You probably already know and use simple hand signs when interacting with your little explorer. You wave goodbye, point to an object, or place your finger on your lips to signal "quiet." baby sign language allows you to represent concepts visually and playfully, supporting your baby's language development. With simple gestures, you can communicate quickly and effortlessly with each other, even before your child is able to speak.
What are baby signs?
Baby Sign Language, also called Baby Signs, supports spoken language with gestures or signs. You can teach the signs by showing them to your baby in everyday situations (for example, during eating, playing, or reading aloud) alongside the spoken word.
The term "Baby Signing" originates from the English-speaking world and is known as "Baby Signs" in the USA, the UK, and other Western countries. Only in recent years has this approach also arrived in Germany. This early childhood education concept is intended for all parents, educators, or caregivers of hearing babies at all stages of development.
The goal is to enable early communication between parents and their children and to make everyday life easier. Especially in the first years of life, before your baby can speak properly, baby sign language helps your baby express themselves in a very concrete way and communicate their needs early on.
Example: Is it time for a nap, or do you notice that your baby is getting tired? Then ask your child, “Wanna SLEEP now?” and simultaneously show the sign for sleep: place your flat hand on your cheek, tilt your head slightly to the side, and close your eyes.
When can I start with baby sign language?
There is no fixed rule that dictates when you can or should start with baby sign language. However, if you want to support holistic communication, you can begin integrating signs into everyday life as early as infancy, because at this stage babies are already able to understand the meaning of signs. Between the seventh and tenth month, your baby's motor skills are developed enough that they can also perform baby signs themselves. But even if your toddler has already spoken their first words, you can still start using baby sign language at around 1.5 years old, since speech development is not typically completed until at least age 4.
Learning spoken language and sign language happens simultaneously. Because baby signs are used in combination with spoken words, any concern that your little explorer might not learn spoken language because they can also express themselves in another way is unfounded.
Baby Sign Language as early learning support and fun factor
Gestures help babies significantly expand their communication options. This allows your baby to express their needs, wishes, and feelings earlier and in more detail, so they often feel better understood. Your child can explain their world more independently and share their thoughts with you; through clear messages, they show what they want to have or do. In addition, baby gestures support language development and provide a lifelong foundation for acceptance and inclusion.
And last but not least, learning sign language can simply be fun for you and your little explorer! Fun and repetition are among the easiest and most reliable ways to teach your baby something. A relaxed environment where your baby feels comfortable—free from fear and stress—boosts learning success. When you have fun, you learn more easily, and that applies to both of you. It also strengthens your bond. Working on something together, achieving something together, and enjoying it together is also a form of relationship-building.
