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| 25 to 36 Months |
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| Month Twenty-Five |
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- Label the words that go with her emotions. In a mirror show your child how to make different faces: happy, scared, angry, surprised, and proud.
- When your child begins a conversation stop what you are doing, bend down to his eye level, say something to let him know you heard him, and then ask a question so he will continue speaking.
- Hold your child's hands, show him how to bend his knees, and then jump up together. Later he can jump by himself.
- Observe your child playing. Does she stop and think before trying to solve a problem. See if she can play with a toy for several minutes now.
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| Month Twenty-Six |
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- Help your child release frustration, anger, or excitement by tearing paper, kicking a ball, throwing a beanbag, or dancing.
- Make an effort to allow your child to spend time with other people so he will have the chance to observe their actions and listen to what they are saying.
- Play catch with your child using many different sized balls then gradually use a smaller ball. Remind her to look at the ball and not at your face.
- Playfully give your child two-part instructions like, "Give me the ball and put the bat on the table." Increase the number of directions as your child becomes more successful.
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| Month Twenty-Seven |
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- Make an effort to anticipate what your child may be afraid of (a friend's dog, very loud noises, life-size cartoon characters). Avoid these situations until he is older.
- Provide a wide variety of books. Go to the library. Create a special place where all the books are kept. Allow plenty of time for your child to look at books on her own.
- When your child has mastered jumping up, use masking tape to make shapes on the floor for her to jump into and over.
- Give your child a four or five piece puzzle. Let him look at the puzzle before removing pieces. Encourage him to study the puzzle piece and then the board before he tries to put it back in.
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| Month Twenty-Eight |
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- Discuss your child's fears with her. Understand that her fears are very real to her even if they seem silly to you. Do not belittle her for being scared. Assure her you will always keep her safe.
- Use modeling as a way of teaching correct sounds. For example, if your child says, "Me pay wiff bolly" you respond with, "Yes, you played with your doll". It helps immensely if he can see your mouth as you make the sounds.
- Play a game of balancing with your child to see who can stand on one leg the longest.
- Provide props for make-believe play, such as large cardboard boxes, cars, blocks, old shoes, hats, purses, and dishes.
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| Month Twenty-Nine |
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- Take turns and share toys with your child so she can learn what sharing really means. Use the word "turn" in place of share. It's easier to understand. Allow your child to put up special toys when a playmate visits.
- If your child is not using plurals, show him pairs of objects (two shoes, two blocks, etc.). When you say the names of the objects emphasize the "s" at the end of the word.
- Put a long piece of string or masking tape down on the floor. Have your child walk on it.
- Provide art materials such as finger-paints, crayons, chalk, construction paper, and paper sacks so she can make different things. This will help her learn about size, shape, color, and texture.
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| Month Thirty |
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- Think of 3 to 5 rules that are important to you and always follow through. Praise your child when he follows a rule. Be specific about the correct behavior that he has followed, such as "Thank you for picking up the crayons. Now we can go for a walk."
- Use the words in/out, over/under, behind/in front of/next to, when you are playing with boxes, containers, and blocks.
- Show your child how to squeeze, poke, and roll playdough to make snakes and balls. Use cookie cutters to make shapes and patterns.
- Put 3 to 5 toys on a table. Ask your child to look at them and then cover her eyes. Take one of the objects, and then ask her which one is missing. Increase the number of objects as she gets better. Take turns and let her hide the objects.
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| Month Thirty-One |
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- Invite one of your child's friends over to play for part of the day. Plan a short game or activity but allow most of the time to be spent informally.
- Respond quickly to your child's questions to encourage communication.
- Spend time drawing with your child using pencils, crayons, markers, or finger paints. Show him how to make lines and circles. Let him have a turn.
- Use stickers and index cards to make sets of identical pairs. Talk to your child about same and different as you help her match the pictures.
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| Month Thirty-Two |
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- Brush your teeth together. Your child learns best by watching you.
- Ask your child a variety of what and where questions throughout the day. This challenges him to use longer sentences than simply "yes" or "no". Give him time to answer.
- Show your child how to thread a shoelace (knotted at one end) through large beads or pasta. Encourage her to try.
- Help your child observe that objects come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Ask him to hand you the big cup, the little plate, or the big spoon. Have him look for all the green things around the room.
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| Month Thirty-Three |
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- Encourage independence by providing a play area with age appropriate books and toys. Avoid interrupting her when she plays alone happily.
- Mail a homemade card to your child. When you are reading your mail he can "read" his too.
- Show your child how to draw a simple face. Point out the eyes, nose, and mouth. Let her have a turn.
- Count objects and people as you go through your day. Count stairs as you go up and down. Ask him to hand you one crayon out of many. When you know he understands the concept of "one", begin to ask him to hand you two crayons, etc.
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| Month Thirty-Four |
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- Your child feels less stress when she knows what to expect. Try to have a regular schedule for meals, playtimes, naptimes, and bedtime.
- Make a video, or audiotape of your child. Feature the whole family and let him be the star. An audiotape of his voice and yours will delight him.
- For finger strength let your child use sugar cube tongs or ice cube tongs to pick up cotton balls or colored pompoms and place them in muffin tins or an egg carton.
- Before nap or bedtime, talk with your child about what she did during the day. Say, "First, we got out of bed, then we got dressed, and then we ate breakfast, and then we brushed our teeth."
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| Month Thirty-Five |
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- Provide your child with a step stool so he can wash and dry his own hands. Be nearby to turn the water off and on.
- During pretend play introduce questions or new ideas to extend the play. "What should we do after we eat?" Does the space ship visit another planet?"
- Punch holes along the edge of old greeting cards or cereal box fronts. Have your child lace yarn or shoelace in and out of the holes.
- Bring out a collection of pictures of your child. Ask her to put the pictures in order from the time she was a baby until now.
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| Month Thirty-Six |
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- Ask your child to help choose his clothing for the day. Allow extra time for him to dress himself. Praise any effort.
- Comment on what your child is doing during pretend play. "You treated the dog's broken arm very gently. You sure know a lot about being a great veterinarian."
- Let your child cut playdough using child safe scissors. Next provide thin strips of paper to snip through.
- Allow your child to help you prepare food. Your child can observe transformations first hand as cookie dough changes from gooey to firm in the oven. Make pudding or powdered drinks. Watching popcorn pop is especially amazing.
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Help Your Baby Learn
