If You're Happy and You Know It

If you're happy and you know it, clap
your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, clap
your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, then
your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap
your hands. (clap clap)

If you're happy and you know it,
stomp your feet (stomp stomp)

If you're happy and you know it,
shout "Hurray!" (hoo-ray!)

If you're happy and you know it, do all
three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp,
hoo-ray!)

I Am Special
(Tune of "Are You Sleeping?")
I am special. I am special.
If you look, you will see
Someone very special
Someone very special
That is me. That is me.

The Smile Song
I have something in my pocket
That belongs upon my face
I keep it very close at hand
In a most convenient place

I think you wouldn't guess it
If you guessed a long long while
So I'll take it out and put it on
It's a great big happy smile.

High Kicks
Kick-start your baby's gross
motor skills with a simple leg
exercise that will also teach
her cause and effect. Begin
by laying baby on the floor,
face up. Hold an object that
makes sounds, such as a
bell or a rattle, above baby's
feet, just low enough that she
can kick it. When she makes
contact with the item, be sure
to offer her plenty of praise.

Up and Down Ditty
Sitting on the floor with your
legs out in front of you, lay
your baby face-up on your
legs so that her head is right
above your knees. (If your
baby has developed some
strength in her neck, you may
choose to prop her up into a
seated position, still facing
you).
Lift your baby up and down by
bending your knees in time
with the words of this classic
children's song:
The Grand Old Duke of York
(Sung to the tune of A
Hunting We Will Go)
Oh, the grand old Duke of
York,
He had ten thousand men,
He marched them up to the
top of the hill (Bend your
knees)
And he marched them down
again. (Straighten your
knees)
And when they were up they
were up. (Bend your knees)
And when they were down
they were down. (Bend your
knees)
And when they were only half
way up, (Bend your knees
half way up)
They were neither up nor
down. (Bend your knees
further up and then
straighten your legs)

On a Roll
Peel the label off an empty
oatmeal cylinder or water
bottle, and wrap the
container in a sheet of white
paper. Cut out a series of
small shapes from sheets of
black and red construction
paper, and paste the shapes
to the paper making distinct
patterns all the way around
the container. Watch your
child's eyes grow wide when
you roll the container toward
him for the first time!

Explore Faces
Let your baby explore the
different types of faces and
emotions one can make. While
facing him, smile and say
"Mommy's smiling" or
"Mommy's happy." Encourage
your infant to smile as well.
Laugh, frown, look surprised,
and do as many different facial
expressions as possible, listing
each emotion for your baby
while encourage him to mimic
you.

This Little Baby
This is a fun, brain-building
game that aids in the
development of cause and
effect through anticipation
and excitement and other
newly budding interests
like body awareness
through touch. This poem
also may help her learn
object permanence, which
means that when Mommy
or Daddy is out of Baby's
sight, she or he is not
necessarily gone:

This Little Baby
This little baby rocked in
the cradle.
(Wiggle one arm)
This little baby jumped in
the bed.
(Wiggle the other arm)
This little baby crawled on
the carpet.
(Wiggle one leg)
This little baby bumped her
head.
(Wiggle the other leg)
This little baby played hide
and seek.
(Move your face close to
hers)
Where's that little baby?
(Place your hands over
your face)
Oo-oo-ooh peek-a-boo!
(Uncover your face with a
great big smile!)

Mix a Pancake
(Follow the lyrics with hand
gestures.)
Mix a pancake,
Stir a pancake,
Pop it in the pan.
Fry the pancake,
Toss the pancake,
Catch it if you can!

All Around the Mulberry Bush
All around the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun.
Pop! goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle.
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.


Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.


.

Echo Excitement
While you are out on a walk,
stop at your mailbox, lift up
your baby, and as you open
the lid, shout inside. The
echo is terrific and will bring
surprised looks and more
calling and echoes. It's likely
that this will become a
favorite destination for walks.
Extensions: Take turns
hollering into the mailbox.
Sing a simple song into it.

Hole & Peg
You'll need three empty toilet
paper rolls and a shoebox. In
the top of the shoebox, cut
three holes that are big
enough for the empty toilet
paper rolls to easily slide
through. Sit on the floor and
show your infant how to put a
roll into each hole.

Peek-A-Boo Box
Cut a small hole in the
bottom of an empty tissue
box. Stuff a brightly colored
scarf inside. Show your child
half of the scarf through the
top of the box. Then quickly
pull it back inside from the
bottom side. Ask your child,
"Where is the scarf?" Pull the
scarf halfway out from the top
of the box again and say,
"Peek-a-boo!" or "There it is!"
Then pull the scarf back
inside again.

Pillow Playground
Make a fun play area entirely out
of sofa cushions or pillows.
Gather assorted blankets,
pillows, cushions and bolsters,
and arrange in a room with
plenty of play space that's free of
things that can fall on baby if
nudged. Build hills to climb,
tunnels to crawl through, and
obstacle courses to traverse.
Palce favorite toys throughout
the space to encourage your
child to move around.
(As always, never leave your
child unattended during
playtime.)

