Why Sensorimotor Toys Help Babies Learn
Explore how early play and age-appropriate toys build brain connections and support development through the sensorimotor stage.
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Infant Toddler Temperament Tool (IT³)
Understanding your baby's unique temperament can transform your parenting journey.
Discover how your natural styles work together for a better "goodness of fit."
1
Activity Level
How much physical movement your child typically shows during both play and routine activities like diaper changes or bedtime.
Highly Active Less Active
2
Distractibility
How easily your child's attention shifts from what they're doing when new sights or sounds appear in their environment.
Easily Distracted More Focused
3
Intensity
The energy level of your child's emotional responses—whether they react with big emotions (laughs or cries) or with more subtle, measured responses.
Intense Relaxed
4
Regularity
How predictable your child's biological functions are, such as hunger, sleep, and elimination patterns from day to day.
Highly Regular Spontaneous
5
Sensitivity
How sensitive your child is to physical stimuli like light, sound, and texture—whether small changes are very noticeable or barely register.
Highly Sensitive Less Sensitive
6
Approachability
Your child's initial response to new people, places, or things—whether they naturally approach new experiences or prefer to observe first.
Highly Approachable Cautious
7
Adaptability
How easily your child adjusts to changes and transitions in routines, environments, or caregivers without becoming upset.
Highly Adaptable Less Adaptable
8
Persistence
How long your child continues with activities when faced with obstacles—whether they keep trying or move on to something else.
Highly Persistent Less Persistent
9
Mood
Your child's general emotional disposition—whether they tend to approach life with a generally positive outlook or a more serious, analytical perspective.
Positive Mood Serious Mood
Ready to discover how your temperament matches with your baby's?
Let's Find Your Temperament Match
For each trait, select what best describes you and your infant (birth to 18 months). You'll receive personalized recommendations based on your unique parent-child combination.
1
Activity Level
How much physical movement you typically engage in - from energetic and always on the go to preferring calmer, less active pursuits.
I am:
My infant is:
Parent-Baby Pairings:
If you both are highly active:
Enjoy scooting, crawling, walking, running and climbing inside and outside with your child. Make sure that you and your child both take time for rest. Help your child learn to take a break by modeling the signs of feeling tired.
If you both are less active:
Enjoy cozying up on the couch or in a chair with a book or soothing music. Establish brief and consistent times during the day for physical activity. This will help you and your child feel ready to get moving.
If you are highly active and your infant is less active:
Provide your child with time on his/her tummy to help promote muscle development. Let your child observe what is going on around him/her as you narrate. Listen to music and rock gently with your child.
If you are less active and your infant is highly active:
Crumple paper that makes sound and roll it back and forth to your child. Create obstacle courses with pillows and blankets. Play simple games like "Peekaboo." Provide outdoor time for crawling or walking.
2
Distractibility
How easily your attention shifts from what you're doing - from highly focused to easily pulled away by new sights and sounds.
I am:
My infant is:
Parent-Baby Pairings:
If you both are easily distracted:
Create a daily schedule and review it with your child. Try to limit distractions while spending time with your child. Help your child learn to recognize the signs of becoming overstimulated.
If you both are more focused:
Take pleasure in your chance to have uninterrupted time with each other. When making plans, use advance warnings about transitions and changes in your schedule.
If you are easily distracted and your infant is more focused:
Check in regularly with your child even if he/she is playing contentedly. Take time to engage in floor play with your child. Allow your child enough time with activities they enjoy.
If you are more focused and your infant is easily distracted:
Acknowledge your child's feelings during challenging times. Offer comfort by rocking, holding close, or rubbing his/her back. Anticipate discomfort by changing diapers routinely. Turn off the radio, television, and bright lights during feeding times.
3
Intensity
How strongly you express emotions - from big, dramatic reactions to more subtle, measured responses.
I am:
My infant is:
Parent-Baby Pairings:
If you both have intense personalities:
Enjoy sharing big smiles and laughter while recognizing your child's similarly big frowns and tears. Help your child learn to accept his/her big feelings by providing descriptions of those feelings as well as ways to calm down.
If you both have relaxed personalities:
Consider practicing, identifying, and labeling emotions with your child, so that he/she can recognize and accept his/her own and others' emotions. Take time to explain to your child what others may be feeling.
If you have an intense personality and your infant is relaxed:
Label your child's emotions to help match a word to the feeling. Use a soft and slow voice when talking with your child. Gradually increase your voice volume and facial expressions, taking care not to overwhelm him/her.
If you have a relaxed personality and your infant is intense:
Label your child's emotions to begin teaching a word for a feeling. Tone down the environment using soft lighting and music. Remain calm by taking deep breaths and remember that your child's intense reactions are their way of communicating.
4
Regularity
How predictable your natural rhythms are - from having consistent patterns for eating and sleeping to being more variable day-to-day.
I am:
My infant is:
Parent-Baby Pairings:
If you both are highly regular:
Follow your instincts of maintaining a consistent and predictable routine. Share your child's preferred daily routine with others who care for him/her. Help your child learn to feel comfortable with unplanned interruptions.
If you both are more spontaneous:
Enjoy the spontaneity of the day. Be prepared for change as you plan for the day. If your child gets tired a little earlier, go with it and make time to rest.
If you are highly regular and your infant is more spontaneous:
Watch for your child's sleep signs and monitor when they occur. Help establish a sleep routine that your child can anticipate. Consider "feeding on demand" when your child is hungry, and slowly introduce a schedule.
If you are more spontaneous and your infant is highly regular:
Respect your child's sleeping and eating schedule. Try to allow him/her to take at least one nap per day in his/her own bed. Establish a daily sleeping and eating routine and try to maintain this routine even when you are not in your own environment.
