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Brain Builders

Stimulating Activities for Your 6-month-old Baby

By Tammy Morey

In the sixth month of your baby's life, you may observe some of the following milestones:

• She may perform for attention by making vowel sounds, mimicking expressions, making faces and kicking and wiggling motions and by reaching to touch people. Notice how she responds differently to everyone. Listen to her tones. She has skillfully learned the tone variations from your speech. Now, as she begins mimicking you, she is accomplishing the first part of language acquisition.
• She may sit with little or no support for short periods of time. She may sit with her hands in front of her to keep from falling. It is important to continue to work her core muscles so she will develop the strength to hold herself up completely.
• She may reach out and pick up objects. As her hand approaches the object of desire, she will adjust her hand to conform to the shape of the object. At the beginning of her sixth month, she may be picking objects up with her ring and little fingers. By the end of her sixth month, she may have mastered using her thumb and pinky finger. She may also be able to transfer toys and food from one hand to the other. You will be amazed by the speed at which she can reach for, pick up and transfer her toys.
• She may hold her head up high while she lies on her stomach, supporting herself with the strength of her upper body. She may also be able to position herself on all fours and rock back and forth with her body. She may reach out with one hand while keeping her balance so she does not fall on her stomach or roll over. This month is important to continue to work on her upper body strength to prepare her for crawling.
• She may be pulling herself up on her crib bars to sit up or even try to stand up. To help her strengthen her large muscle groups (thighs and hamstrings), continue with the bouncing rhythms on your lap, but hold her in a standing position on your knees rather than a sitting position.
• She may have mastered the ability to move her eyes in unison. If she consistently crosses her eyes or one seems to be "lazy," make sure to mention it to your pediatrician. She may clearly see people and objects within 10 feet of her vision.
• She may joyfully recognize herself in the mirror. A terrific playtime activity can be to sit her in front of a mirror on the floor. Watch her as she talks, giggles and plays with her reflection.
• She may now reach and grasp her toys with accuracy. She also may drop her toys and pick them up. The drop and pick up game can be turned into an important learning opportunity. The process will help her build confidence in herself, reinforce cause and effect and allow her to have fun. When she drops a toy, as you bend to pick it up, name the object. For example, "Where's your blanky? Oh, you dropped your blanky." You can continue to play by putting the blanket over her head and say, "Oh, where is Annie?" By adding this, you can incorporate object permanence into the game.
• She will still put everything into her mouth. She does not have the vocabulary skills to categorize objects through speech, so she uses her mouth to categorize objects. She may categorize an object as the one that tastes good, feels good to her gums or smells good. Now is the time to begin experimenting with different foods. Always check with your pediatrician before doing so. Also, try introducing one food at a time, so if she develops an allergic reaction, you will know which food is to blame.

Want to see more?

• The Mind of the Baby
• Brain Builders: Stimulating Activities for Your 5-month-old Baby
• Brain Builders: Stimulating Activities for Your 7-month-old Baby
• Talk about it!

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