Copycat Chat

What you need

• a chair or the floor, sitting face to face

How to do it

1. Sit face to face, close enough that they can see your mouth.
2. Wait for them to make a sound, any sound: a "ba", a "da" or a squeal.
3. Say the same sound straight back, with the same tune, then stop and wait.
4. When they answer, copy that one too, and keep the chat going back and forth for as long as they like.

Why it matters

Taking turns with sounds is the shape of a conversation, and hearing their own babble come back tells them you are listening.

What they're learning

Taking turns

Their sound, then yours, then theirs: the back and forth of every chat.

Listening

Hearing their own sound come back makes them tune in to yours.

Mouth sounds

Playing with "ba" and "da" works the lips and tongue they talk with.

What to look for

Watch for them making a sound, then pausing and looking at you, waiting for your turn.

A tip

Leave a longer gap than feels natural. The pause is their turn to talk. Turn off music and screens first, so your voice is the one they hear.

More like this

Farm Song With Toys from 18 months · 5-10 min Under the Blanket from 15 months · 5 min Cushion Story Nest from 14 months · 25-40 min Window Bird Watch from 12 months · 5-10 min