Provide opportunities for uninterrupted playtime and discovery. Sometimes, it is good to take a step back and let your baby work things out independently. You can still support your baby's learning by describing your baby's actions. For example, "That red pot makes a big clanging noise when you bang it!"
Studies have shown that mothers can scaffold or support their young children’s development through explicit verbal direction, and verbal and nonverbal behaviours that sustain children’s focus on things of interest. Dunham, P. J., & Dunham, F. (1995). Optimal social structures and adaptive infant development. In Moore, C. & Dunham, P. J. (Eds.), Joint attention: Its origins and role in development (pp. 159–188). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Landry, S. H., Garner, P. W., Swank, P. R., & Baldwin, C. D. (1996). Effects of maternal scaffolding during joint toy play with preterm and full-term infants. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 42(2), 177–199.
Toys of contrasting colours fascinate babies and stimulate their developing vision. As they grow, babies use toys to explore object permanence and cause-and effect-relationships.