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By: Deanna Lynn Sletten
Playtime with baby can be learning time too. Play with your baby through touch, talk, songs, games and exercise. Baby will love interacting with you and learn as she plays.
Touch, talk and sing
Babies love the feel of your touch and the sound of your voice as you talk and sing. Don’t worry if you can’t carry a tune, baby won’t notice or criticize.
- Hold baby often, rock him while he nurses or bottle feeds, hold his hand, rub his back or tickle his feet. Babies respond strongly to the human touch. Touch brings comfort and a feeling of security to your baby.
- Babies love to touch different textures, like soft blankets, wooly stuffed animals, squishy, spongy toys or anything else that feels funny or different. Find interesting toys or materials for your baby to explore with his hands while you make ooh and aah noises to express interest. Baby will love feeling the new items and hearing your responses.
- Talk to baby while changing his diaper, dressing him, holding him, and giving him a bath. Smile at him; make funny faces and funny sounds. Babies are interested in adult faces and expressions so be as exaggerated as you want. The sound of a familiar voice is comforting to baby, so continue to talk to baby while you work around the house or do other tasks.
- Sing silly songs to baby, sing along to the radio or sing-song your baby’s name and make up silly songs about things you are doing while you are doing them. Nursery rhymes and silly poems can be sung too. Babies just want to hear you and know you are there so sing whatever makes you and baby smile.
Games
There are many baby games you can play with your baby and you probably already know most of them. Games such as Pat-A-Cake and the Itsy-Bitsy Spider aren’t just silly fun, they teach mobility, coordination, concepts and much more.
- Pat-A-Cake teaches baby motor coordination while you hold his small hands together and clap them. Baby gets touch, song and play with you all at once.
- Itsy-Bitsy Spider is a catchy song with fun finger movements. This teachers the combination of words with actions. As baby grows older, motor skills will be involved as she tries to imitate the finger movements with the song.
- Peek-A-Boo is wonderful for teaching baby that even when he can’t see you, you are still there. This helps later in life as you separate from baby for periods of time. Baby understands that if you go away, you will return.
- How Big? This Big! – This game teaches both the concept of size and motor skills as baby learns to spread her arms for the different sizes.
- Old McDonald had a Farm – Babies love this song and learn different animal sounds as you sing it. Sing this one to baby and soon baby will be repeating the animal sounds with you.
Baby Exercise
Babies move and stretch all the time, but doing these little exercises together is a great way for you and your baby to spend time together.
- Sitting up – Place baby on a blanket or rug. Holding both of her hands, slowly pull her up to a sitting position. As you do this you can say “up we go!” Baby will soon get the idea and eventually try to help pull herself up. This is a great way to teach word connection to a motion. (Warning: Make sure baby’s neck muscles are strong enough before attempting this.)
- Turning Head – Lay baby on a blanket or rug and hold a small toy over baby’s head. Move it slowly back and forth so baby will turn her head to follow it. This will strengthen baby’s neck muscles and get baby ready to start rolling over.
- Play Choo-Choo – Lay baby on a blanket or rug and hold baby’s feet with your hands. Carefully bend your baby’s legs back and forth while singing “chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo!” This will strengthen baby’s legs while teaching baby words with actions.
Spending time with your baby is vital in teaching him about the world around him and the things he is capable of doing. The more baby learns, the more baby want to see what else he can do. Play and learning goes hand-in-hand with baby’s development.
If you are looking for toys to help stimulate baby's senses
and develop fine motor skills we have a quality selection of toys to choose from. Baby will love playing with
Knotty Octopi,
Inchworm, and Tinkle, Crinkle, Rattle&Squeak® Loop.
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