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Baby and Toddler

Babies and toddlers benefit from activities that respond to their needs and interests, whether it is talking to them about a dog that they notice from their car seat or singing them a favorite song when they need to be soothed. Parents can also use "car time" to help their children understand what is happening now, while helping them anticipate what will happen next. Next time you take a take a car trip, consider these activities that can amuse your baby or toddler, while fostering his language and literacy development.

• Sing Along With Me
  Babies and toddlers love to hear parents sing their favorite songs, whether it's Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or The Itsy Bitsy Spider. And if you're in the passenger's seat, accompany the song with hand motions that go along with the words. You can also encourage your toddler to do the hand motions with you, or simply clap along. Some parents also make up songs about what they're doing and where they're going: "Now we're going to Grandma's house, Grandma's House, Grandma's house. Now we're going to Grandma's house to visit and to play." You might even bring along song tapes. Invite your toddler to sing along and add a verse of her own.
• Storytime
  Babies and toddlers love to hear stories, especially ones they've heard over and over before. Use "car time" to retell your children's favorite stories and rhymes, whether it's Over in the Meadow by Paul Galdone or Sheep in the Shop by Nancy Shaw. You can also retell stories, such as the Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton, that invite children to chime in with names of different animals or the sounds they make.
• What Do You See? What Do You Hear?
  Babies and toddlers can see the world from their car seats. Use "car time" to help them notice the sights and sounds around them: "Lyla, listen what's coming. It's a truck. A very big truck. Rmmmmmm." "Oh, Nick, you noticed the dog. It's a little brown dog."
• Toy Pick, Book Pick
  Take a stash of favorite books and toys wherever you go, and make a few of them accessible during car rides. Some parents use plastic links to attach toys to the car seat. One mother also invented a way to always make books accessible for her child. First, she tied one end of a short piece of yarn around the binding of her child's favorite book. Then she used Velcro to attach the other end of the yarn to the headrest that her child faced. Now her child can just reach to "read."
• Car Museum
  Babies and toddlers love to look at faces, whether they're puppy faces, people's faces, or their own. Some parents turn their car into a revolving museum exhibit by taping pictures onto the back of the seat so children can look at them. Or attach a mirror so your baby can see her face as well. You can also use your museum to help your child develop listening and talking skills by asking such questions as: "Can you see the puppy?" "Can you see Grandma?" "And where are you?"