No, they are simply looking at themselves in the mirror and having fun. It is very fascinating for them to look at another baby to interact with. 

Mirror play is an opportunity to talk with your baby, laugh, and enjoy some time together to continue building a strong connection.

That being said, it also supports child’s healthy development and learning. Using a mirror during tummy time keeps the baby entertained and gives them an interactive way to develop their muscles and physical abilities, as they expand language skills. For example, even before they can use words, you can point out parts of their face and have little back-and-forth conversations. Any opportunity for conversation is great for the little one to learn language. 

Mirror play also allows to nurture a child's developing self-awareness, which is a key part of their overall social-emotional development.Eventually, they will learn they are seeing their own face and start to recognize their reflection.

Baby Play With Mirrors 

Begin by locating an unbreakable mirror or a mirror that is safely and securely anchored.

Position your baby in front of the mirror so that he can see both his reflection and your reflection.

Ask your baby to point to his nose, hair, eyes, etc. If he needs help, you can point to your own nose or point to his nose until he grasps the concept. 

This exercise helps the baby learn the names of his body parts that he may not otherwise be able to see.

Work on imitation skills, by making funny faces in the mirror and asking him to do the same (wrinkle nose, stick out tongue, widen eyes, etc). There are few things cuter than a baby who is trying to mimic you, and there are sure to be many giggles during this activity. 

Use favorite toys to perform sort of a "puppet show" in front of the mirror. Invite him to join you in the play, to see if he understands the relationship between himself and the mirror.

Vignette: Sam was seated in front of a huge mirror door along with some toys. Him and his mom began by looking at the mirror and wondering who they see. Next they point the different body parts on each of them. Later mom allows her little one to explore the mirror on his own. He looks at himself in the mirror and then his mom alternating for a while. Next, he crawls closer to the mirror and stretches his hand to his reflection in the mirror. 

Even before babies talk, their babbling helps to develop the neural pathways necessary for listening and speaking. Infants who hear language directed and responsive to them, babble more and have larger vocabularies as toddlers. When they hear and see others singing as a part of daily life, young children quickly pick up the habit, using sound to explore new ways to understand or describe the world around them.

Vignette: Listening to songs 

‘Sam enjoys signing and signing along with his mother during his playtime. Mom plays songs in different languages to help him introduce new vocabulary in different languages. His mother also attempts to sign the words and perform different actions to the words to introduce him to American sign language, gain his attention and help motor development. 

Children’s language development and creativity are vastly improved by the power of music and the pleasing effect it evokes. It ignites different areas of child development and skills for school readiness, including intellectual, social-emotional, motor, language, and overall literacy. Additionally, it helps the body and the mind work together. Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words. Through music, they can invent games, songs or stories to help them harness their feelings. 

Understanding the significance of Music, it is no surprise that music helps parents/ caregivers to express joy, and to engage or calm their children. It also helps in building intimacy.

Simultaneously, allowing children to choose their favourite songs and singing along with them, enhances their experience. Like language development, toddlers develop their musical skills through imitating and memorising rhythms and tones of songs such as clapping to a beat and singing in tune. Some ways we can expose children to music include but are not limited to singing and sign to your baby, encourage making noise, introduce your favorite playlist, find your old instruments, offer a wooden musical toy, try an activity toy, Engage in interactive play.