5
Sensitivity
How you respond to sensory information - from being highly sensitive to lights, sounds, textures to barely noticing these things.
I am:
My infant is:
Parent-Baby Pairings:
If you both are highly sensitive:
Enjoy quiet cozy moments together. When in louder or brighter environments than you both enjoy, help your child adjust by finding a quiet space. Provide soft clothing and textures for your child.
If you both are less sensitive:
Have fun singing loudly and dancing to music together. Provide activities using sand, water, sandpaper, or feathers. Label these experiences for your child. Take time to notice when sensory input becomes too much.
If you are highly sensitive and your infant is less sensitive:
Use brightly colored toys to stimulate your child's senses. Dance or gently rock your child while holding him/her. Feed him/her high-taste purees/foods. Encourage exploration of different textures.
If you are less sensitive and your infant is highly sensitive:
Turn off the television, radio, or music when it's too stimulating. Place soap suds on the bathtub or water table wall to allow sensory exploration in a safe place. Respond gently and as soon as possible when your child communicates discomfort.
6
Approachability
How you initially respond to new situations - from jumping right in to preferring to observe first.
I am:
My infant is:
Parent-Baby Pairings:
If you both are highly approachable:
Share the pleasure with your child as you take on new adventures and outings to museums, playgroups, parks, or the zoo. Be close by to help your child learn to interact with children who might be less open to new people.
If you both are less approachable:
Your child might prefer individual interactions or small gatherings. Plan for these types of experiences versus larger group gatherings. Take time to talk to your child about new situations as you remain his/her safe base.
If you are highly approachable and your infant is less approachable:
When introducing your child to a new person, talk with positive facial expressions to the new person before introducing him/her to your child. Allow your child extra time to be close to you. Describe your actions and what you will be doing in new situations.
If you are less approachable and your infant is highly approachable:
Provide words for your child's actions by saying things like "You are saying hello!" or "You like to visit with people!" Allow your child to explore new things while staying close by for safe support. Offer a variety of new experiences.
7
Adaptability
How easily you adjust to changes and transitions - from being flexible to preferring consistency.
I am:
My infant is:
Parent-Baby Pairings:
If you both are highly adaptable:
Your child will probably find it easy to try new situations and won't feel caught off guard during transitions or disruptions in routine. Continue to use words to narrate when change will occur. Keep an eye out for cues that your child has had enough changes.
If you both are less adaptable:
Follow your instinct of taking new situations, people, and transitions slowly, with advance preparation and adequate time. When you have to do something new that doesn't feel good, explain that you feel nervous or uncomfortable, and describe how you might help yourself.
If you are highly adaptable and your infant is less adaptable:
When introducing your child to new activities or people, do it gradually. Imagine each new activity is like a swimming pool, and break it down so your child can first "dip" his/her toes, then "submerge" his/her legs, and finally "dunk" his/her body.
If you are less adaptable and your infant is highly adaptable:
Allow your child to explore new situations by letting him/her walk or crawl, touch, and smell. Offer a variety of new experiences, including new activities, textures, sights, and sounds, to reinforce your child's curiosity. Describe your child's actions, which communicates that he/she is doing something great.
8
Persistence
How long you stick with challenging activities - from highly persistent to preferring to move on when things get difficult.
I am:
My infant is:
Parent-Baby Pairings:
If you both are highly persistent:
Have fun providing a range of activities and new objects and take delight watching all the ways your child explores and interacts with his/her surroundings. Describe this feeling for your child and consider praising his/her efforts rather than the final product.
If you both are less persistent:
Break new and challenging activities into smaller parts, and praise your child for his/her efforts. Help your child learn how to recognize when he/she is beginning to feel frustrated and what he/she could do to feel better. Make sure your home is childproofed so your child can explore safely.
If you are highly persistent and your infant is less persistent:
Observe and label the beginning signs of your child's frustration. Quickly respond with gentle support such as holding and talking calmly. Structure an interaction with a toy by providing fewer parts. Give your child frequent breaks from an activity.
If you are less persistent and your infant is highly persistent:
Praise your child's effort rather than the outcome. Provide a variety of new activities, sights, and sounds for your child to engage with. Allow your child to stick with activities that interest them for extended periods.
9
Mood
Your general emotional outlook - from naturally upbeat and positive to more serious and thoughtful.
I am:
My infant is:
Parent-Baby Pairings:
If you both have a positive mood:
Take delight sharing a giggle or belly laugh at the world around you. Describe your child's happy feelings as you experience these moments together. Play fun games throughout the day such as hide-and-seek and "Peekaboo."
If you both have a serious mood:
Your child may like choices. As he/she gets older, allow choices for daily routines such as which story to read together. Give straightforward information about day-to-day happenings. Recognize that being thoughtful or serious does not mean being angry.
If you have a positive mood and your infant has a serious mood:
Spend face-to-face time with your child. Show him/her exaggerated positive facial expressions and notice which ones make him/her change his/her facial expression, even if the change is very subtle. Continue to offer those facial expressions, and label the emotions you are demonstrating.
If you have a serious mood and your infant has a positive mood:
Spend lots of face-to-face time with your child. Show him/her exaggerated positive facial expressions and notice which expressions make him/her smile. Label the positive emotion of happiness for him/her. Connect words with feelings. Play simple games like "Peekaboo" that engage your child.
Understanding "Goodness of Fit"
Each caregiver has their own unique temperament, just like each child. The compatibility between adult and child temperaments is called "goodness of fit." This doesn't mean your temperaments have to match perfectly! It's about understanding your differences and adapting your caregiving approach to support your child's natural tendencies.
By recognizing both your own and your child's temperament traits, you
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