Home Visitor Kit



0-3 Months/3-6 Months/6-9 Months/9-12 Months


0 - 3 Months


SPECIAL BONDING GAMES
  • Talk to Baby when you pick Baby up.
  • Coo back and forth with Baby.
  • Massage Baby with baby oil.
  • Stroke Baby with a variety of textures.
  • Provide Baby with face to face interactions.
BATH AND DRESSING GAMES
  • Help Baby to discover Baby's hands.
  • Name body parts while washing Baby.
  • Take a bath with Baby.
  • Place colorful socks on Baby's feet.
  • Wrap Baby in a colorful, patterned towel and pat Baby dry.
GROWING AND LEARNING GAMES
  • Position a noisy toy under Baby's kicking feet.
  • Look in a mirror with Baby.
  • Play visual tracking games with noisy, bright rattles.
  • Show baby bold, patterned pictures or designs.
  • Position baby on tummy and place toys to encourage movement.
KITCHEN GAMES
  • Hold Baby during feeding.
  • Allow Baby's hands to be free to explore during feeding.
  • Point out sounds to Baby.
  • Say Baby's name from different parts of the kitchen.
  • Offer cues to help Baby to make associations with feeding.
LAUGHING AND HAVING FUN GAMES
  • Make a variety of mouth noises.
  • Make a toy "talk" to Baby.
  • Play tongue imitation games.
  • Play games which repeat, pause, and climax.
  • Do gentle exercises with Baby's arms and legs.

ART AND SINGING GAMES

  • Position Baby so Baby can see a variety of colors and patterns.
  • Wear something colorful for Baby to visually explore.
  • Hum and sing to Baby.
  • Move Baby's arms or legs in rhythm to a song or rhyme.
  • Place a rattle in Baby's hand and help Baby to shake it.
FINGER AND TOE GAMES
  • Gently stroke Baby's fingers and toes.
  • Play rattle drop and pick up games.
  • Kiss each of Baby's fingers and toes.
  • Place a rattle on Baby's wrist for "accidental" noise making.
  • Hang a colorful mobile or toy within Baby's reach for batting.
GOING TO SLEEP GAMES
  • Rock Baby to sleep.
  • Gently massage Baby's fingers and toes.
  • Rhythmically pat Baby's back as Baby goes to sleep.
  • Take a nap with Baby.
  • Swaddle Baby with a cozy blanket.

3 - 6 Months


SPECIAL BONDING GAMES
  • Babble back and forth with Baby.
  • Help Baby to explore parts of your face.
  • Play kissing games.
  • Reach for Baby, pause then pick up Baby in response to cue.
  • Carry Baby around in a snugli.
BATH AND DRESSING GAMES
  • Play motor boat with Baby's feet.
  • Play peek-a-boo with Baby's shirt.
  • Massage baby's body parts with Baby oil.
  • Float a toy in the tub while Baby bathes.
  • Pat the bath water with Baby, making "splashes."
GROWING AND LEARNING GAMES
  • Encourage Baby to look at new objects.
  • Shake a variety of sound making toys.
  • Tell Baby what you are going to do before you do it.
  • Position Baby on tummy and place novel toys around Baby.
  • Look at books with pictures of items familiar to Baby.
KITCHEN GAMES
  • Introduce a spoon to Baby and pretend to eat.
  • Name items in the kitchen and place Baby's hands on them.
  • Let baby play with Jello, pudding, or mashed bananas.
  • Describe each action you do as you prepare Baby's food.
  • Attach toys to high chair tray or table for Baby to investigate.
LAUGHING AND HAVING FUN GAMES
  • Fly Baby up in the sky.
  • Make funny sounds and shapes with your mouth for Baby to see.
  • Play bouncing games.
  • Play "I'm going to get you" and nuzzle Baby's tummy.
  • Partially hide Baby's toy under a cloth and help Baby to find it.

ART AND SINGING GAMES

  • Compare sounds of various types of shakers.
  • Echo in a sing-song voice, the sounds and syllables Baby is making.
  • Sing songs in different ways, high or low, fast or slow.
  • Play "Where is Baby?" as Baby searches for your voice.
  • Play "How Big is Baby".
FINGER AND TOE GAMES
  • Cover bottle with novel textures for Baby to explore.
  • Play, "This Little Piggy."
  • Have Baby touch items with a variety of textures.
  • Practice waving "Bye-bye."
  • Place a rattle on baby's wrist for purposeful noise making.
GOING TO SLEEP GAMES
  • Caress Baby with gentle puffs of air.
  • Sway back and forth with Baby in your arms.
  • Play soft music during naptime.
  • Say "good-night" with Baby, to each family member.
  • Hold Baby near a window and show Baby the lights outside.

