempts at communicating, it’s important that you notice and reciprocate, so that your child knows you are ‘listening’. They will continue to use different ways to communicate with you before learning to talk. Try this at home and share your experiences with us!
