Holidays Around the World
December 1st – 5th, 2014
Infants 3-6 Months
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayLanguage and
Music
Goal:
To experience the natural flow of language patterns / “I Love Snow”
(Three Blind Mice)
I love snow, I love snow.
Soft, white snow; soft, white snow.
It falls on the ground so soft and white.
Sometimes it falls all through the night.
Did you ever see such a beautiful sight
As soft white snow?
Baby Signs:
Coat, hat / “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Obtain a variety of stars in various sizes and colors.
With baby seated on your lap, hand her one of the stars and gently star singing the song.
Each time you sing “star,” use the Baby Sign for the word.
Baby Sign:
star / Do What I Do
Sit baby in an infant seat or prop him in a sturdy box w/pillows. Sit in front of him & sing to the tune of “ ‘Round the Mulberry Bush.” Clap your hands for baby to watch. Clap Babies hands too. “This is the way we clap our hands, clap our hands, clap our hands.
This is the way we clap our hands, so early in the morning.”
(move feet, wave bye, etc) / Diaper Display
Suspend a variety of baby mittens and hats above your diaper changing area.
As you are diapering each baby, describe each of the items as you gently touch it: ’”Look at the fuzzy blue mitten, Javier. It is very soft.” “Do you see the pretty pink hat, Presha?” / Train-A-Leaving
Sit cross-legged on the floor with a baby in your lap facing away from you. Bring your knees up and toward each other with your legs still crossed. This will gently raise your lap As the baby goes up, say, " Train-a-leaving!" and, as you lower her back down: " Train arriving!”
Fine Motor
Goal:
Refine eye-hand coordination / That Tickles!
Locate a clean feather. Gently sweep it back across baby’s hand and say, “(Lizzie)’s hand, (Lizzie)’s hand.” Then gently sweep it across baby’s toes saying, “(Lizzie)’s toes, (Lizzie)’s toes”. Continue to other parts: cheek, tummy, etc. / Crossing the Mid-line
Place the baby in a comfortable seated position.
Sit or kneel in front of him and hide a favorite toy behind your back. Make a game of handing him the toy so he has to reach across his body to get it. / Slippery Ribbon
Locate a 12” piece of ribbon. This activity should ONLY be done by adult; do not let baby play with the ribbon. Slide the ribbon across baby’s palm and say, “(Raphael)’s hand.” Next move it across baby’s fingers and say “(Raphael)’sfingers.”
Does baby try to grab for the ribbon? / Johnny Whoops
Take baby’s hand into yours. Start at the pinky & using the child’s name, say the following as you point to each finger: Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Whoops!” On “Whoops!” when you get to index finger, slide your finger down to the thumb & back again. / Reach for the Mitten
Place baby on her back on a soft blanket. Hold up a toy or rattle that she can try to reach for.
Hold it to the left of her and then to the right to encourage her to look both directions.
Gross Motor
Goal:
Strengthen upper-body muscles / Winter Waltz Put some seasonal music on your CD and dance gently across the floor, holding baby close. Rock back and forth, bob and sway together. / Arm Stretches
After diapering baby while she is still on her back, have baby hold your thumbs. Gently move left arm up over baby’s head & move right arm straight down by her side. Then switchto right arm overhead and left arm down. / Little Wiggle Worm
Hold baby in your arms as you act out this poem:
“I’m a little wiggle worm,
Watch me go!
I can wiggle fast
Or very slow;
I wiggle all around,
Then back I go.
Down into the ground
To the home I know.” / Circle Arms Lay baby on his back on a soft mat. Move baby’s arms very gently in a circle. Start w/small circles w/left arm, then make larger circles. Make circles with right arm. / Babies Love Balls
Gather many balls of varying textures & sizes. Be sure they’re safe for infants: large enough to not fit in their mouths, safe if chewed. Fill the room w/the balls & let the infants discover them. Non-mobile babies will bat them as they roll by.
Sensory/
Art Exploration / Ice Bag Play
Place 2 – 3 ice cubes in a small zipper-topped bag. Place that bag inside another. As you sit with baby, allow her to explore the bag with her hands. Talk about how the ice feels. For variation, add a few drops of food coloring in the bag of ice. Do NOT leave baby unattended with the bag! / Stroke the Baby
Locate different items with which to stroke baby including: a feather, blanket, cotton ball, piece of satin. Rub the baby’s fingers, toes, back & head with each object. As you do, talk with baby about how each object feels. Maintain close eye contact with baby throughout the activity. / Musical Melodies
Play a wide variety of holiday music on your CD today: nursery rhymes, classical music, island music; lullabies. Sing along with songs you know while holding and rocking baby to the tempo of the music. / Wrapping Paper Fun
Ask parents to donate wrapping paper they no longer need—even if it’s already been used to wrap a gift. Sitting with baby in your lap, pick up a piece of the paper and crinkle it in your hands. Allow baby to touch and grab it. / Jingle Bells
Borrow a few sets of jingle bell wrist bands from a preschool classroom. With baby on your lap, shake the bells together. Vary the intensity, sometime shaking them gently and sometimes very forcefully.