Quiet Time

Here are a few good ideas
for quiet time with your
baby:

1. Read a favorite book to
your child in a rocking chair.

2. Lay with your baby on a
blanket and watch the
ceiling fan.

3. Look at your baby in the
eyes and just stare at each
other for a while.

Baby's Toys
Here's a ball for Baby,
Big and soft and round,
Here is Baby's hammer,
See how Baby can pound!

Baby Horsie Ride
(bounce baby on your knee to the
rhyme)
See the baby on her horsie
bouncing everyday.
Faster and faster
She gallops away.

Baby Baby Dumpling
Baby baby dumpling,
Boil him in the pot,
Butter him and sugar him
And eat him while he's hot.

Walking, Walking
(sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)

Walking, walking
Walking, walking
Hop, hop, hop
Hop, hop, hop
Running, running, running
Running, running, running
Now let's stop.
Now let's stop.
.

Tickle Time
Place Baby, clad only in a
diaper, on the changing table
or on a blanket on the floor.
Test your tickle on various
parts of Baby's body.
Alternate between feather
touches and gentle
squeezes.  Try blowing gently
into Baby's neck. Of course,
this all leads up to the
timeless raspberry. Don't
know what a raspberry is?
It's simple. Place your mouth
against Baby's belly or
cheek, and blow. You'll have
to blow hard enough to ripple
the skin with the air from your
mouth.

Let it Rain
Wrap tin foil around one end
of an empty paper towel
holder.  Use several pieces
of masking tape to cover the
foil. Tear off any excess foil
for the outside of the holder.
Fill the paper towel holder
with several dried beans and
a handful of uncooked rice.
Seal up the other side in the
same fashion as the first.
Demonstrate how to turn the
paper towel holder up and
down so that your infant can
hear the “rain.” A few rousing
rounds of “Rain, Rain, Go
Away” will make this even
more interesting for your
child.

Stuffed Toys
Play with a variety of stuffed toys
and soft dolls with your infant.
Explore the textures of the soft
toys. Add a baby blanket, a play
bottle, and a baby brush to
expand play. Play peek-a-boo
with the toys by hiding them
under the blanket.

Silly Face Peek-A-Boo

A smile, a frown, a look of
surprise -- your child will
love seeing all of the
different kinds of faces that
you can make.

Have your child face you in
a seated position. Holding
a small towel between the
two of you to conceal your
face, say, "Peek-a-boo, I
see…" As you lift the towel
say, "a smile!" (or the name
of the facial expression).

Try These:

Smile
Frown
Grimace
Laugh
Tongue
Wrinkled-up Nose

Where is Pumpkin?  
(Tune:  Where is Thumbkin?)
Where is Pumpkin?
Where is Pumpkin?
Here it is!
Here it is!
This one has a happy face,
This one has a scary face!
Roll away!
Roll away!

I'm a Little Pumpkin
(Tune:  I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little pumpkin
Orange and round.  
Here is my stem
There is the Ground!  
When I get all cut up
Don't you shout!
Just open me up
And scoop me out!

10 Little Pumpkins
Tune:  Ten Little Indians
One little,
two little,
three little pumpkins,
Four little,
five little,
six little pumpkins,
Seven little,
eight little,
nine little pumpkins,
Ten little pumpkins in the pumpkin
patch!

Clapping Game
Clap your hands while
singing this song. See if your
infant will follow along:

Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.
Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.

Go Find It
Place one of your child's toys
on the floor and partially
cover it with a blanket.
Encourage her to go find the
toy (Ex: "John look, let's go
find Pooh Bear. Look, Pooh
is on the floor." Encourage
her to keep walking or
crawling to the toy until she
ultimately picks it up.

Pumpkin Patch
Take your child to a pumpkin
patch (either a real one or a
small "makeshift" pumpkin
patch that you can find at most
grocery stores this time of year.
Point out the pumpkins to your
child. How round, how big, how
orange! Let him touch and feel
a pumpkin, and if possible,
purchase a mini-pumpkin to
bring home.

Splashing Fun
Fill a large, nonbreakable
mixing bowl with warm water.  
Sit your infant on a vinyl
tablecloth (or mat), close to the
bowl. Move the water with your
hand and say: "Here is some
warm water. Touch it! Feel it!
Splash like me." (If your child
doesn't touch the water, gently
guide his hand to the bowl).
Words and phrases to
emphasize: Water, Warm, "My
hand is wet."

What's Inside the Box?
Hide an object inside a
shoebox and ask your child
"What's inside the box?" Let him
take the lid off the box and
discover the object (preferably
his favorite toy). Help him to
practice putting the toy back into
the box and putting the lid back
on.

Get your child used to
greeting the people around
him - mom, dad,
grandparents, friends, etc.
When daddy comes home,
say "Oh, who's here?
Daddy's here! Let's go say
hi." Meet Daddy at the door
with a big hello. When
someone leaves your
home, tell your infant
"Grandma (or whoever) is
leaving. Let's say goodbye.
Wave bye."