Watching your child grow and develop is an incredible, awe-inspiring experience. Crawling turns to walking and before you know it, you’re having conversations. Babies learn language by listening to the words you say, and these fun tips from Ask Dr. Sears will help your child develop speaking skills.

Word games are a cute way to interact with and speak to your baby. They mix words with action. One I remember from childhood is said while walking your fingers along your baby before tickling under their chin: “Here comes the little mousey, walking up to (name of baby)’s housey, catch the little mousey!”

Cues also help your baby develop memory. The article describes the “bump-heads” game as an example, where you say something and then do an action. Done repeatedly, your baby will begin to anticipate the action. In this case, moving his head forward after hearing the words even before you make a move.

For these and more tips, read the full article here: Helping Your Child’s Language Skills Develop