Fun
with
Fitness / Gentle Stretching
To help the baby become aware of their arms and legs, lay baby on his back on a mat or blanket on the floor. Gently stretch his arms up over his head & then down again. Try bringing one arm up while drawing the other along the body., then bring one arm up while stretching one leg down. / I’m a Tiny Baby
Sung to: Itsy Bitsy Spider
“I’m a tiny baby I’m soft andround and small.
But when I’m busy stretching, I feel so big and tall. My arms are getting long,
And my legs are getting strong.And then next thing you know,
I’ll be learning how to crawl.”
Make-up movements / Reach for Me!
Babies learn to roll over on their own and don't need to be taught, but you can help to strengthen the muscles involved by laying your baby on her side and providing support from behind with a rolled up blanket. Put your head down adjacent to the baby and encourage her to start reaching for you. / Look at Me, Baby!
Babies benefit from exercise in the tummy position while awake & it also gives them a different view of the world. Lay baby on his tummy, get down on that level & make faces and /or noises to encourage raising his head, which strengthens the neck and upper body muscles. / Log Roll
Position baby in the tummy position on the floor atop a soft rug or blanket. Gently roll your baby to his side and then gently back to the tummy, saying, "Wheeeeeeee." Reverse this activity. Continue for as long as baby seems content and enjoying it.
Holidays Around the World
December 8th – 12th , 2014
Infants 3-6 Months
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayLanguage and
Music
Goal:
To experience the natural flow of language patterns / Sing a Song of Winter
(Sing a Song of Sixpence)
“Sing a song of winter,
Frost is in the air.
Sing a song of winter,
Snowflakes everywhere.
Sing a song of winter,
Hear the sleigh bells chime,
Can you think of anything
As nice as wintertime?”
Baby Signs: coat, hat / Bell Play
Sit on the floor with baby in your lap or seated beside you.Place 2-3 bells beside you. One at a time, pick up & ring a bell slowly in front of baby. Next, ring the bell off to one side and say, “Where’s the bell?” Continue on using lots of language / Language Cards & Actual Objects:
Baby Signs: coat, hat, light, shoes
Provide these real objects and match them to their pictures. Talk to the babies about each item. Use the Baby Sign for each as you do. / Mimic Me
Hold baby and get her attention. Stick out your tongue & make a noise at the same time. Baby will try to imitate you by opening her mouth and putting her tongue out too. Try moving your tongue up & down and side to side to see what baby does. / Early Conversations
Take baby’s hand & run it gently over your face, hair, eyes & nose, talking about what you’re doing. Repeat—using your hand on baby’s face. Watch carefully & repeat any sound the baby makes. Respond enthusiastically w/your attention, smiles & laughter.
Fine Motor
Goal:
Refine eye-hand coordination / Finger Massage
Start by carefully and gently squeezing each of baby’s fingers. Use your thumb to carefully massage palm by making circular motions. Repeat several times & then move to the other hand. Take great care NOT to twist or pull baby’s fingers. / Palm Play
Start on baby’s palm. Continue rubbing palm gently w/your thumbs, moving them up the center of baby’s palm & out along base of fingers. Go slowly, note baby’s reaction. Continue as long as baby seems to enjoy. Do both hands if baby likes it & sits quietly. / Nesting & Stacking
Locate three boxes, graduated in size. Sitting on the floor with baby on your lap, stack theboxes from largest to smallest. Gently take hold of baby’s hands and encourage him to help you stack the boxes. Provide lots of verbal stimulation too! / What’s Inside the Bag?
Place rattles inside a cloth bag. When sitting w/baby, shake it to gain baby’s attention & say: “(Keesha), what could be in the bag?” Provide positive reinforcement for vocalizations & gestures. Help baby explore w/fingers. / Hand Washing Water Play
When washing baby’s hands after diapering, hold baby next to the sink (careful not to press baby’s tummy into the sink) and allow baby to splash in the water. Talk about how the water feels.
Gross Motor
Goal:
Strengthen upper-body muscles / PillowMountain
Collect a variety of cushions & pillows. Build a mountain, taking care to see that it’s stable. Cover the mountain w/a sheet to help keep its shape.
Let the babies discover & freely explore. Place non-mobile babies on it & sit beside him. DO NOT leave baby unsupervised. / Twinkie Toes
Place baby on the floor or your lap w/a small pillow behind her head. Lift her legs together so she can touch her toes. Hold the legs there & play “This Little Piggie” providing less support as she learns to grasp her legs on her own. / Paper Sack Blocks
Crumple about a dozen sheets of newspaper & pack in a paper sack. Leave 8” at the top to fold over and seal w/packing tape. Keep a “block” shape when stuffing. These blocks are light and safe for teacher & baby to build together. / Moving to Music
Hold baby in your arms facing you. Turn on a music box or active record and begin to move your body up & down, back and forth to the music.
