What play will your baby like?
In early play the baby likes looking at their environment, at faces and patterns of light through mother’s fingers, curtains, or the leaves on trees. They are attracted by the movement and sound of mother, father and sibling voices. They have been listening to this since before they were born. They like to hear rhymes and lullabies and to be gently rocked. Not all babies are the same and by watching your baby and their response to the things your baby experiences you can work out what you baby likes. As they are developing so quickly what they prefer today, or this week may be different to tomorrow and next week, so the key is to observe your baby and notice their reaction to decide what is working at any time.
By the time babies can touch and hold things in their hand, they are interested in simple instruments like rattles that they can shake to make noise. Babies are drawn to balls of many shapes and texture. Babies of this age like mothers and fathers to join in and share this play to show them and help them to explore their environment. With help they like to handle a small ball, listen to the bell ball, roll a larger knobbly ball, or watch what a ball bounce or roll.
Bubble blowing and Peek-a-boo
Bubble blowing and Peek-a-boo. Covering your face momentarily with your hands is a simple game of “now you see it, now you don’t”. It will initially be an amusing activity to watch for your baby but over time will become one that they can play and enjoy with you, actively watching for the return of your face or the next stream of bubbles and delighting in the predictability of the game. Objects like cylinders or scarves can also add variety to this peek-a-boo game.
Singing rhymes. Your baby loves the sound of your voice and the closeness of you singing for them. The nursery rhymes that you know are a good place to start and later you can add more songs to your repertoire. Some are completed by a tickling finish, for example “This Little Piggy Went to Market,” where a parent takes each toe and recites what it does. You may be bilingual and can remember or ask a relative to say a rhythm from your culture.
Imitation of your child’s movements can make your older baby laugh and try to imitate you. Watching you imitate them adds a consciousness of their own movements. A mirror hypnotises them for the same reason.
Touching and feeling things. Simple toys allow baby to exercise their sense of touch, often with their mouth. So toys, rattles and textured toys all help to stimulate baby’s interest in playing.
Talking to your baby. Naming games and songs involving the child’s nose, toes, feet, hands, eyes, and mouth, emphasise body parts and self-concepts. Just talking as you do things is important. Quiet relaxing play is as important to your child’s wellbeing as social and physically active play. Babies need the opportunity to babble to themselves, lie quietly watching a mobile, look at them in a cot mirror or cuddle a favourite toy.
When your baby is more mobile spying something of interest, your baby goes towards it to investigate and then may look back at you to come in and share it. Sometimes you may need to briefly use the toy to give your baby an idea how it works.
In all these play stages your baby will enjoy the family member singing, or moving to music, carrying then in their arms and enjoying the play together.
