Once a baby’s vision begins to develop, they love to look at faces, even their own. You’ve probably already introduced your baby to mirrors, but a mirror toy is something they can explore on their own. Here’s a simple play activity that your baby is bound to love.
Baby Play With Mirrors
Use these tips to help your baby safely play with mirrors:
Development of Self-Awareness
Believe it or not, your baby won’t realize that he’s looking at his own reflection until somewhere around 9 months of age. To “test” to see if he’s got the concept, unbeknownst to him place a small sticker or spot of lipstick on his face. When he sits in front of the mirror, if he tries to wipe it off his own face and not the face of the baby in the mirror then he has it all figured out. This is a pretty significant milestone for babies and will be fascinating to watch the realization dawn on him when he finally makes the connection. Another way to test whether the baby knows his reflection: while he is looking in the mirror, put a toy or stuffed animal behind him. If he tries to reach for the reflection rather than reach behind him to grab the toy, he still is not aware that he and his reflection are one and the same.
