It's never too early to start reading to your baby. Select some of these fun games and giggles-and-grins activities to make books -- and your baby's world -- come alive:
- Create voices for the story characters, such as a low, "growly" voice for a wolf; a high-pitched voice for a fairy; a squeaky voice for a mouse.
- Pretend to pick a beloved food from a photograph of a picnic or morning meal table. Name the food and pretend to eat it with gusto: "Yum! I love red strawberries!" Ask your baby what food she wants. She may exertion the word or naturally point. Write back with a short, simple sentence that includes the word: "Here is your glass of milk. Drink it up!"
- Imitate animal actions. Make a tiny inchworm with your finger. Make him crawl to your baby, up her leg, and to her neck or belly with a tickle. Flap your arms for a bird. Pant for a dog. Jump for a bunny.
- Get into the characters. For a giant, stomp your feet. For a chick or bird, clap your pointer finger and thumb together to imitate a beak. Hop for a frog.
- Imitate machines: "toot-toot" for a train, "buzz" for an airplane, a grumble for building vehicle engines.
- Vary your pitch to signal opposites: high, low. Up, down. Off, on. In, out.
- Allow your baby to turn pages or even hold the book. She may not let you stop reading a page, but that's okay. Just tell the story that you remember, or make up a new story.
- Make the story come alive. When reading activity words, get into the show! Jump, clap, bite (pretending), stomp, and kick your legs out. Stick your thumb in a pretend pie and pull it out dramatically. Tip your hat or brush your hair.
- While reading whole books, show the numbers with your fingers. Try to manipulate your baby's fingers to show the numbers, too.
- Some books have puppets or bath mitts to go along with the story. These are a amazing speculation that you and your baby will use for years.
- Explore poetry. The rhyme, cadence, and sing-song tone are involving for your baby to listen to.
- Don't forget tickle time. Laughter is the first step in developing a sense of humor. Watch for silly stories or pictures, and add a tickle for emphasis.
- Weave books into your daily activities. Pack some books in the diaper bag to have on errands. Read a book about doctors before an appointment. Tie a cloth book onto the grocery cart. There are even waterproof books for the pool, beach, or tub.
- Learn some sign language for common pictures and actions. Consistently demonstrate while reading. Soon your baby will begin to imitate you, ultimately development the sign even before you do.
- Exaggerate. Elongate and dramatize recurring phrases like "hippity-hop" or "round and round." Cover your mouth with your hand when the character does something naughty. Cheer when someone wins a race.
- Read things in your baby's environment, such as traffic signs, food labels, and menu items. Let your child see that the world is made up of words!
Adapted from Boosting Your Baby's Brain Power, by Holly Engel-Smothers and Susan M. Heim, ©2008.
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