Picture-Card Discoveries

1. 1

   Choose a few high-contrast cards with simple pictures of familiar things, such as a bottle or cat.

2. 2

   Show one card at a time and point as you name it: “Here’s a kitty. Meow, meow.” Watch your baby’s response.

3. 3

   If your baby only looks, show another card and stretch the word slightly: “Booottle.” A reach may show that the picture has become familiar or interesting.

4. 4

   Hand over the bottle card. Say, “Wow—a bottle!” and pretend to drink with a soft “glug, glug.”

5. 5

   Finally, arrange all the cards in front of your baby. Follow their hand or gaze as you point, name each picture, or add an animal sound.

What to notice

• Looks toward the matching card after hearing a familiar name Emergent Literacy
• Reaches toward a familiar picture card Memory

Tips

• Use three to five cards at a time and keep the activity under ten minutes so your baby does not become tired.
• At six months, looking and listening together are enough. Reusing the same cards over time makes their responses easier to notice.

Developmental benefits

• Language: Looking at simple pictures while hearing their names gives your baby early experience connecting an image with spoken language, a foundation for later literacy.