Developing Your Child's Vision

What You Can Do

• Look at baby. Eye contact is critical for social development. (If a baby is blind or has vision limitations, it is important to compensate by engaging other senses, such as hearing, touching, tasting or smelling.)

• Display mirrors, pictures and interesting objects just out of reach on the floor, on the wall near the changing table, near her bed.

• Talk about the colors, shapes or names of objects, for example:
  • look in a mirror and talk about your faces
  • point to and name pictures in a book
  • look at moving things like mobiles, blowing leaves, bubbles, rolling balls
  • play peek-a-boo
  • make toys – and people – disappear and come back –
  • look at baby, talk about body parts
  • look out the window and talk about what you see

• Dim the lights and shine a flashlight on the ceiling, walls, floor, baby’s hands, feet and tummy. Use colored cellophane to create different colors. Use broadbeam lights and penlights for different effects.

Toys to Make – remember to supervise babies when they are playing with these toys.

• Make a peek-a-boo face. Draw or paste a picture of a face on a piece of cardboard. Cover the face with a piece of material taped or stapled to the top that can be lifted like a curtain. It will be most fun for baby if you play peek-a-boo with him, but you might fasten the face to his playpen crib or changing table for occasional independent play.

• Make toys that dangle and flutter. Use colorful ribbons, shiny foil tins, paper shapes. Or, make a simple mobile by fastening colorful shapes or objects to a coat hanger. Hang these where baby can watch them. These are to look at, not touch, so fasten them tightly out of baby’s reach. Add to them and change them from time to time.

• Fill a clear plastic bottle with equal amounts of water and vegetable oil and a few drops of food color. Glue the lid on and cover with duct tape. You can also add a squirt of dishwashing liquid for bubbles and small floating toys or glitter. Let baby push and watch.

Learning is a natural part of living. The best teachers are those who play with children as part of everyday life. Notice, talk and sing about what you see, hear, touch, taste, smell, feel, think and do. Use objects in your everyday environment. Be imaginative and joyful. Watch carefully and follow the baby’s lead.

BANANAS Child Care Information & Referral • 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland, CA 94618 • 658-7353 • www.bananasinc.org