Early On Michigan

Sensory Play: Little Hands, Big Learning

Your baby splashes water, your toddler squishes playdough, or your child runs their fingers through a bowl of dry pasta, and it may look like simple mess-making—but their brains are busy learning. Sensory play involves activities that engage one or more senses, including touch, sight, sound, smell, taste, balance, and body awareness. These experiences help young children explore their environment while building skills in attention, coordination, communication, problem-solving, and regulation.

At 6 months, try a shallow tray with a small amount of water, a textured baby-safe ball, or a crinkly fabric book while your baby explores with their hands and eyes.

Around 1 year, offer stacking cups, water scooping, large pieces of soft food during supervised mealtimes, or a container filled with safe household objects to touch and explore.

At 2 years, try playdough, washable finger paint, water pouring, large dry sponges, or a simple sensory bin with age-appropriate materials and close supervision.

By 3 years, children can explore more complex sensory activities such as kinetic sand, homemade slime alternatives, nature collections, simple cooking activities, or sensory bins with scoops and containers.

Follow your child's interests, let them explore at their own pace, and remember that sensory play does not need to be complicated or expensive to be meaningful. A little mess can create a whole lot of learning!



Image credit: Learn With Taimoor

Supporting a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Child with ASL

When a child is deaf or hard of hearing, families may suddenly find themselves learning a whole new world of communication, and an American Sign Language (ASL) specialist can be an important part of that journey. The process often begins by learning about the child’s hearing, communication preferences, strengths, and the family’s goals for connection and language development. An ASL specialist may visit the family’s home or another familiar setting, observe how the child communicates, and model ways to incorporate ASL naturally into everyday routines.

For a baby, that might mean learning signs during feeding, diaper changes, play, and bedtime rather than waiting for a formal “lesson.” As the child grows, the specialist may help parents learn more signs, build vocabulary, use facial expressions and visual attention, and create opportunities for back-and-forth communication. Families may also be connected with other professionals and resources so communication support can grow alongside the child’s developmental needs.

Parents do not need to know ASL before beginning—learning alongside your child can become a beautiful part of the relationship. The goal is not simply teaching signs; it is giving the child consistent, accessible language so they can express wants, feelings, ideas, questions, and experiences. Early communication support can help families build connection and give children meaningful opportunities to participate, learn, and be understood.

What Is Your Anger Trying to Tell You?

Sometimes anger shows up after a long day of giving, giving, giving, until one more small thing feels like the final straw. Anger is often a signal that something inside us needs attention—it may point toward an unmet need, a crossed boundary, exhaustion, feeling unheard, or simply needing more space and support. Instead of judging yourself for feeling angry, try getting curious and asking, “What is my anger trying to tell me?”

Maybe you need rest, food, connection, quiet, help, respect, time alone, or permission to say no. Once you understand the need underneath the anger, you can choose a healthier response, such as taking a walk, shaking out your hands, dancing, journaling, crying, talking with someone you trust, or taking several slow breaths. You can also release physical tension by stretching, exercising, squeezing a pillow, or stepping into a quiet space until your body feels more settled.

Healthy anger does not mean pretending you are not upset or directing your anger at another person—it means creating enough space to feel the emotion without letting it make every decision for you. When we learn to listen to our anger instead of fearing it, it can become information that helps us protect our boundaries, recognize our needs, and make meaningful changes.



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Don’t Forget the Early On Gear Pop-Up Shop!

Heading to the Early On Conference? Don’t forget to check out the Early On Gear Pop-Up Shop and grab some gear to show your Early On pride! From shirts and sweatshirts to mugs and lunch boxes, there’s something for everyone who wants to represent the Early On community.

Ordering ahead means your items will be ready and waiting for you to pick up at the conference. Wear your Early On gear and celebrate the incredible community of people who support Michigan’s youngest learners and their families.

Place your order now, then pick it up at the conference! We can’t wait to see you there—and see you in your Early On gear!

Check out the shop and place order here: https://completesourceshop.com/earlyon/shop/home

Who Takes Care of the Mother After Birth?

A new baby arrives, everyone wants to see the baby, hold the baby, and ask how the baby is doing—but who is checking on the mother? Across cultures, postpartum traditions have often recognized that a mother needs care, rest, nourishment, and community while she recovers and learns her new role. In China, the tradition of zuo yuezi (“sitting the month”) centers on rest, nourishing foods, and receiving help with household and infant responsibilities during the postpartum period.

In parts of India, jaappa traditions may involve extended family helping with cooking, household tasks, infant care, and traditional foods intended to support the mother’s recovery. In Mexico and other parts of Latin America, la cuarentena has traditionally emphasized a period of rest, recovery, family support, and reduced responsibilities after birth, although practices vary widely between families and communities. In some communities around the world, postpartum care also includes extended family or community members preparing meals, caring for older children, helping with household work, and making sure the new mother is not left to do everything herself.

You do not have to follow a particular cultural tradition to bring that same spirit of care into a new mother’s life. Instead of saying, “Let me know if you need anything,” try bringing dinner, doing the dishes, holding the baby while she showers, entertaining older children, or simply sitting beside her and listening. Caring for a newborn is important, but caring for the person who just gave birth is part of caring for the whole family.



