Be Prepared: Select colorful toys that make a sound when shaken, such as Hohner^® Kids Musical Toys Baby Band.

Be Prepared: This activity is for two infants who can sit independently. Place one sheet of construction paper on each tray with a paintbrush. Two of the trays are for the infants (one tray each), and one tray is for you. Arrange the trays close together on the floor. This activity may take place at a low table if each infant can sit on a chair independently. Fill the cup with water and place nearby. The cup of water will remain with you throughout the activity.

Invite two infants who can sit independently to join you on the floor to paint with water. Demonstrate how to use the brush by dipping your brush into the water and then making marks on the construction paper with the wet paintbrush. Your demonstration is intended to encourage infants’ explorations with the materials and not as directions for infants to follow. Infants are not expected to use the paintbrush correctly or to create an actual art piece.

Name and point to a brush, paper, and bristles. Encourage infants to touch the bristles of the brush. Using a paintbrush may be new for some infants.

Invite the infants to wet their brushes. Some infants may dip their brushes into the cup that you are holding. Others may need you to wet their brushes for them.

Use the following strategies to encourage infants’ awareness of their peer’s activities:

• Frequently describe each infant’s actions. Example: “Terrell is holding his brush and touching the bristles.”
• Encourage the infants to watch one another’s actions with the materials. Example: “Look, Terrell, your friend Makayla is using her brush to make marks on her paper! Makayla is painting with her brush.”
• Watch for and reinforce any awareness of, or positive responses toward, one another. Examples: “Makayla, you are watching Terrell touch the bristles on his paintbrush. You are touching the bristles on your paint brush! You are watching Terrell and doing the same.” “You are smiling at Makayla, Terrell! You see Makayla painting with her brush.”

Encourage infants to wet their brushes frequently. Water on the bristles can dry quickly.

Be Prepared: Select colorful materials to affix to the contact paper, such as the following: large paper shapes, tissue paper squares, feathers, short strips of wide ribbon, large craft pom-poms. Place items in the basket. Use duct tape to affix the large piece of contact paper low on a wall, sticky side out. Ensure the contact paper is low enough for an infant to reach it by sitting or standing. Place the basket of materials on the floor near the contact paper. The emphasis of this activity is for infants to interact while exploring the same interesting materials. Infants are not expected to create an actual art piece.

Invite two infants who can sit or stand independently to join you in front of the contact paper. The infants may want to stand or sit during the activity. Encourage the infants to explore the materials. Infants may enjoy touching the sticky contact paper and searching through the items in the basket. Demonstrate how the items in the basket can stick to the contact paper on the wall. Invite the infants to choose items from the basket to stick to the wall.

As the infants explore the materials side by side, use the following strategies to support interactions between them:

• Encourage the infants to become aware of one another’s actions with the materials. Example: “Look, Tyler is sticking yellow and purple tissue paper on the wall. The tissue paper looks pretty. What do you think, Elena?”
• Provide prompts to encourage the infants to consider one another’s actions as they interact with the materials. Example: “Elena is sticking a blue ribbon to the wall. What are you going to stick on the wall next, Tyler? Maybe you can stick your item by Elena’s blue ribbon!”
• Reinforce any positive responses to one another. Example: “Elena, you watched Tyler stick a yellow circle on the wall. Now you are sticking a green triangle next to Tyler’s circle.”
• Use words that encourage social interaction, such as “together” and “friend.” Example: “Look at your wall, Elena and Tyler! You worked together to stick things on the wall. You are good friends.”