Are you looking for fun home-learning activities to do with your infant? Our team of early childhood curriculum experts thoughtfully curated these home-education activities from our proprietary Life Essentials® curriculum to help your family Learn On® when away from the Academy. Whether it’s during mealtime, playtime, clean up time, bath time, or bedtime – our at-home curriculum is built so you can easily integrate school-from-home learning opportunities in seamless, easy, and fun ways.
Level of instruction: Easy
When: Mealtime, Bath time
Time recommendation: 10-15 minutes
Participants: One-on-one
Learning Domain: Social and emotional
Learning Standards: Recognizes self in mirror
Materials: Shatterproof mirror, wipes or washcloth
After mealtime or another time when your child needs his or her face cleaned, place your child in front of the mirror before you clean his or her face. Point to the reflection and say, I see a dirty face in the mirror. What should we do to clean it up? With your child still facing the mirror, gently clean his or her face. Draw your child’s attention back to the mirror and say, Now your face is all clean. Do you see it in the mirror? The dirty face is clean now! Wave the wipe or washcloth behind your child so he or she can see it in the mirror, too.
How does your child react to seeing the clean face in the mirror? Does he or she reach for the wipe? Does your child smile at his or her reflection?
Level of instruction: Easy
When: getting ready for day, bedtime, diapering
Time recommendation: 5 minutes
Participants: One on one
Learning Domain: Language Development and Communication
Learning Standards: Understands and responds to verbal and nonverbal communication, receptive language
Sit with your child in your lap or play with your child while he or she is laying down. Start at your child’s feet, and “walk” your fingers up his or her body. Talk to your child as you go: My fingers are walking up your legs. Now they are walking across your belly. Now they are coming up your arm.
Observe Does your child gurgle or squeal? Does he or she look toward you as you speak? Does he or she try to look in the direction where he feels the touch?
Level of instruction: Easy
When: getting ready for day, bedtime, diapering, playtime
Time recommendation: 5 minutes
Participants: One on one
Learning Domain: Social and Emotional Development
Learning Standards: Distinguishes facial expressions, seeks to make eye contact
Hold your child approximately 12 inches from your face at eye level. Close your eyes for a second or two. When you open your eyes, make a happy face. Observe your child’s reaction and close your eyes again. When you open your eyes, this time make a different face, such as an excited face. Observe your child’s reaction and continue the activity. Try displaying various facial expressions such as tired, confused, sad, silly, and content.
Observe to see how he or she reacts to the different facial expressions? Does he or she mimic any of them?
Level of instruction: Easy
Time recommendation: 5 minutes
Participants: One on one, Siblings
Learning Domain: Social and Emotional Development
Learning Standards: Displays social gestures, imitates actions
Sit facing your child and recite the poem “Wave, Wave, Wave”:
Clap, clap, clap (clap each time you say “clap”)
Wave, wave, wave (wave your hand each time you say “wave”)
Stomp, stomp, stomp (stomp your foot each time you say “stomp”)
Wave, wave, wave (wave your hand each time you say “wave”)
Smile, smile, smile (point to your own smile)
Wave, wave, wave (wave your hand each time you say “wave”)
Follow the hand gestures and encourage your child to gesture along with you. That’s it, you’re waving! Wave, wave, wave!
Observe to see if your child waves along with you? Does your child smile?
Level of instruction: Moderate
When: getting ready for day, bedtime, diapering, playtime, outdoor
Time recommendation: 5-10 minutes
Participants: One on one
Learning Domain: Physical Development
Learning Standards: Uses an ulnar grasp (closes fingers of hand against palm).
Materials: Pieces of ribbon (make sure the ribbon is not long enough to accidentally get wrapped around the child’s neck)
Dangle the pieces of ribbon/yarn in front of your child. Use the ribbon to tickle your child’s nose and hands. Move the position of the ribbon as he or she becomes interested. Dangle the ribbon so that it tickles the back of your child’s hands and encourage him or her to grasp the ribbon.
As your child grasps the ribbon in his or her fist, you can say “You did it! You grabbed the ribbon with your hands. The ribbon is soft. Can you hold the ribbon over here?” Gently pull the ribbon from his or her grasp and tickle the other hand to continue to encourage your child to close his or her fingers around the ribbon.
Observe to see if your child watches the ribbon move. Does your child reach for and grab the ribbon? Is he or she closing her hand around the ribbon?
Looking for more activities for you and your infant?Or return to the Life Essentials® At Home page to find activities to explore with other age groups.
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