“Who loves Jane?” asks your little one’s storybook, and the answers are as varied as the photographs in this easy-to-make set of story cards. Little ones are beginning to understand different emotions right now, even if they can’t quite verbalise them, but one they really understand is the feeling of loving someone or something else! This is obvious as you start to notice how they attach from week to week.

The concept of “magic” and making things disappear is of great interest to your little one right now. Encourage this enjoyment by playing a magic “hide and seek” game with their favourite toys. Start by finding a toy small enough to fit into your hand. Let your little one see the toy in your hand, or let them hold and play with it for a few minutes before taking it.

Using ice in play for little ones is not just for hot days! Some of the most important playtime little ones can have is tactile and sensory, where how things feel teaches them a lot about the world around them (and it’s loads of fun as well!). You’ll need: Food colouring, an ice tray, water jug, a freezer and paper. First take a jug of water and pour some water.

The simple delight in scooping and pouring dry items provides at least an hour’s worth of continuous fun, not to mention plenty of fine motor skill development. Set up a space in the kitchen (so you can vacuum up the inevitable mess later!) and give your little one an assortment of bowls, mixing jugs, funnels, scoops and different sized plastic cups. Grab a small bag of lentils and encourage your.

It is undeniable just how much fun little ones get from music and their first musical instruments. You don’t need to go out and buy your mini-maestro their very own three-piece band kit if you give these fun craft ideas a go. Shakers become first musical instruments at this age, so channel your creativity and make some music! Simple sound maker: Using an empty large coffee can, put in a.

Little ones are naturally inquisitive about the world around them and you can encourage that interest by helping them explore their sense of smell. You will need to source and collect at least five or six shakers or jars with pierced lids for the dry smells you will be using. You will also need something soft like cotton balls for the liquid smells in this game, for fresh food items.

So it finally happened! Your quietly sitting baby has started to move around the house crawling, creeping and pulling at anything they can reach. Take advantage of this new active nature by providing fun, movable objects that will build up their budding muscles. Good items you may already have in your home for this kind of play include little one-size tables and chairs, (the wooden kind are the most sturdy),.

Wobblers and Toddlers will enjoy painting with water as much as they will with bright coloured paint. Using water as an art medium introduces a new dimension to creative play and also reduces the amount of mess possible! Start by giving your little one paintbrushes, a plastic bowl of water and old magazines or newspaper. Encourage your toddler to paint onto the pictures and words, and soon they will discover.

Small children respond well to the visual, and are very interested in colourful, glossy pictures of the world in which they live. You can encourage this interest with a little bit of preparation and effort when making this fun matching game. Start by collecting a variety of pictures that match each other in some way (these could be found in old magazines). Good examples include pictures of a puppy, a.

If you haven’t already handed over a bottom drawer or cupboard in your kitchen to your little one, now is the time to think about it. This works from when they can sit-up and it will give them hours of entertainment while you work in the kitchen. Fill the drawer/cupboard with plastic Tupperware, metal and wooden spoons, spatulas, lids, pots etc. This should be a toy-free zone because it’s a.