What to do: Just when the baby is about to sleep or while feeding the baby say affirmations like 'you are kind', 'you are happy', 'you are developing all the intelligences', the food you receive is nourishing you physically and developing you mentally', etc.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): Builds emotional intelligence, fosters joy, and reduces anxiety and stress.

Special Tips: Make sure that the person saying affirmations to the baby is calm / happy (for this one can take a few deep breaths and then think of a happy moment to feel happy) before saying the affirmations. The affirmations should always be in present tense and can reference a person Ito denote the quality. Eg. Say you have great music sense like 'AR Rahman' or you are a great visionary & Philanthropist like 'Ratan Tata', or you are physically fit like 'Virat Kohli'. , etc. However avoid comparison

What to do: Use Expressive, Lively Speech: Speak to the baby with clear, varied tones and expressive intonation to make conversations engaging. Avoid monotone; instead, vary your pitch, volume, and rhythm to capture the baby’s attention. Involve the Whole Family: Encourage everyone around the baby to speak with expression and enthusiasm. Maintain a lively tone when talking to the baby to create a stimulating auditory environment.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): Auditory Development: Enhances the baby’s ability to detect tone, rhythm, and emphasis in sounds, which are foundational for language development. Attentiveness and Interest: Keeps the baby actively engaged in listening and aids in learning meaningful sounds and words.

Special Tips: Be Consistent and Natural: Talk to the baby as part of daily routines, such as dressing or feeding, using expressive language to make these moments engaging. Show Enthusiasm: Babies are highly responsive to enthusiasm, so infusing joy into interactions helps them stay attentive and builds a positive association with listening.

What to do: Get some print outs of photos of family members and point out to the baby by saying, 'this is mom', 'this is dad'. Also get photos of baby from previous months and show them while calling out the baby's name.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): This activity helps develop the entire brain with focus on interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences.

Special Tips: Prefer using physical photos printed on paper (avoid displaying photos on screes). You can also get photos of family members as kids and adults and show them. This helps develop their logical reasoning.

What to do: You can use hand puppet / finger puppet / hand sized toys which have faces (other ideas in materials) and narrate short stories or everyday conversations or say nursery rhymes

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): This activity boosts imagination, creativity & humour.

Special Tips: Use Hand puppets / hand sized toys / disposable spoons with expressions drawn using sketch pens / cut off finger of gloves and draw faces on the top part and wear each one different a different finger.

What to do: Pick up few of baby's favourite plush toys and greet them in front of the baby saying 'Hi / Hello', 'name of the toy', 'How are you today?' You can also lift up the hand of a toy and pretend in another voice as if it is responding. (Feel free to use sentences now instead of just 1-2 words)

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): This activity introduces the baby to basic greeting and builds the foundation to enhance communication skills while focusing on building memory with names.

Special Tips: You can also say goodbye to the same toys while going out, or goodnight before going to sleep. Avoid toys like car or balls.

What to do: To teach the baby to safely get down from a couch / bed follow the steps below. 1. Start with belly down: Position the baby on their belly on the couch, facing the edge. 2. Guide them feet first: Gently help them rotate their body so their feet are hanging over the edge.3. Lower them down: Slowly lower them, supporting their weight, until their feet touch the floor. 4. Repeat and reduce support: Practice this several times, each time offering less support until they can do it independently. 5. Be patient: Babies learn at different paces, so be patient and consistent with your guidance. By consistently practicing this method, babies can develop the safety skill of getting down from furniture safely and independently.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): Teaching this skill is the secret to reducing falls during infancy. This also helps strengthen the muscles of lower body essential for standing unsupported and walking.

Special Tips:

What to do: Take a big tray and place 10-12 objects (some are hard and others are soft - refer materials list). Then take 2 more container/boxes and demonstrate how you would sort the given items. Pick one and try squeezing it, then say 'this is soft, let me put it in this container'. Now do this with hard object. Encourage the baby to say hard and soft, every time he/she touches it. Appreciate each right effort and lovingly correct the wrong ones. Next move to sorting and make sure to appreciate every right effort.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): This activity works on multiple intelligences while introducing them to the concept of density. This also works well to further develop their fine motor skills and helps them understand how to grasp different objects for better grip.

Special Tips: Also encourage the baby to use both hands while doing this activity to promote whole brain involvement. Make sure the toys are size of baby's palm so that he/she can squeeze and grip them easily. Use object such as - plush toys, hand towels, sponges, pom poms, stress buster balls, etc. hard objects - plastic containers, lego blocks, cars, hard balls, etc.

What to do: Stack some blocks / plastic cups / containers loosely to form a mountain or pyramid. Build this slightly away from the baby so that the baby it encouraged to move and get there. Then encourage the baby to knock it down. Celebrate the knocking by clap and words of appreciation.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): Babies this age are more intentional about exploration and this activity caters to their amusement alongside working on multiple intelligences. This reinforces them to understand cause effect relationship and gravity while introducing them to the concept of gravity . This also works well to further develop their fine motor skills. This also helps them exercise more control over their muscles for specific action like swinging the hand to knock down.

Special Tips: Use baby safe objects which are light and smooth.

What to do: Take a big tray and place 10-12 objects (of any two colours). Then take 2 more container/boxes and demonstrate how you would sort the given items. Pick one and, then say 'this is ----, let me put it in this container'. Now do this with another coloured object. Encourage the baby to say the colour every time he/she picks it. Appreciate each right effort and lovingly correct the wrong ones.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): This activity works on multiple intelligences while introducing them to the concept of colour gradation, refining child's chromatic sense, developing visual discrimination and attention to detail. This also works well to further develop their fine motor skills and helps them understand how to grasp different objects for better grip.

