Activities for Infants to 4 Year Olds

Age appropriate activities help children at every developmental stage.

The first four years of a child's life are rewarding and challenging for parents. As an infant matures into a toddler and then a young child, every day is full of discovery and chances for growth and development. Parents and educators can help support this development by choosing engaging, age-appropriate activities for each step in a young child's life.

Birth to Six Months Old

Shake a noisy toy behind an infant's head so that she'll turn around and grab for it.

Infants from birth to six months benefit from simple, stimulating, educational activities. During each day, the adult can talk and sing to the baby to enhance verbal development, place toys in the baby's line of vision and encourage her to grab for the toys or play along when the infant claps and kicks. Laying the baby on her stomach is an important activity, teaching her to roll over onto her back and lift her head.

Six Months Old to 12 Months Old

As the infant nears his first birthday, he's eager to explore everything around him. Many infants are learning to crawl and walk, so providing a safe, supervised environment is important. Allowing and encouraging crawling is one of the most effective activities at this stage of development. Adults can hold onto the baby's hands when he first tries walking. Most infants also love games of peek-a-boo and listening to stories from simple, visually stimulating picture books.

One-year-olds

Stacking rings are an ideal toy for one-year-olds.

One-year-olds are usually curious and energetic, working on communication and motor skills. Toddlers enjoy stacking activities with rings or empty containers, especially when allowed to knock the stack down. For greater hand-eye coordination, very simple puzzles can keep a one year old occupied for hours. When adults sing, talk or read to the one year old, they can add in hand movements for greater mental stimulation, and encourage the one year old to imitate the gestures.

Two-year-olds

Despite the nickname "terrible twos," most two-year-old boys and girls are enthusiastic and engaged with the world. Toddlers are often social, and enjoy activities that involve their peers, such as group games or outings to the playground. Two-year-olds also enjoy getting their hands messy, so finger-painting or non-toxic modeling clay make ideal art activities. Educational games are also appropriate, such as placing cotton puffs in a bag and counting them as the toddler removes each one.

Three-year-olds

Help children develop vocabulary by holding simple, informative conversations.

Three-year-olds are developing at a rapid pace, often talking in complete sentences and solving simple problems without help. Many three-year-olds seek the approval of adults, so activities where toddlers and adults work together are especially positive. Simple science lessons, such as flying kites or freezing water into ice, set the stage for future educational growth. Learning how to imitate animal sounds and movements helps motor skill development.

Four-year-olds

Four-year-olds are dexterous, clever and active as they transition into childhood. Four-year-olds walk, run, jump and even skip with great ease. To expand their mobility and coordination, adults can help young children learn new physical feats, such as swimming or riding a bicycle (with training wheels if necessary). Learning to dance or roller-skate takes more persistence and may require lessons, but children and adults alike benefit from an outlet for excess energy.

References

• National Network for Child Care; Helping Infants Learn; Marilyn Lopes; 1993
• FamilyEducation: Your One-Year-Old and Play
• Gayle's Preschool Rainbow: Preschool Theme - Activities for Toddlers
• National Network for Child Care; Ages & Stages - Three-Year-Olds; Lesia Oesterreich; 1995
• FamilyEducation: The Active Life of a Four-Year-Old

Resources

• BabyCenter: Games & Activities
• Toddler Toddler