When you bring your baby home from the hospital, they’ll spend most of their time sleeping, eating, and crying. Those are pretty much the only things they know how to do, and they are very good at them. Before you know it, your baby will start looking for new situations and experiences; they’ll start looking to play!
Playtime with your baby is fun (that’s why they call it playtime!) and one of the most effective ways to encourage interaction, bonding, growth, and development in your baby’s first year of life. It’s not unusual to find yourself a bit perplexed at the idea of playing with a baby. It’s not as if they have notable interests or abilities, but that’s what playtime is for! The good news is that your baby has never played a game before; they have no expectations, and it’s almost impossible for you to mess this up. Every activity you come up with is guaranteed to be the most remarkable thing your baby has ever seen. Here are some age-appropriate ideas to get you started.
Promoting Growth and Development Through Play
There’s no one right way to play, but when it comes to babies, the name of the game is stimulating the body and the mind while building connections. Playtime is an opportunity for your baby to exercise their growing body and it comes with all the same benefits as adult exercise, and then some.
Activity during the day will help babies sleep better at night. Babies also need movement to develop muscles and learn how to use them. Playtime is a crucial part of early childhood development (it’s good for grownups, too), and with the right mindset, just about anything can be a game.
Playtime with Newborns
You’ve never had a better audience than a newborn! They’re happy to be entertained by just about anything. During the first weeks and months, playtime is mostly about talking and touching, getting to know one another and the world.
- Make expressive faces. Not only is it fun for you and your baby, but it also promotes eye contact and bonding through face-to-face time.
- Narrate your day. As you walk throughout the world with your baby on your hip, or even just taking a break on the sofa, talk your baby through what you’re doing by naming objects and describing actions. Your newborn won’t understand you, but they’ll pick up on tone and facial expressions. All that matters is engagement and time together, so feel free to unload your deepest secrets; your baby won’t tell anyone.
- Tummy time. At this age, tummy time might only last a few minutes a few times a day. Tummy time helps strengthen important muscle groups in the neck, shoulders, and arms and promotes motor skills. During tummy time, lay out a blanket with toys, and don’t be afraid to get on the floor for a bit of tummy time yourself and interact with your baby.
Playtime for 2-Month-Olds
Just because your baby is growing doesn’t mean the old games have to end. Keep making goofy faces, narrating your actions, and prepare for even more tummy time! Around this time, you’ll can start adding more exciting activities to your playdates.
- Increase tummy time. By 2 months, your baby should spend about 30 minutes on their belly daily.
- Enjoy the outdoors. Take a walk around your community with your baby in tow. While out and about, talk about what you’re seeing and experiencing. There’s a wide world out there, and your baby will enjoy you introducing it to them and getting them familiar with the world around them.
- Read board books. The thick and rigid pages make for easier grasping, brightly colored pictures catch the eye, and it introduces your baby to reading.
- Sing songs and listen to music. Your baby won’t contribute much to the playlist, so feel free to listen to your favorite tunes.
- Imitate Sounds. Copy your baby’s coos and babbles for a back-and-forth “conversation” with them. Taking turns “talking” helps form the basis of social language skills.
Playtime for 3 to 6 Months
While every kid develops at their own rate, you’ll typically see a significant jump in cognitive and physical development during this period. This time in your baby’s life will be a high-speed roller coaster ride, jumping quickly from one developmental milestone to the next. You’re likely to see a corresponding shift in the types of games your baby wants to play. Your baby may move through these stages more quickly or casually than other kids, and that’s totally normal. You’ll know best which games are appropriate and when to introduce them.
- Encourage reaching. Place toys and other objects at the edge of your baby’s reach to promote reaching and related motions.
- Sing songs with simple choreography. The basic hand movements of “The Itsy, Bitsy Spider” encourage motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Songs like “If You’re Happy and You Know It” teach kids about emotions and get them moving. “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” encourages head-to-toe movement and teaches kids about their bodies.
- Add noise and texture. Musical instruments and other noisy toys always get high marks from babies, and texture books with furry or crinkly pages provide novel stimuli.
- Play peekaboo. It’s a classic game for a reason. Babies, kids, and adults get a kick out of it, and it helps your baby learn about object permanence.
- Blow bubbles. Sit together and blow bubbles around the room, being careful that they don’t get into little eyes or mouths.
Playtime for 6 to 12 Months
During the second half of your baby’s first year, you’ll see them start to come into their own. They might begin to favor certain toys or activities, pay attention to those preferences, and encourage or redirect them as appropriate.
- Break out the toys. A simple bucket of scattered toys and other baby-safe objects can be a treasure trove. Let your baby explore different objects and experiment with moving them in various ways.
- Make more funny faces. As your baby gets older, incorporate a mirror into your funny face games. Seeing their reflection helps your baby develop a sense of self and better understand facial expressions. It’s also pretty fun to make faces at yourself in a mirror, you should try it!
- Place toys out of reach. It may sound unkind, but placing toys or other desired objects just out of arm’s reach will encourage stretching, reaching, and crawling.
- Play with your food. It might be bad manners in polite company, but sometimes a baby just wants to jam its hands in a bowl of cereal, and that’s perfectly fine. Just make sure foods are mild and at a safe temperature.
- Animal Sounds. Name animals and make their sounds.
- Encourage Self-Exploration. Use a walker to promote activity and exploration so your baby can begin to get where they want on their own.
- Offer imitative toys. Kids like to do what they see adults doing. A play phone, a kid-safe set of tools, a toy stethoscope, and other imitative toys let kids rehearse for adulthood in fun, safe, and playful environments.
- Pump up the jams. Dance parties are a surefire way to get the blood pumping and smiles spreading.
At the end of the day, as long as everyone is having fun, there’s no wrong way to play with your baby. In all your interactions with your baby, you are stimulating brain growth, enhancing motor skills, and developing social and emotional bonds that lay a strong foundation for future growth and development. Continue to look for opportunities to share the world with your baby and find the fun in everyday moments.
