A–Z Glossary

Mouthing

Mouthing is a common way babies explore objects by bringing safe items to their mouths.

← Back to A–Z Glossary

Search results for: Mouthing

How babies explore surroundings

How babies explore surroundings

Exploration starts before mobility Babies begin exploring long before they can crawl across a room. A newborn studies surroundings through close-range vision, smell, voice recognition, touch, vestibular input from being held and moved, and proprioception, the body’s internal sense of position. These early sensory channels help the infant learn what is familiar, what is soothing, […]

Activities for 3 to 6 month babies

Activities for 3 to 6 month babies

Start with responsive, supervised floor play Floor play is the foundation for many activities in this age range because it allows an infant to move freely and practise against a stable surface. Choose a clean, firm play mat on the floor rather than a bed, sofa, or raised surface. Place your baby on their back […]

Supported Sitting Play Ideas

Supported Sitting Play Ideas

What Supported Sitting Is Meant to Build Supported sitting is a play position in which a caregiver, their legs, or a stable surface provides enough contact to help a baby stay upright while awake and supervised. It is different from placing a baby in a device and expecting them to maintain a posture they cannot […]

Touch and texture play baby

Touch and texture play baby

Why touch matters in infancy The tactile system processes information from the skin and helps the brain interpret pressure, movement across the skin, temperature, and physical contact. Touch is present from the earliest stages of life and remains an important source of information as babies learn where their bodies are, how they move, and how […]

Outdoor Sensory Play With Leaves, Grass and Wind

Outdoor Sensory Play With Leaves, Grass and Wind

Why Natural Sensory Experiences Matter Babies learn through coordinated sensory and motor activity. They look toward movement, listen for changes in sound, reach toward interesting objects, shift posture, and use their hands and mouths to investigate safe materials. Outdoor play adds naturally variable input: a leaf may be smooth on one side and veined on […]

Exploration activities for babies

Exploration activities for babies

Why exploration matters in infancy Babies are active learners from the beginning. Exploration helps them link perception and action: a sound prompts a head turn, a visually interesting object holds attention, or a hand contacts a toy and produces movement or noise. Over time, these experiences contribute to sensorimotor learning, the foundation on which later […]