Look, It's Moving

1. 1

   Hold a toy where your baby can see it and wait for their gaze to settle.

2. 2

   Move the toy very slowly from side to side and watch whether their eyes follow.

3. 3

   If their gaze slips away, return the toy to the center and say, “The toy is here,” giving them another chance to find it.

4. 4

   When their eyes follow the movement, smile and respond warmly.

5. 5

   Because attention is still brief at this age, try a few short rounds at different times of day.

What to notice

• Tracks the slowly moving toy with their eyes Emergent Mathematical Thinking
• Plays back and forth with you Relationships with Adults

Tips

• Move the toy extremely slowly—about the pace of a crawling turtle—so your baby has plenty of time to respond.
• Choose toys with strong contrast, such as black and white or red and yellow. At 2 months, bold contrasts and clear shapes are easier to notice.

Developmental benefits

• Cognitive: Tracking a slowly moving toy gives your baby direct experience of an object changing position along a path.