Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Developmental Insight into the All-New Soft Set Toys: Object Permanence


Last week, I talked about the benefits of Sassy’s new soft set toys.This week, I will spend some time discussing the developmental concept of object permanence. As your baby grows and develops, she will begin to understand that objects continue to exist, even when she cannot see them! Object permanence emerges in babies around 8 months of age. (Fun fact- the concept was coined by psychologist Jean Piaget.) In this post, I’ll discuss a couple of ways to help your baby develop object permanence.

 

Play Games:

There are several games that will delight your baby as he starts to understand that things exist even when they are out of sight. Some simple examples are the old classics, like hide-and-seek and peek-a-boo. When you hide your face and then peek out again, your little one will squeal in delight- especially before they understand object permanence completely. You will probably begin to see evidence of your baby understanding object permanence, as you play these games.

Brain Teasers:

Yes – Brain Teasers can be for babies, too! Another way to begin teaching your baby about object permanence is to engage him with brainteasers. As he develops, say things like: “Look at that teddy bear, it is peeking out from behind the couch.” Be sure to point and gesture to get your point across. You can also move the teddy bear between being completely hidden and partially hidden as your baby watches.

Toys:

Toys are a great way to begin teaching your little ones that objects exist, even when she cannot see them. As I mentioned last week, I really like Sassy’s soft set toys. The Grow Up Golf Set, Feed ‘em Up Fill n’ Dump, and My Own Mail toy sets all lend themselves to helping baby understand this concept. Put a letter in the soft, colorful mailbox, and close it up to hide it. Much to baby’s surprise, the letter still exists when the mailbox is opened!

Introducing new concepts to your little one is fun, especially with the right games and toys.

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