Object inquiry skills
An infant looks at an item with high-contrast colors with an opportunity to touch or manipulate the item.
Be Prepared: Secure a book or toy that is high in color contrast, such as black and white, and provides tactile or auditory stimulation. Possibilities include a high-contrast rattle, one of the Wimmer-Ferguson Mind-Shapes pieces, and one of the Baby Sees cloth books by Kenny E. Rettore.
Hold a young infant in your arms and invite him/her to look at and touch the high-contrast book or toy you selected for the activity. Make eye contact and use a friendly voice to create interest in the activity. Hold the book or toy about 12 inches from the infant and pause for him/her to react. Hold the item still so the infant can easily see the color contrasts. After a brief period, describe the item as you move it gently. If you are using a book, describe images on the pages.
Invite the infant to touch or hold the item if he/she has not already touched or grasped it. You may wish to initiate direct contact between the item and infant by touching the infant gently on his/her hand or arm with the item. Describe the infant’s exploration of the item, such as feeling the texture of a cloth book, and any sounds the item may make as a result of the infant’s actions, such as crinkling noise that occurs when an item is squeezed. Pause frequently so the infant can respond to your comments or movement of the item and hear the item if it is being manipulated. Speak clearly and use the infant’s name often.
This activity option uses the benefits of contrasting bold colors to promote an infant’s visual development. This approach was used in Block 1, Option 1 with the book Black on White by Tana Hoban. High-contrast colors are easier for an infant to see than an item with light colors only. Some infants may prefer to look only at your actions with the item. Other infants may quickly grasp the item and maybe move it to his/her mouth for further exploration. The visual stimulation from looking only is valuable. Looking is an important form of inquiry. Touching and manipulating the item can add value to the experience, but they are not essential to learning from the activity.
Extra support
Enrichment
Object inquiry skills
An older infant engages in guided play with soundmaking toys.
Be Prepared: Select different types of toys (such as a rattle and a chime), and/or toys that make different kinds of sounds.
Sit on the floor facing the infant. Place the toys on the floor in front of the infant. Wait and watch the infant’s reaction. Using clear and simple language, describe the infant’s reactions to the toys. Encourage the infant to hold one of the toys. If the infant does not begin to manipulate the toys, demonstrate grasping and squeezing one of the toys.
Describe the infant’s actions, especially actions that produce a sound. Example: “Riley, you are shaking the orange bird. We can hear the sound of its rattle.” Encourage the infant to repeat an action that produces a sound. Example: “We heard a sound when you moved the bird! Let’s try it again. Try shaking the bird.”
Allow ample time for the infant to explore the toys using his/her own pace. Conclude the activity by describing and showing what happens (a sound) when a toy is manipulated.
This activity option promotes the development of an infant’s early awareness of cause and effect by providing a clear result (a sound) when the infant moves the toy. This awareness appropriately develops through the infant’s exploration, not through formal instruction. An infant may hold out a toy for you to shake or squeeze. Comply with the infant’s request by providing a demonstration and then return the toy to the infant with the suggestion that he/she try it.
Some infants may focus on one toy only. Help the infant focus on the sound-making toys by putting away other materials. Too many playthings in an area can be distracting for infants.
Extra support
Enrichment
Object inquiry skills
An older infant engages in guided play with a pop-up toy.
[Invite a mobile infant to play with the pop-up toy. Sit on the floor facing the infant. Begin with the push-down items in an “up” position. The description below uses a teddy bear pop-up toy as an example.]
The little bears go into the boxes if we push them down.
[Demonstrate with one of the little bears. Emphasize the words “push” and “down.”]
We can make a bear come back by pushing this button.
[Demonstrate by pushing a button and describing how the bear came back. Repeat your demonstration of pushing down a bear and then pushing a button for the bear’s return if the infant seems unclear about what happened.]
[Encourage the infant to push down a bear. Provide another demonstration only if necessary. Describe and demonstrate the “return” button if necessary. Offer a little cheer when the bear pops up.
Describe the infant’s actions. Example: “Amari, you pushed the bear into his house.”
Recognize the infant’s awareness of how the toy works. Example: “You really know how to push the button. The little teddy bear pops up every time!”]
[Describe what happened. Example: “You pushed on the teddy bears and made them all go down into their houses. Then you pushed buttons and the teddies popped out!”]
Look for and enthusiastically acknowledge the infant’s discovery of how the pop-up toy works. The pop-up mechanism provides immediate and satisfying reinforcement for the infant’s emerging awareness of cause-and-effect actions with the toy. Some infants may clap their hands or vocalize after pushing down a bear or figuring out how to make the bear pop up. Emphasize cause-and-effect connections in your opening demonstration. Example: “First I push the button down. Next, the bear pops out!” But ensure the infant is in control of his/her discovery of how to manipulate the toy. An infant may look to you for help. You may wish to offer another demonstration or simply reassure the infant that he/she can figure it out.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials needed: 3 books per child, infant bells or shakers, pop-up toy, musical chime
Place several infant bells or shakers on the floor. Infants will enjoy moving the rattles and hearing the sounds. Small rattles on a blanket may interest younger infants. Depending upon infants’ ages, use wrist rattles or larger rattles infants can spin.
Place a variety of sound makers on a mat or rug for infants to discover. Seeing beads inside a clear rattle can support an early mobile infant’s developing awareness of cause and effect in shaking the rattle.
Older infants who have participated in Option 3 will enjoy exploring the pop-up toys on their own. On another day, attach a musical chime to a steady handrail for infants to tug to hear a tune.
Materials needed: heavy-duty quart- or gallon-size zip plastic bag, light corn syrup (or clear hair gel), food coloring, several beads and items, duct tape
A bag similar to the water mat can be easily made for toddlers and preschool-age children. Children will enjoy squeezing the bags and watching items move as colors combine and change. If possible, make a bag for each toddler and preschool-age child. Ask children to sit at a table with you when using the bags to prevent leaks.
Here is one option for making a bag: Pour 1/3 cup light corn syrup (or clear hair gel) into a heavy-duty quart- or gallon-size zip plastic bag. Add two drops yellow food coloring. Next, add one drop of red or blue food coloring to the bag. Place several beads or other items inside the bag. Close the bag, removing most of the air. Place the bag into a second identical bag. Rotate the first bag so the openings of the two bags are on opposite sides. Secure the outer bag with duct tape.
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