Say “Oh, look at us bounce. We’re dancing to the music.” / Up, Up, Up
Here we go up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we go forward and backward, forward and backward, (swing arms)
And here we go 'round and 'round and 'round. (rotate arms, one around the other)
Sensory/
Art Exploration / Bubble Blow
With baby seated in a sassy seat, gently blow a few bubbles to the left and right of baby. “Look at the pretty bubbles, There it goes! It popped!” / Infant Belly Massage
Start by placing one hand on baby’s belly—just below the rib cage. Stroke downward very, very gently; stopping at baby’s diaper top. Alternate w/other hand, repeat several times. Do this activity before baby naps—it’s very relaxing. / Cotton Ball Bowl
Fill a small bowl with 3-4 cotton balls. With baby seated in your lap, gently hold baby’s hand & help him to reach inside the bowl. As he touches a cotton ball, talk to him about how it feels:
“Oh, you’re touching a cotton ball. It’s very soft. Can you feel it?” / Pattern Pictures
Print colorful pictures for baby to look at. Consider placing some on the floor and covering them with chair mat (found in office supply store.) Place other photos on the wall where baby can easily see them. Change baby’s position often so she can get a different view. / Animal Rub
Locate stuffed animals made from different kinds of material. Rub the animals on different parts of baby’s body so that he can feel how soft & cuddly they are. Leave the toys out for baby to watch and feel.
Fun
with
Fitness / Mirror Play
Place baby on a blanket on his tummy and set a mirror in front of him. Encourage baby to lift his head and look at himself in the mirror. Lay down next to the baby and look together. Move the mirror to the left and then to the right to encourage baby to look in different directions. / Toe Touches
By lying on her back and reaching for her toes, baby will strengthen both abdominal and hip muscles and stretch her hamstrings. Securely sew jingle bells to the cuff of a baby sock. Place the sock on her foot, encourage her to reach for her toes. Help her find them if necessary. / Left & Right Awareness
Help the infant bend and rotate his head and trunk by stimulating hand and foot play. Place baby in a sitting position between your legs; support his head & elbows while bringing one arm forward to reach for the opposite foot. The baby will begin to pull himself forward in order to reach his feet. / A Day Without Exersaucers & Bouncy Seats
All early childhood experts tell us that babies should spend very limited amounts of time restrained in exersaucers & infant seats. Allow each baby the freedom to explore the environment w/o using these today. A great way for early fitness training! / Doin’ Laps
Place the infant on his stomach across your legs while in a sitting position. Sing gently to soothe him. This encourages him to hold his head up and begin to support his own weight with his hands. Allow him to remain in this position for only as long as he seems comfortable
Holidays Around the World
December 15th – 19th, 2014
Infants 3-6 Months
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / FridayLanguage and
Music
Goal:
To experience the natural flow of language patterns / Where Are Your Toes?
Sing after diapering & before leaving changing table, sing (Tune: Farmer in the Dell)
“Where are (Sierra)’s toes; Where are (Sierra)’s toes? Hi Ho Hi Ho
Here are (Sierra)’s toes. (Use other body parts.) / Routine Time Talks
While feeding, diapering, dressing, washing or moving baby, talk, talk, talk to him. Tell himwhat you are doing & what’s happening to him.
“Are you wet, Jose? Let’s go to the changing table.” / We Love Blue
Point out blue objects throughout the day to baby & sing:
We Love Blue
Tune: Three Blind Mice
We love blue, We love blue. Yes, we do. Yes we do. We love the ocean and the sky so blue. We love blue ribbons and blue jeans, too. We love blueberries, so good for you. Yes, we love blue. / Johnny Whoops
Take baby’s hand into yours. Start at the pinky & using the child’s name, say the following as you point to each finger:
Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Whoops!”
On “Whoops!” when you get to index finger, slide your finger down to the thumb & back again / Where’s the Music?
Hide a musical toy inside a box, under a blanket, or under a pillow. Start the toy & if baby looks in the direction of the sound say, “Do you hear the music, (Jayden)? Let’s go find it?” Carry baby over to the music toy & together discover where it’s hidden.
Fine Motor
Goal:
Refine eye-hand coordination / Squeeze Toys
Locate small, very soft toys that make noise when squeezed. Hold one up in front of baby & squeeze the toy while he watches. Give the toy to baby to play w/and to practice squeezing. Make sure the noise maker cannot be pulled out & swallowed. Try other noisy things such as wrapping paper. / Scooping Pom Poms
Sit on the floor w/baby in your lap and a bucket filled w/pom poms beside you. Using your hands, scoop out several and drop them on the floor. Gently grasp baby’s hands and encourage her to grasp some and drop them in the pile on the floor. Continue until the bucket is empty. / Shaker Toys
Fill several plastic eggs with different items to create soft & loud sounds (cereal, rice, pebbles.) Securely glue the center of the eggs, then tape together. Show baby how to shake the eggs to produce a sound; encourage baby to shake it. Supervise carefully! / Tug Of Love