One of the favourite activities of babies is gazing at themselves in the mirror. From an early age, they begin mirror-gazing even though they cannot recognise their face. They find it fascinating since they can see a human being looking back at them. Through mirror play, kids remain distracted and develop social skills.
Basic toys such as mirrors are more recommended for babies than high-end electronic toys. Looking at a human face in the mirror is one of the safest and coolest activities for babies. They can gaze at themselves and talk to them for fun. Through this blog you can comprehend the reasons behind their love for mirrors.
Reasons behind babies’ love for mirrors
Babies love mirrors since they find it engrossing to interact with the baby they see in the mirror. The baby has no idea that the mirror is reflecting itself. They enjoy talking, laughing, and babbling with the “other baby” who is a mystery to them.
It takes more than a year for the baby to understand that the “other baby” is, in reality, their reflection in the mirror. The mirrors are fun to interact with due to their reflection of the real world. It captivates the minds of babies since they are eager to explore their world.
Fun activities with mirrors for babies
- Develop your child’s vocabulary by holding them up in front of the mirror. Ask them to look in the mirror as you point at different parts of your baby’s face and body and tell them their names. Eventually, they will begin to differentiate and understand the pronunciations.
- Make silly faces in front of the mirror and wait for your baby to imitate them. They can even make a different face to tease you. It improves their visual tracking significantly.
- Mirrors act as a great distraction for your kids and help them to lengthen their attention spans. Babies have a short attention span and easily get distracted. Mirror playing holds the gaze of your kid for a long period and increases their focus.
- Play mirror games with your baby such as peek-a-boo or rolling on their tummies. Allow your kids to play with their reflection and learn social skills and language development.
- Sing fun tunes with the toddlers to make them feel happy. Parents can either make up new songs or choose their favourite baby songs. Sing it during the mirror play since it will let your baby associate the tune with the play and expect the tune.
Tips to ensure babies’ safety
Parents should use unbreakable mirrors and regularly check for cracks and chips. Any cracks can harm the baby and hence should be fixed or replaced immediately. They should look out for loose ends connected to the mirror. Small parts can lead to a choking hazard for the toddler. Support the baby with your hands gently when they are gazing at the mirror. Never leave them unsupervised when they are playing.
Conclusion
Playing with mirrors is the best way to boost your baby’s development. It helps to enhance visual tracking, social skills, gross motor movement, and language skills. Babies love mirrors and you can use their love to teach them things. Eventually, your kid will comprehend that the face in the mirror belongs to them, but until then, play on.