Special Tips: Start with set of two colours initially, then chose another set. Also encourage the baby to use both hands while doing this activity to promote whole brain involvement. Make sure the toys are size of baby's palm so that he/she can grip them easily. Use soft objects - plush toys, hand towels / baby clothes, sponges, pom poms, balls, plastic containers, lego blocks, cars, utensils, fruits, vegetables, etc.

What to do: Make a mess with some baby safe toys, utensils, household objects, etc. in a specific area with some space in between (baby mat, or multiple mats put together) and place the baby in the middle. Just supervise from a distance. This is an open ended play that helps baby explore different toys at its own pace and let it be free to move in whichever direction he/she wants to.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): This could set foundation for independent play while fostering baby's curiosity. It encourages baby to manoeuvre in different ways to get different objects which naturally builds its bodily intelligence.

Special Tips: You could use a mix of old and new objects to see what baby approaches first. Do not intervene or say anything while the baby plays, but do acknowledge with a nod or smile if the baby make eye contact with you.

What to do: Start by grabbing bay's attention and do the hand gestures and say the action word related to it (whenever possible demonstrate the action as well) 1. Finished / All gone - Place your hands on the either side of the face with all fingers stretched and palm facing you. Then turn it towards the baby. Keep repeating this action while saying 'All gone / Finished' - Make sure to say this with action especially after the baby finishes their food. 2. Milk - Stretch out your fingers and then close it into a fist while saying - 'milk'. Do this everytime before you give milk to the baby. 3. Food - Start with your hand open and then joining tip of all the fingers together. Now move this hand gesture (fingertips pointing the mouth) towards your mouth while saying ' Food'. Make sure to do this before food is served.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): "Teaching sign language to baby has immense benefits listed below 1. Enhances communication & Reduces frustration / tantrums (Provides a way for your baby to express needs and wants before verbal language fully develops, potentially reducing frustration and tantrums related to misunderstood cues. Creates a stepping stone to spoken language by connecting gestures and concepts, helping babies understand that words and actions represent meaning). 2. Boosts cognitive and emotional development ( Stimulates different areas of the brain, promoting overall cognitive growth, memory skills, and attention span by engaging visual, motor, and language centers simultaneously. Helps babies recognize and express emotions, fostering emotional intelligence and resilience) 3. 2. Fosters bonding and interaction (Encourages deeper interaction between parents/caregivers and babies through shared communication and understanding)

Special Tips: The sign language you can modify it into simple gestures for baby's ease since baby will try and replicate it. You can introduce some other important words like 'poop' or 'pee pee' or 'clean up'. Also while this is the right time to start, babies might take upto 8 weeks to sign so be consistent.

What to do: Blow bubbles and let baby reach, pop, and follow them.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): Improves tracking, reaction time, and gross motor control.

Special Tips: Ensure baby doesn’t ingest bubbles; use tear-free solution.

What to do: At bedtime, dim lights and hum softly. Hold baby and speak gently about the day. Make sure to include highlights of the caregiver's day with the baby and how it made them feel (eg. when the baby came and hugged me after nap, I felt so happy (eg. “You played, you laughed, you ate

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): Fosters self-regulation, emotional security, and language rhythm.

Special Tips: Maintain eye contact; use calm, loving tone.

What to do: Place pairs of identical items in front of your baby — such as two socks, two handkerchiefs, two toy cars, two spoons, or two balls. Hold up one item and say: • “Where is the same one?” • “Find the twin!” Show the baby how to match one pair, then encourage them to find the matching item independently. Repeat with 2–3 pairs.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): Encourages visual discrimination, matching, and early categorization — essential foundations for mathematical reasoning. Strengthens memory, attention, and language comprehension (“same,” “pair,” “match”). Also builds cooperation and confidence through guided interaction.

Special Tips: • Start with very distinct pairs (bright colors, obvious shapes). • Keep the number of items low initially to avoid overwhelm. • Celebrate attempts as much as correct matches to build confidence. Progression Notes: • As baby improves, keep both items of one pair close together and let the baby match the rest — supports scanning and comparison. • Next level: mix all pairs together and let the baby find one full pair at a time — excellent for strengthening attention, working memory, and problem-solving. • Eventually add more pairs or similar-looking items to gently increase challenge.

What to do: Choose a stable, heavy &sturdy piece of furniture (like a sturdy dining chair, ottoman, baby chair or push toy - but such that the baby can move by applying some strength) that won’t tip over. Place it in front of your baby and demonstrate holding the backrest and pushing it forward. Encourage your baby to imitate by gently holding the furniture and taking steps while pushing it. Walk along with them if needed, saying - • “Push, push, push!” • “Let’s go forward!”
Allow the baby to walk a few steps, pause, and continue until they reach the end of the room.

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): This activity strengthens legs, core muscles, and balance, which are essential for early walking. Pushing a stable object provides resistance—supported by motor development research as beneficial for building gait control and postural stability.
It also boosts confidence, movement planning, and spatial awareness, helping the baby learn how to navigate their environment safely and independently.

Special Tips:

What to do: Place a few soft pom-poms inside a clean metal or silicone whisk by gently stretching the wires and inserting them. Present it to your baby and demonstrate pulling one pom-pom out at a time. Encourage your baby to try, using words like “pull,” “out,” or “got it!

Purpose (How it helps your child to learn): This activity develops fine motor precision, hand–eye coordination, and problem-solving skills. Your baby learns grip control and focus as they work to free each pom-pom. The small success of each release builds confidence, perseverance, and attention span.

Special Tips: