7 months

Your baby is learning to…

• Play Peekaboo games
• Use their hands to hold food, attempt to use a spoon
• Blow ‘raspberries’
• Smile and play with their reflection in a mirror
• Begin copying hand actions from a familiar song or finger-play
• May begin crawling

Peekaboo Games

Babies enjoy playing peekaboo games with adults.  Place a piece of material in front of your face and play peekaboo with your baby.  Place a small blanket over your baby’s head and lift quickly, saying “Peekaboo”. Try not to startle your baby when first playing this game, as they can easily become upset.

Using My Hands

Baby will start to become interested in using or assisting you in using a spoon at mealtimes.  Encourage your baby to eat first with finger food that they can hold themselves and gradually progress to encouraging them to use a spoon.  If you find mealtimes a little challenging over who is holding the cutlery, give your baby a spoon of their own to hold while you are feeding them.

Raspberries

Blowing raspberries is a great way to develop your baby’s facial muscles and develop their speech.   Play raspberry games by taking turns or blowing your raspberries in the mirror, or blow raspberries on your baby's tummy at nappy change time.

Smiles in the Mirror

Babies love their own reflection. Give your baby opportunities to see themselves in the mirrors around your home.  Play Peekaboo games moving back and forward in front of the mirror or show baby how to kiss their reflection.  If you are giving your baby a mirror to hold, please make sure its unbreakable (plastic ones are great).

Finger Plays and Rhymes

Sing action songs with your baby regularly (Open, Shut them; Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, etc) to start to encourage them to copy the actions. Singing to your baby is also a wonderful way to bond and develop their language skills.

Crawling Around

Baby may now be starting to move around the room crawling. Make sure that your baby cannot fall or be injured through moving around the house. Make crawling exciting by offering your baby opportunities to negotiate safe obstacles such as crawling through tunnels, going around the couch or sofa, or negotiating different surfaces (tiles, carpet, floorboards, grass). It is important to note that babies can sometimes become frustrated at this stage where they are not able to get to where they wish to go. Make it easier by ensuring your play area is clear and free of unnecessary clutter to maximise baby’s space and movement opportunities.

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