Your baby understands simple requests and may be saying 'mama' or 'dada' with meaning—language is arriving.
These activities encourage first meaningful words, build receptive vocabulary, and develop the connection between words, objects, and actions.
Waving, clapping, pointing—your baby is communicating with gestures! Respond enthusiastically to show them their signals are understood.
Cruising along furniture is great exercise. Arrange sturdy furniture so your baby can practice moving between supports safely.
Board books with flaps and textures are perfect now. Let your baby turn the pages—the fine motor practice matters as much as the story.
Fill a basket with safe textured objects and narrate what baby touches — smooth, bumpy, soft, crinkly — pairing sensory exploration with descriptive words.
Introduce simple signs for 'more,' 'all done,' and 'eat' during meals — giving your baby a way to communicate before words come along.
Point to pictures in a sturdy board book and name them with enthusiasm — building your baby's vocabulary long before they can say the words themselves.
Play peek-a-boo with favorite toys, naming each one as it appears — combining the thrill of surprise with vocabulary building.
Take your baby outside and describe everything you see, hear, and feel in simple sentences — turning an ordinary walk into a rich language bath.
Read through a board book of animals, making each animal sound with big expressions — your baby will be giggling and trying to copy the sounds in no time.