Whether or not your baby knows that the face in the mirror is his, he still loves to look--and not just because he's so cute. "In front of a mirror, everything you do gets an immediate response," says Diane Bales, Ph.D., a human-development specialist at the University of Georgia, in Athens. "When you move, the person in the mirror moves, too." Some get-to-know-myself games that'll amuse even the crankiest kid:

Hold your baby in front of a mirror and drop a scarf over his head. When he tugs it off, he'll be staring at his face. Peekaboo!
Make faces with your 6-month-old in front of a mirror. He may mimic your expressions--then mimic his own.
Dab a spot of lipstick on your 11-month-old's cheek. If he rubs his cheek in front of the mirror, he knows exactly who's looking back at him.

CLOSE PRINT

Can your baby see her reflection? Ways to play in front of the mirror By Melody Warnick, Parenting Whether or not your baby knows that the face in the mirror is his, he still loves to look--and not just because he's so cute. "In front of a mirror, everything you do gets an immediate response," says Diane Bales, Ph.D., a human-development specialist at the University of Georgia, in Athens. "When you move, the person in the mirror moves, too." Some get-to-know-myself games that'll amuse even the crankiest kid: Hold your baby in front of a mirror and drop a scarf over his head. When he tugs it off, he'll be staring at his face. Peekaboo! Make faces with your 6-month-old in front of a mirror. He may mimic your expressions--then mimic his own. Dab a spot of lipstick on your 11-month-old's cheek. If he rubs his cheek in front of the mirror, he knows exactly who's looking back at him.