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cooking Here is a great way to make a healthy pasta sauce: Cut and peel a tomato, cook in the microwave, mash, let cool and serve over alphabet pasta. Safety Tip: Never serve hot microwave food items to baby without sufficient cooling time!

play & learn 1-3 years

Welcome to So Smart! Play & Learn, where you'll find great ideas for things to do with baby! As your active 1 to 3 year-old begins to explore their surroundings, they'll love these fun, hands-on activities. All you need is items from around the house, imagination, and a young child to get started. More activities like those below can be found in the Baby's First-Word Stories DVD Activity Guides.

1. Shoes and Socks Game Developmental benefits: Relationships between like groups; understanding the concept of categories.

Instructions: Arrange the shoes around your house in different ways with your child. Line them up by size, or separate them into color categories. This is fun to do with colorful socks as well.

Safety Tip: Make sure shoes are clean.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: Get Dressed Activity Guide.

2. Hide-and-seek Objects Developmental benefits: This game helps to show your child the relationship between objects, and the words that are used to describe them.

Instructions: Hide toys around your house in things you can name. When your toddler finds them, take the opportunity to discuss where the toys were hidden. For example: "under a chair," "in the closet," "on the table," etc.

Safety Tip: Make sure these environments are safe for your child.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: House Activity Guide.

3. Getting Dressed Developmental benefits: This activity will help your child understand the function of different articles of clothing and how they relate to his/her body.

Instructions: Play a mixed up clothing game. Put on different articles of clothing incorrectly, for instance: a sock on your hand, or a hat on your foot. Ask your child to show you where it really goes.

Safety Tip: Avoid small accessories that may not be child-safe.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: Get Dressed Activity Guide.

4. Sounds Developmental benefits: Understanding the relationship between different objects and the sounds they make.

Instructions: Relate sounds you hear to their source by naming the objects, animals or people that are making them.

Safety Tip: Remember to supervise your child, especially with animals.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: House Activity Guide.

5. Nighttime Adventures Developmental benefits: Making children comfortable with nighttime; making nighttime fun; giving your child a new perspective.

Instructions: Collect things with your child on an evening walk around the neighborhood. It doesn't have to be Halloween to venture out after dark! Observe how things look different outside at night. A flashlight will help you lead the way and make discoveries. Your child will see the world from a new perspective.

Safety Tip: Find a safe area to walk, away from any traffic. Wear bright clothing.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: Nighttime Activity Guide.

6. Reading in your Home- made Tent Developmental benefits: Encouraging reading.

Instructions: With your child's help, build an indoor tent with blankets and chairs, and light it up using flashlights. Have storytime and read books inside your new tent.

Safety Tip: Make sure nothing harmful can fall on your child.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: Nighttime Activity Guide.

7. Bug Jugs Developmental benefits: Introducing nature; developing a comfort with insects; learning the words of different bugs.

Instructions: Make a "Bug Jug" with a Jelly Jar, and collect specimens outside. Dead bugs are easiest to "catch." It's fun to use toy bugs to fill the jug as well! Use a magnifying lens to get a better look.

Safety Tip: Make sure the bugs you catch do not sting or bite.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: Outside Activity Guide.

8. Cartime Fun Developmental benefits: Motor skills; spatial relationships; imagination

Instructions: Play "Where is the car?" with your toddler. Slide a toy car down an empty paper towel tube. Your child will love to see it disappear and reappear. Make a "toddler superhighway" by opening up cardboard boxes and connecting them for toy cars to ride upon.

Safety Tip: Make sure toys are baby-safe.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: We Go Activity Guide.

9. Does it Float? Developmental benefits: Learning the different relationships between objects and water.

Instructions: Play a game of, "Does it Float?" Show your child an item and ask him to predict whether it will sink or float.

Safety Tip: Supervise your child at all times near water.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: We Go Activity Guide.

10. Take a Trip! Developmental benefits: Imagination; learning new words associated with travel.

Instructions: Pretend to take a "teddy-bear vacation." Ask your child to pack up important things for a favorite bear, and pretend to take a trip with it. Ask your toddler where they are going, where they will stay, and how they will get there.

Safety Tip: Use baby-safe objects.
This activity is included in the Baby's First-Word Stories: We Go Activity Guide.