The baby will experience back-and-forth sharing of a toy with a familiar caregiver.
Learning Area(s): Language and Communication; Social and Emotional
MATERIALS
small toy OR finger food
LET'S PLAY
Hold out a toy, tell your baby the name of the toy, and then offer it to your baby. For example, “Here is the giraffe. Would you like to hold it?” Then hand him the toy. After your baby has had a chance to explore the toy, encourage him to share the toy with you by saying, “May I have the giraffe?” or “Can I have a turn?” and holding out your hand expectantly. Do not take the toy until your baby offers it to you and releases it. When he is ready to share the toy and hands it back, you can respond with “Thank you!” Repeat this turn-taking cycle several times so that your baby experiences giving and receiving each time he shares with you. You can also use the words “my turn” and “your turn” as you hand the toy back and forth to teach the baby what these phrases mean.
Another way to talk about and model sharing at this age would be to sit with your child at snack time and share finger food with him, saying “I will share my snack with you!” while offering pieces to him, as well as asking “Can I have one, please?” If the child reciprocates, you can respond with “Thank you!”Repeat this turn-taking cycle several times so that your baby experiences giving and receiving each time he shares with you.
TIPS
- Babies will sometimes offer a toy but then refuse to let go of it. They are not sure they are ready to share yet. This is okay. Let the baby make the choice, and soon he will be ready to share with you.
- Try not to tease babies by snatching toys from them or pretending to offer a toy and then taking it away. Babies need to build trust in the give-and-take process through repeated positive experiences. Giving mixed or confusing signals may leave the baby feeling frustrated or confused rather than playful.
- This activity can be repeated throughout the day in different play situations, whenever you can share with him and model the words to use.