Your baby is beginning to understand that things fall out of a tube and stay put in a container, a concept they’ll be increasingly interested in well after they turn one.

A research study proved that babies who played with tubes and containers had a more advanced understanding of when something will stay inside of something else. In the study, 14-month-old babies were given a chance to explore the difference between blocks being dropped into a tube (the blocks fall out) and blocks dropped into a closed can (the blocks stay in). The 14-month-olds given tubes had the same understanding of containment as 21-month-olds who were given only containers.

HERE ARE SOME FUN WAYS TO PLAY WITH A CLEAR TUBE:

• Tape the Clear Tube to the wall and have your baby reach while sitting (or stand with support), and drop the ball through the tube into the Treasure Basket below.
• Show your baby how a ball goes into and then falls out of the tube. Have them pick up the ball and do it again.
• Tilt the tube on a pillow and have your baby put the ball into it. Your baby will see it roll down the incline, like a slide, and fall out.
• The tube and floating ball are fun in the bathtub, too!