Your Brilliant Baby in Week 45: Realizing Shapes Have Meanings

Let's say you're playing hide and seek with your baby. Put a large beach ball behind the curtain and hide yourself behind the sofa. If he's around nine-months old, he'll look for you behind the curtain; if he's approaching 12 months, he'll ignore the curtain and search for you elsewhere.

This is why the games of peek-a-boo and hide and seek continue to rank high on Baby's fun list. As Baby gets older, consider hiding a toy animal. Don't let your child know what animal you've hidden. Now make a mooing sound as the child searches for it. See joy on your child's face once she finds the cow. Next hide a horse but make a quacking noise. See disappointment on your child's face when she finds the horse, and notice if she keeps looking until she finds a duck. (Then, well, hide the rest of the barnyard, or reconsider your plans for the day.)

Your Week 45 Toolbox

Related skills and topics this week include …