Babies like to look at people’s faces, including their own, so sitting in front of a mirror can be very entertaining for your baby.
The games you play with your baby in front of a mirror will support their understanding of back and forth communication and taking turns, this is teaching them about how conversations work, and supporting their early language development.
It will also teach them about themselves, the expressions they make, how they move, and what they look like.
Mirror games:
- Try showing your baby their reflection in the mirror and ask: Who’s that?. Give them time to respond. They might pull a face or make a noise. Say their name and point to their reflection. Yes, it’s you!
- Point to your own reflection and say your name. You can do this often. It will help your baby learn your name and their name too.
- You could play 'peek-a-boo' in the mirror, moving your baby to the side and back again so their image disappears and reappears.
- Try pointing to your baby’s face and label their eyes, nose, ears, mouth. You can do the same on your face too. Encourage your baby to touch the body parts as you name them.
- Try sticking out your tongue, pulling a face, waving or clapping in the mirror to see if your baby copies you.
Pause often while you play to see how your baby is responding. Making sounds, smiling and copying are signs your baby is learning and having fun.
Good to know
These activities helps your baby develop their sense of the world and their body. Teaching them to imitate you when you make faces helps prepare them to imitate sounds when they start learning to talk.
