# Taking care of teddy

You feed or comb a plush toy, then it's their turn, and they discover that others have needs too.

To do with your toddler between 12 and 18 months. It works on: fine motor skills, language development and social awareness. You'll need: spoon, plush toys, comb and very small cup.

## What do I need?

- Spoon
- Plush toys
- Comb
- Very small cup

## How do I do it?

1. **Introduce the plush toy.** Sit with your little one and pick a plush toy and something to care for it with: a spoon, a comb or a very small cup. Introduce the toy as someone who needs help: “Look, the bear is hungry.”
2. **Go first.** Bring the spoon to the bear's mouth, slowly and where they can see it, with a “Yum, yum!” You can also comb it gently or give it a drink from the cup.
3. **Hand over the spoon.** Offer them the spoon: “Now you. Feed the bear.” The challenge is to bring it to the plush toy instead of sucking on it or banging with it.
4. **Cheer every try.** Let them try it on themselves first: they may comb their hair or put the spoon in their mouth. When they do it with the bear, cheer: “The bear's not hungry anymore!” If they lose interest, put the bear away for another time.

## What are they learning?

By copying you, they practice steering the spoon or comb toward someone else, not just toward themselves. As you play, they hear action words like eat, drink and comb. Caring for the bear helps them understand that others have needs too, which is where empathy begins.

- **Fine motor skills**: Guides the spoon or comb carefully toward the plush toy
- **Language development**: Hears action words like eat or comb and links them to each gesture
- **Social awareness**: Discovers that the bear gets hungry too and takes care of it

## What the research says

- Gerber RJ, Wilks T, Erdie-Lalena C. Developmental milestones: motor development. Pediatrics in Review. 2010;31(7):267-277. doi:10.1542/pir.31-7-267 (https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.31-7-267)
- Rochat P. Object manipulation and exploration in 2- to 5-month-old infants. Developmental Psychology. 1989;25(6):871-884. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.25.6.871 (https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.25.6.871)
- Goldstein MH, Schwade JA. Social feedback to infants' babbling facilitates rapid phonological learning. Psychological Science. 2008;19(5):515-523. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02117.x (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02117.x)
- Weisleder A, Fernald A. Talking to children matters: early language experience strengthens processing and builds vocabulary. Psychological Science. 2013;24(11):2143-2152. doi:10.1177/0956797613488145 (https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613488145)
- Markova G, Legerstee M. Contingency, imitation, and affect sharing: Foundations of infants’ social awareness. Developmental psychology. 2006;42(1):132-141
- Amanda Sheffield Morris, Amy C. Williamson. Building Early Social and Emotional Relationships with Infants and Toddlers : Integrating Research and Practice. Vol 1st ed. 2018. Springer; 2019.

Reviewed by Javier Atance Ibar, PhD in Education.

https://papakoala.com/en/activities/taking-care-of-teddy/