Babies and young children naturally get bored.  They were born that way!  Have you noticed they don’t seem as interested in the same toy or the same game when it has been done repetitively?  Keep things interesting by changing it up!  Draw their focus to other aspects of the toy or game.  By encouraging their attention, you begin to lay the groundwork for perseverance, motivation and focus- all necessary life skills.  Here are ways to stimulate these characteristics.

What’s New Here? Rotate her toys! Try rotating in new toys every week or two.  Only a handful is necessary- you don’t have to completely change all of her toys.  When we say new, we don’t mean brand new either!  Just toys she hasn’t seen for a bit and are “new” to her today.  You can keep rotating in and out with the toys she already has!

Old Toy, New Toy!  The same toy can seem novel and new in a new environment!  It is that easy to shake things up!  Place a few of her favorite toys in a new place- the car, bathroom, kitchen, grandma and grandpa’s house are just a few examples.  Take her hairy gorilla, put curlers in its hair, and put it in front of Mom’s makeup counter.

It’s in the Details. Focus on different uses of a toy or different characteristics of the toy.  “Wow, this horsey can suddenly fly!”  “Look how I can spin the rattle!”  “I like the triangle pattern on this toy!”  Or, if you always play with her a certain way, spice it up!  Always move her legs? Move her arms too or move her legs in various ways.  Always throw and catch her up in the air?  Try swinging her from side to side instead.