Home Visitor Kit

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.

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.

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.

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.