From the first months of life, it is very important to spend time with the baby and encourage him or her to engage in various activities. Playing together not only brings you closer but also helps in acquiring new skills. It is worth exploring suggestions for ideal games for the little one in the first months of life.
Perfect Activities from 1 to 3 Months of Age
It might seem that there isn’t much to do with little ones who have just come into the world. Nothing could be further from the truth. Already in the first month of life, you can introduce simple games.
Activities with a one-month-old baby mainly revolve around observing various objects. You can show the baby toys. Considering that their vision isn’t the best, it’s worth choosing ones that have vivid colors and shapes. A special crib mobile works great.
When deciding on activities with a two-month-old baby, you can go a step further. Such a baby particularly likes faces. It’s worth making funny or expressive faces to make them laugh. This way, you stimulate their interest, calm them, and make them laugh. Activities for a baby at this age can also be related to all kinds of calm sounds.
A three-month-old baby already has many skills that can be used in daily activities. For playtime with a three-month-old, you can use a special educational mat that has, among other things, patches made of different materials, which additionally stimulate the senses, and other elements that make sounds. At first, the baby will certainly just lie and look at the toys, but it’s worth encouraging touching individual elements, shaking them, etc.
Activities in the Following Months of Life
Activities with a 4-month-old baby and activities with a 5-month-old baby can be very similar. A four-month-old baby mainly tries to grab everything within reach. Therefore, you can play with them using rattles and other such toys that can easily be grasped.
An older baby begins to be interested in plush toys. You can attach them to the crib frame, stroller, or car seat. Choosing models that squeak or rustle is a good solution.
A six-month-old baby can really do a lot. Activities with a 6-month-old baby should gradually start to show the cause-and-effect relationship between certain actions and their outcomes. The baby likes to drop various objects and then pick them up. They notice that some of them can make noise. This is also a good time to introduce fabric, soft books that have colorful pictures or, for example, movable elements.
During playtime with a 7-month-old baby, the stage of closely examining the characteristics of various objects begins. The baby eagerly explores what is soft, what is hard, what sound it makes. It’s worth taking various objects – both toys and everyday items – and tapping them against each other, showing the baby the sound they make.
How to Play with a Baby Who Can Already Do a Lot?
Looking for the ideal activity with an 8-month-old baby, mainly focus on the well-known and always beloved “Peek-a-boo”. At this age, the baby is also interested in stacking large and light blocks and knocking down what has been built. This is also the stage where the baby can crawl, which should be utilized in daily games.
Activities with a 9-month-old baby and activities with a 10-month-old baby are mainly various physical activities that support the development of motor skills, as well as coordination and body awareness. For example, you can create obstacle courses with soft elements such as pillows and encourage the baby to overcome them, or make a carousel with them, stimulating the system responsible for maintaining balance later on.
At this stage, it is worth focusing on floor-based physical activities. You can chase and tickle the baby, which will surely amuse them greatly. The baby can already distinguish shapes or colors, so a special sorter that stimulates this skill is a good solution. While playing with an 11-month-old baby and a 12-month-old baby, it’s important to emphasize that at this age, they eagerly imitate adults. Therefore, activities based on clapping, showing various types of gestures, or stacking simple blocks work well. A child who is turning one year old begins to say their first words. During play, you can effectively encourage and motivate this. They will also happily move to music and tap out sounds, for example, on a xylophone. A baby at this age is very observant, so they will gladly engage in simple games based on imitating what adults do daily.
Playing with a child is very important from the first months of their life. Therefore, it’s worth using proven solutions and spending time with the little one wisely and actively.