Image credit: Pregnancy Guide

MDE RDHH provides consultation, training, and resources to families and educational teams serving students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH).

MDE RDHH’s vision is to foster equitable access to a quality education for all students who are DHH.

Our services include:

Workshops and events for families and educators
DHH character books
DHH reading kits
Professional development materials and guides for educators

Find more here: rdhh.org

DB Central: Michigan's Training and Resource Project

Stimming: When the Body Finds Its Own Way to Regulate

Maybe your child rocks back and forth when they are excited, hums while playing, flaps their hands when something is wonderful, or repeatedly spins the wheels on a toy—and you wonder, “Why do they do that?” Stimming, short for self-stimulatory behavior, refers to repetitive movements, sounds, or actions that can provide sensory input, help with regulation, express emotions, or simply feel enjoyable. Stimming is common among autistic children, but many children and adults stim in different ways.

A child might move by rocking, jumping, pacing, spinning, hand-flapping, or bouncing their body. They might use sound by humming, repeating words or phrases, making noises, singing, or tapping objects, while another child may seek visual input by watching spinning objects, moving their fingers in front of their eyes, or looking at lights. Some children seek touch or movement through rubbing fabrics, squeezing objects, chewing safe items, crashing into cushions, or repeatedly swinging.

Stimming can happen when a child is excited, overwhelmed, anxious, focused, tired, or simply enjoying a particular sensory experience. Rather than automatically trying to stop a stim, take a moment to ask what it might be communicating and whether your child is safe and comfortable. When a behavior is harmless, allowing a child to stim can be an important part of respecting how their body regulates and experiences the world.



Image credit: .neurodiversity

💙✨ Celebrating milestones isn't about being perfect. It's about paying attention. ✨💙

Over the past few months, we've explored developmental milestones, parenting tips, and tools designed to support families and providers. But at the heart of it all is something much simpler:

Being present.

Noticing new skills. Celebrating small victories. Asking questions when concerns arise. And taking time to connect with the children in your life. 🌱

Because developmental monitoring isn't about having all the answers. It's about paying attention to how children grow, learn, and experience the world around them.

And the good news? You don't have to do it alone. 💙

👉 Explore free LTSAE resources at https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/index.html

Those Tiny Newborn Reflexes Are Amazing

You touch your newborn’s cheek and suddenly their little mouth turns toward you, or a loud sound makes their arms quickly stretch outward—these movements may look surprising, but they are actually built-in reflexes. A reflex is an automatic movement or response that happens without a baby consciously deciding to do it. Newborns are born with several reflexes because their developing nervous system is already equipped with these basic protective and survival responses.

The rooting reflex helps a baby turn toward a touch on their cheek and find the breast or bottle, while the sucking reflex helps them feed once something touches the roof of their mouth. The Moro reflex, often called the startle reflex, may cause a baby to throw out their arms, open their hands, and then bring their arms back toward their body when they feel startled. The grasp reflex causes those tiny fingers to curl around an object placed in their palm, and the stepping reflex may make a newborn appear to take little steps when held upright with their feet touching a firm surface.

These reflexes are important clues about how a newborn’s nervous system is functioning and typically become less noticeable as the brain and voluntary motor skills develop. Watching your baby’s reflexes can be fascinating, but remember that each baby develops at their own pace, and questions about reflexes or concerns about your baby’s movements are always worth discussing with their healthcare provider. Those tiny automatic movements are one of the incredible ways your newborn arrives already prepared to begin navigating the world.



Image credit: Pregnancy Guide

6 Stages of Play: From Baby to Big Kid

Play develops in stages, and each stage helps children build important skills for communication, social connection, problem-solving, and independence.

1. Unoccupied Play | Birth–3 months: Your baby may move their arms, kick their legs, stare at their hands, or make random movements while exploring their body and surroundings; for example, a newborn lying on a blanket may wiggle and watch their fingers.

2. Solitary Play | Around 3 months–2 years: Your child plays independently and may be completely content exploring a toy without needing another child; for example, a toddler might sit with blocks and build their own tower.

3. Spectator/Onlooker Play | Around 2 years: Your child watches other children play without necessarily joining in, learning by observing what others are doing; for example, a toddler may watch another child roll a ball back and forth and show interest without participating.

4. Parallel Play | Around 2½–3 years: Children play alongside one another with similar toys but may not yet truly play together; for example, two toddlers may sit next to each other, each building their own block tower.

5. Associative Play | Around 3–4 years: Children begin interacting, sharing materials, talking, and copying one another while still following their own ideas; for example, several children may use the same play kitchen and talk about the food they are making without creating one shared storyline.

6. Cooperative Play | Around 4+ years: Children begin working together toward a shared goal, taking on roles, solving problems, and creating more organized games; for example, children might pretend to run a restaurant, deciding who will be the cook, customer, and server.

Remember, these age ranges are general guidelines, not deadlines, and children may move back and forth between different types of play depending on their age, personality, environment, and experience.



Image credit: Pathways.org