Your baby will explore the parts of a tree with safe support.
Learning Area(s): Science; Physical Development
MATERIALS
- tree
- leaves
LET'S PLAY
Take your baby outside and sit her on your lap or stand her upright in front of a tree. Encourage her to look at, touch, feel, and pat the tree. Talk about parts of the tree as your baby looks at or feels them, and use describing words such as tall, rough, bumpy, smooth, big, brown, green, etc. Let her touch and pick up any leaves that have fallen on the ground, being careful not to let her put any in her mouth. You may need to hold a leaf, twig, or blossom up to your baby to help her grasp it.
Point upwards and talk about what you and your baby can see as you look up. Can you see leaves? Branches? A squirrel or bird? Is the wind blowing the leaves? If there are insects crawling on the tree, point them out to your baby while being careful not to let the insects bite or crawl on her.
TIPS
- If your baby does not initially show interest in the tree, help her reach out her hands and rub or pat the tree and leaves to feel their textures.
- Some babies will be interested in pulling up grass or crawling around. If this happens, follow her lead and let her explore, watching closely to ensure that she does not put unsafe items into her mouth.