Be Prepared: This activity is to be carried out during the familiar routine of diaper changing.

Invite an infant to participate in the familiar routine of a diaper change. Use the following strategies to encourage the infant to take part in the routine:

• Describe what is going to happen. Example: “It is time for a diaper change, Paisley! Would you like to help me find a clean diaper for you? Then we can go together to the diaper changing table.”
• Invite the infant to hold and carry his/her diaper to the table. This may mean the infant helps hold the diaper while you carry the infant. Example: “I have your diaper, Matthew. Would you like to hold it? You can help carry it to our changing table.”
• Describe what is happening and encourage back-and-forth interactions with the infant. Examples: “First we take your pants off! Look, you are wearing blue pants today, Isaiah. You have blue pants just like your blue shirt, see?” “All clean! You are ready for the clean diaper. Would you please give me your clean diaper? Then we will put your pants back on.”
• Engage the infant in a short song or game, such as Peekaboo. Example: “What song would you like to sing today, Alexa? You like the ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ song. Would you like to sing it with me?”
• Tell the infant what is going to happen next. Example: “You are all clean! We are going to wash our hands next. Do you remember what we do after that? It will be story time!”
• Provide the opportunity for the infant to take part in the transition to the next activity. Example: “It is story time next! Let’s look at our books. Which book would you like to read first for our story time?”

Remember to pause and allow time for the infant to respond to your words and to the activity itself.

Invite an infant to participate in getting ready to play outside. Example: “We are finished reading books. Now it is time to play outside! Isaac, what do we need to do before we go outside?” Encourage the infant to begin the transition by helping to get his/her coat (or other item needed before going out). Example: “Let’s go find your coat, Isabelle! Let’s look. Do you see it?” Use the following strategies to support the infant’s participation in getting ready to go outside:

• Invite the infant to participate in putting on outdoor clothing. Examples: “Here is your coat, Isabelle. I will help you put it on. Can you hold your arms out? Here you go!” “Look in your basket, Isaac. Do you see your red hat? There it is! Let’s put your hat on your head.”
• Provide choices throughout the transition. Example: “Would you like to put on your jacket or your hat first? I see you are looking at your hat. Let’s put your hat on!”
• Describe steps of the transition. Example: “Isabelle has her coat on. Isaac has his coat on. We are getting ready to play outside! Let’s sing a song while we wait for everyone to be ready!”
• Invite the infant to help sing a song while he/she waits for others in the room to be ready. Example: “What song should we sing while we wait? How about your favorite—‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’? Which animal would you like to sing about first?”

Acknowledge the infant’s participation during the transition to outdoor play. Example: “First you found your coat. We put your coat on. Then you put on your hat! You wanted to sing about a cow while we waited for everyone to be ready. Now we get to play outside!”