A playground can be an exciting, but intimidating place for a baby. When you first arrive, hold your baby close to you and talk to him about what you see. Once he is more comfortable with his new surroundings, sit with him around other babies and parents and share what they are doing too.
Introducing your child to this new experience will help him learn to express his feelings, to calm himself, show awareness in adults – familiar and unfamiliar – and other children, and demonstrate an attachment to you. He will work on his language development by responding to your voice and the sounds he hears you and other people make as you speak.
The playground is a great place to discover new people and places. As you stroll around, point out and identify different parts of the playground – the swings, the trees, and the sand toys. Let your baby explore the sandbox making sure he does not put any sand in his mouth or eyes. Show him how he can use his hands to sift the sand through his fingers.
The activity will help your child learn to express herself in a variety of environments, calm herself, and show interest in other children and adults. Listening to your speech will help her respond to sounds and begin to understand how communication works. She will learn to be aware of her environment and that her actions cause other things to happen. Also, she will learn to coordinate her movements to move different parts of her body.
Invite some other babies to the playground for a picnic. Have everyone bring their own supplies – a blanket, some soft toys, and appropriate food. Let the children explore the playground, and then gather for a picnic lunch. Let the babies perform all of their tricks for the adults – rolling over, sitting up, stretching “so big.” Don’t forget to applaud!
This activity will help your child learn to express herself in a variety of environments, calm herself, and show interest in other children and adults. Listening to your speech will help him respond to sounds and begin to understand how communication works. He will learn to be aware of his environment, begin to remember what has recently happened, and that his actions cause other things to happen. He is learning to coordinate his movements to move his body around.