12+ months

• Before turning the toy on, show your infant the different animals and help your baby name them - it's likely they have come across these animals in other toys and picture books, if not, introduce them.  
• Turn the switch to the animal sounds function and talk about the different sounds the animals make - let your infant press the animals and hear their noises. Encourage and join in with lots of quacking and mooing! 
• Show your baby how to switch the button to the musical function. Encourage sing-a-longs to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star",  "Pop goes the Weasel", "The Farmer Wants a Wife" and "Old Macdonald had a Farm". Use "old Macdonald as an opportunity to reinforce animal names and sounds. 
• Remove the shapes from the base and encourage your infant to put them back in the right place. 
• Reinforce colour and shape vocabulary. 
• Don't forget to show your infant the activities on the reverse side of the board. Encourage him or her to look and talk about their reflection, move the abacus pieces and twist the dials. 
• Show your infant how he or she can carry their toy by it's handle. 
• There are so many different functions to this toy that it provides a great opportunity to talk to your toddler about a multitude of features. Remember repetition and reinforcement will help your child become familiar with basic concepts. Don't talk at your child, but rather with them - give them the opportunity to converse with you, even if their words are not yet understandable. 

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