50 Simple Ways to Make Your Baby Smarter

21 through 40

21. Make a family album. Include photographs of relatives near and far, and flip through it often to build your child's memories. When Grandma calls, show him her picture as he listens on the phone.

22. Let your child play with her food. When she's ready, serve foods that vary in texture -- including cooked peas, cereal, pasta, or chunks of cantaloupe. She'll get to practice her pincer grasp and explore her senses.

23. Pick it up. Even if it seems like your baby repeatedly drops toys off her high chair just to drive you nuts, go fetch. She's learning and testing the laws of gravity. Give her several pieces of wadded-up paper or some tennis balls, put an open bucket under her seat, and let her take aim!

24. Practice three-card monte. Grab a few empty plastic food containers, and hide one of your baby's small toys under one. Shuffle the containers, and let him find the prize.

25. Build an obstacle course. Boost motor skills by placing sofa cushions, pillows, boxes, or toys on the floor and then showing your baby how to crawl over, under, and around the items.

26. Play "follow the leader." Crawl through the house, varying your speed. Stop at interesting places to play.

27. Now follow his lead. As your toddler gets older, he'll stretch his creativity to see if you really will do everything he does, like make silly noises, crawl backward, or laugh.

28. Be a funny face. Puff up your cheeks, and have your toddler touch your nose. When she does, poof! Have her pull your ear, and then stick out your tongue. Make a funny noise when she pats your head. Keep to the same routine three or four times, then change the rules to keep her guessing.

29. Feel your way. Walk around the house with your babe in arms, and touch his hand to the cool window, some soft laundry, a smooth plant leaf, and other safe objects, labeling items as you go.

30. Tell tall tales. Choose her favorite story -- replace the main character with her name to make it fun.

31. Create a zoo book. On your next visit, take photos of favorite animals to include in an album. Later, "read" it together, naming all the familiar creatures or adding animal sounds and stories.

32. Let him be the boss (sometimes). Build confidence by giving your toddler a choice between two items whenever possible: different-colored bowls at mealtime, for instance. He'll learn that his decisions count -- and get practice naming his colors.

33. Put her in the spotlight. Together, watch old home videos of your baby enjoying her first bath, learning to roll over, playing with Grandpa . . . Narrate the story to build language and memory.

34. Count everything. Count how many blocks your toddler can stack. Or the number of steps in your house. Or his fingers and toes. Make a habit of counting out loud, and soon he'll join in.

35. Make more out of storytime. Point out little details in the pictures, and ask your toddler questions, ranging from the abstract ("Why do you think he doesn't want to try green eggs and ham?") to the concrete ("Have you ever seen a white dog?").

36. Turn off the tube. Your baby's brain needs one-on-one interaction that no TV show, no matter howeducational, can provide.

37. Change the scenery. Switch your toddler's high chair to the other side of the table. You'll challenge his memory of where things are placed at meals.

38. Shake it up, baby.Teach her to twist and shout, do the funky chicken, or twirl like a ballerina.

39. Make a mug-shot memory game. Take close-up pictures of all the impor- tant people in your child's life, get double prints -- and you've got a set of matching cards. Lay them faceup on the floor, and help her find the two that are alike. As she gets older, you can alter the memory game by starting with the photos facedown.

40. Play in the rain. Jump in puddles. Sit in wet grass together. It's a fun, albeit messy, way of learning about wet and dry.