As your baby grows and reaches physical milestones, he's also making cognitive strides. While he's beginning to grasp the art of sitting up, he's also learning more about the people and objects that make up his world. Providing a rich environment is important for your baby's development. The more you encourage him to experiment in the world, the faster his understanding will develop.
Exploration
Babies this age are interested in learning more about anything within reach, and will grab at nearby objects to examine them further -- usually by putting them in their mouths. Your baby will turn her head to look at interesting things, including bright lights and loud sounds. By 4 or 5 months of age, babies understand the basics of cause and effect, and you'll notice that your child continues to experiment through 6 months. Once she realizes that her rattle makes a sound when she shakes it, for example, she'll start shaking other objects to see if they make noise, or dropping them from her high chair to hear the sounds they make when they hit the floor.
Recognition and Interaction
At 6 months, your baby is already starting to develop his interaction and social skills. He can recognize his parents, and may act afraid around unfamiliar people. He'll repeat certain actions if he likes the reaction he gets from you. For example, if your family cheers when your child claps, he may clap again to see if he can get the same response. He'll try to imitate others, turn to look when they're talking and "speak" with babbling vocalizations of his own.
Understanding Objects
This is the age where your baby will get endless entertainment from throwing her spoon on the floor and watching you stoop to pick it up. For the first time, she understands that the spoon isn't gone once she throws it, and that she has the power to affect the world around her. Babies understand that inanimate objects, like toys, don't move independently. They need an outside force to put them in motion. Your baby will start to develop the concept of object permanence -- that objects out of sight aren't gone for good, but only hidden from view. For example, if you hide a toy under a bucket, your child will reach out to try to retrieve it. Some children develop this understanding as early as 4 months, while others don't hit this marker until 9 months.
Activities to Try
To help your baby develop, give him things he can experiment with: objects of different colors, textures and sizes that can't be broken or swallowed. Peek-a-boo can help your child understand object permanence, while toys that make noise help babies grasp cause and effect. Try partially hiding one object under another to see if your baby reaches for it. If he does, completely hide the object next time. Respond to your baby when he babbles by smiling, laughing and talking back to him.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Developmental Milestones Record -- Six Months -- Overview
- Alberta Health Services: Growing Miracles -- Developmental Milestones, Three to Six Months
- Healthy Children: Ages and Stages -- Cognitive Development -- Four to Seven Months
- "Parents"; Activities to Enhance Your Child's Cognitive Development -- Six to Nine Months
- PBS: Thinking Skills
