Us in the Mirror
Sit with your baby in front of a mirror and play with expressions and movements. Let them compare what they feel and do with what changes in the reflection.
- 4 months
- Quick prep
- At home
- About 5 minutes
Developmental benefits
- Social/Emotional：Looking at both reflections and pairing names, touches, and movements with each image gives your baby early experience distinguishing self from another person.
- Cognitive：Moving a body part and watching the reflection move at the same time gives your baby a direct cause-and-effect pattern to explore.
Preparation
What You’ll Need
- 1
A full-length mirror
Step 1
Who Is in the Mirror?
Sit in front of the mirror with your baby and talk about the two faces. When your baby looks toward the reflection, make an expressive face or simple movement and let them study what changes. Respond to any expression or action they copy.
What to notice
- Copies one of your expressions in the mirror and watches your response
Sense of Identity and Belonging - Looks toward the mirror when they hear you speak
Attending and Understanding
Tips
- Gently lift one of your baby’s hands: “You’re waving, and the baby in the mirror is waving.” Then watch for an independent movement.
- If attention shifts, softly say your baby’s name and touch their shoulder to invite another look.
- As your baby watches, name a feature in each reflection to help them notice that the two faces are not exactly the same.
- Choose an easy expression to copy, and imitate something your baby does too. The back-and-forth can motivate another turn and support #SE-SIB.
Step 2
The Baby in the Mirror Moves
Move your baby’s hand gently and notice the reflection moving at the same time. Follow their curious look with a short description, then invite them to wave again and watch what happens.
What to notice
- Waves a hand toward the mirror, then looks at their own hand Sense of Identity and Belonging
- Smiles after seeing you smile
Relationships with Adults
Tips
- Place your hand around your baby’s so they can feel the difference in size, then hold both hands beside each other in the mirror.
- Touch your baby’s hand, head, or cheek while making the same touch visible in the mirror, pairing the sensation with what they see and hear.
- When your baby looks or vocalizes, echo the sound or movement to create an early back-and-forth exchange.
Step 3
Explore the Reflection
Give your baby time to move and watch the reflection without directing every action. When they pause and look toward you, respond to the discovery they just made.
What to notice
- Touches or moves their face closer to the mirror while watching
Exploration and Discovery - Explores the mirror surface with a hand or mouth
Perception
Tips
- After demonstrating a wave, wait and watch for your baby to repeat or vary it.
- With a clean, securely placed mirror that has no sharp edges, let your baby touch or tap the surface and notice that it feels cool, hard, and smooth.
- Use the same opening and closing phrases each time, such as “Let’s look in the mirror,” and “Bye-bye, mirror.”
Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026