By Claudia Novo Castellví, Lady Play at ByBa

Your baby learns by creating — literally

During the first years, your baby isn’t simply responding to stimuli:
They’re building a theory of the world, one tiny experiment at a time.

Every object they touch, bite or shake is part of their creative research.
Every repeated action —dropping, squeezing, shaking, banging— is a hypothesis being tested.

They aren’t “just playing.”
They’re exploring, comparing, imagining possibilities… and wiring new neural pathways.

At this age (0 to 2), thinking is deeply connected to the body and senses.
They learn through hands, mouth, and movement.
Everything is creative investigation.

Creativity is the operating system of learning

For a baby, creativity isn’t drawing or storytelling.
It’s the ability to discover how the universe works.

Every repetition is early science in action:
“What happens if I do it again?”
“What if I do it harder?”
“What if I try with something else?”

They’re not seeking results —
They’re seeking patterns, relationships, effects, possibilities.

This is creativity in its most primal and powerful form:
curiosity shaping the brain.

Activities that support creative learning

1. Sensory exploration tray

Offer safe objects with different textures, sizes and sounds:
a sponge, wooden spoon, soft ball, metal lid.

Your baby will explore freely:
pressing, shaking, comparing.

Your presence is the real scaffolding.

2. Cause-and-effect play

Give materials that respond to their actions:
a rattle, falling blocks, nesting or stacking cups.

Repetition is not boredom —
it’s creative investigation.

3. Water exploration

A bowl of water, spoons, cups, sponges.
Your baby will discover:
“Squeeze → water comes out.”
“Hit → splash.”
“Pour → movement.”

It’s intuitive physics, experienced creatively.

The Creative Family Takeaway

Your baby doesn’t learn by copying:
they learn by creating.
Every gesture, repetition and discovery builds their thinking.
Supporting them with calm presence gives them permission to explore, compare, imagine and understand the world through their natural creative drive.