Sample Lessons
Cognitive Activities:
Introduction
General Points to remember about
Presenting Cognitive Activities
- As much as possible, use simple, everyday
materials.
- Use cognitive activities as opportunities
for the child to expand his/her ability
to focus and think.
- Include activities that encourage and
feed the child’s natural curiosity.
- Introduce problems that the child can
learn to solve on his/her own.
- Include motor activities that lay the
physical groundwork for developing later
mathematics, reading and writing skills.
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Summary of Cognitive Activities
for Infants
The following cognitive activities give the infant
opportunities to
- practice focusing on an object
- identify and match simple objects with
their parts
- create a tool
- track moving objects
- develop a concept of size and shape
- solve a problem
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 Cognitive
Activity 3: Matching Lids to Pots
Primary Goal
Developing problem-solving skills.
Secondary Goals
Developing fine motor skills and practicing spatial recognition;
laying the basis for practical life skills.
Material
Work mat.
Metal pot with a fitted lid. Choose a lid that has a small
knob or handle so that the infant can grip it easily.
Presentation
- This activity appeals particularly to the
abilities and interests of infants
6 –9 months old.
- Place the work mat between you and the infant,
then put the pot and its lid on the work mat.
- Make sure you have the infant's attention.
- Slowly and deliberately grasp the lid handle
and take the lid off the pot. Place the lid
on the work mat.
- Slowly and deliberately pick the lid up by
its handle and place the lid back on the pot.
Tap the lid a few times to make sure it is secure.
- Pause and smile at the infant.
- Invite the infant to take the lid off the
pot, saying, "Now you take the lid off."
Assist only if needed.
- As soon as the infant is focusing on putting
the lid on the pot and taking it off, leave
him/her to work undisturbed.
- When the infant has finished the activity,
take her/him with you while you put the
work mat and materials in their proper places.
This completes the activity.
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Extension 1
- When the infant has gained experience and
skill, add another pot and lid. (You may want
to carry two pots on a tray or in a basket.)
When you present the first pot in the activity,
present the lid that does not fit first. Turn
the lid this way and that before retuning it
to the mat. Repeat the motion with the correct
lid, before tapping it into place.
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Extension 2
- When the infant has gained experience
and skill, present a variety of lidded
containers. Examples: jar; glass food
container; shoe box; cylinder-shaped cardboard
cereal box; metal tins; different sizes
of pots with different kinds of lids.
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