After each of my baby storytimes, I include a Discovery Time free-play session that encourages parents to talk to one another and to interact with their children. I include a variety of fine motor, gross motor, and sensory activities that appeal to 0-2-year-olds.
Once a baby’s vision develops, they love to look at faces, including their own. Starting around nine months of age, babies will begin to recognize their own reflection in a mirror. A great way to test this is to put a sticker on a mirror. If the baby tries to wipe their own face after looking in the mirror and seeing the sticker, they recognize that they are seeing themselves and not looking at a picture.
Baby-safe mirrors provide fantastic ways for parents and little ones to interact, from adults copying little one’s facial expressions to working together to identify basic body parts. With large mirrors, babies can sit in front of them while a parent moves an object behind the baby, helping the baby practice visual tracking with their eyes.
We currently don’t have enough mirrors to use these as storytime manipulatives, but I do put out our small collection during baby play time for mirror play. While mirrors are not as large as some of our other toys, babies are still fascinated by them, particularly once they catch a glimpse of their own reflection.
Recommended Mirror Play Purchases
Price: $36 for 6 mirrors
Consider your audience size when determining how many mirrors you want to purchase, especially if you are also using these as manipulatives in storytimes. There are many fantastic mirror rhymes for during storytimes.
Possible Extension Purchases:
Personally, I prefer mirrors that do not have to be affixed to a wall, as these can easily be packed up after baby play, eliminating a distraction during storytimes and programs for older children.
Conversation Starters
Start conversations as babies play with this tool by asking questions like:
- What do you see in the mirror?
- Can you find your eyes in the mirror?
- What does the toy look like in the mirror?
- What happens when the light bounces off the mirror?
Stretch Vocabulary
When talking with little ones, use big words and small words. The more new words a child hears, the larger their vocabulary will be when they start to learn to read.
Consider using some of the following vocabulary words when using this activity:
Body
Cheeks
Chin
Ear
Eyelashes
Eyes
Face
Hair
Head
Lips
Look
Mirror
Nose
Nostril
Reflection
Shoulders
Teeth
Watch