6 - 9 Months


SPECIAL BONDING GAMES
  • Hold Baby on your lap facing you and tell a story.
  • Imitate Baby's facial expressions while looking in a mirror.
  • Give Baby gentle hugs and squeezes.
  • Lie on your back and lift Baby up and down.
  • Take a walk inside in house and find textured items.
BATH AND DRESSING GAMES
  • Sing "Row, Row Your Boat" while Baby kicks in the tub.
  • Hold a toy under water then release it for Baby to catch.
  • Help Baby kick a light-weight blanket off Baby feet.
  • Put pictures on walls near the changing table for Baby to see.
  • Name each article of clothing as you dress Baby.
GROWING AND LEARNING GAMES
  • Pretend to talk on a phone with Baby.
  • Help Baby to associate words with objects.
  • Show Baby how to bang blocks.
  • Set up objects for Baby to crawl over, under, and around.
  • Put photos of familiar people and things in a book for Baby.
KITCHEN GAMES
  • Introduce a cup and pretend to drink.
  • Put toys in and out of a small pot with a lid
  • Bang on the high chair tray or table.
  • Let Baby play with pots and pans.
  • Play "Peek-a-Boo" with a dinner napkin.
LAUGHING AND HAVING FUN GAMES
  • Play hide and seek with Baby.
  • Roll a ball back and forth to Baby.
  • Engage in frolic play with Baby.
  • Make the mattress gently bounce when Baby is on it.
  • Hide Baby's toy in one hand and then the other.

ART AND SINGING GAMES

  • Call attention to sounds around the house.
  • Whistle a tune to Baby.
  • Sing to Baby about everything.
  • Play different kinds of music for Baby.
  • March with Baby to a song with a strong beat.
FINGER AND TOE GAMES
  • Play "Whoops, Johnny" by sliding down index finger and up thumb.
  • Play finger creeping games with Baby.
  • Show Baby how to poke a finger in a hole.
  • Pretend to nibble on Baby's fingers.
  • Count Baby's fingers and toes.
GOING TO SLEEP GAMES
  • Give Baby a big good-night cuddle.
  • Before bedtime, massage Baby while saying loving words.
  • Sing songs that repeat the same syllables.
  • Sing a lullaby to Baby such as "Rock A Bye Baby."
  • Talk about pictures in a bedtime book.

9 - 12 Months


SPECIAL BONDING GAMES
  • Talk about pictures in a bedtime book.
  • Put Baby in a large empty box and play "Peek-a-Boo."
  • Put Baby on a blanket and pull Baby around slowly for a fun ride.
  • Hold Baby's hand as Baby walks.
  • Go outside together and gather treasures in a bucket.
BATH AND DRESSING GAMES
  • Make rain in the bathtub by punching holes in a plastic bottle.
  • Put a bathtub toy with a string in the tub for Baby to pull.
  • Cover a floating toy with bath bubbles.
  • Squeeze a dry, then wet washcloth with Baby.
  • Scoop and pour water in the tub with Baby.
GROWING AND LEARNING GAMES
  • Pour cereal from one cup to another.
  • Drop things into a box and dump them out.
  • Attach a string to a toy and pull the toy toward Baby.
  • Nest graduated cups.
  • Wear silly hats and look in a mirror together with Baby.
KITCHEN GAMES
  • Pour cereal from one cup to another.
  • Pick up cereal using a pincer grasp.
  • Stack kitchen containers.
  • Put cold items on tray for Baby to explore.
  • Finger refrigerator magnets placed within Baby's reach.
LAUGHING AND HAVING FUN GAMES
  • Chase a ball and return it.
  • Play "Where is the toy?" game.
  • Crawl around on the floor with Baby, pretending to be a cat or dog.
  • Play tug of war with a sock.
  • Turn Baby's toy upside down and give to Baby.

ART AND SINGING GAMES

  • Sing simple directions to Baby.
  • Imitate animal sounds with Baby.
  • Hide a musical toy around the room and search for it.
  • Recite a Nursery Rhyme with actions.
  • Make music using Baby instruments.
FINGER AND TOE GAMES
  • Play hand clapping games.
  • Play "Where is Thumbkin?"
  • Play "Open, Shut Them."
  • Put Baby's socks halfway on and show Baby how to pull them off.
  • Place ring toys on Baby's fingers for Baby to remove.
GOING TO SLEEP GAMES
  • Kiss Baby gently on the cheek and say, "I love you."
  • Talk about the moon and stars as you look outside.
  • Sing a bedtime song like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
  • Whisper "Good-night" to the stuffed animals in Baby's room.
  • Read a book to Baby using Baby's name.


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Family Enrichment Program
ECHO Joint Agreement
150 West 137th Street
Riverdale, Illinois 60827