During their first year of life, knowing how to play with your baby will ensure that both you and your little one make the most out of the times your baby is awake and alert.
From the day they’re born to their first birthday, playing with your baby is one of the best ways to help your infant learn about the world around them. Playing can also teach them how to communicate and interact intellectually, physically and socially.
Just like your baby develops in different ways over time, so does their ability to play at different stages. And how you interact with them during the first month is different than how you play with them in the second or third month.
Part of knowing how to play with them is understanding when they’re ready to play and when they’d rather not. Your little one will give you cues and if you watch for those cues, you’ll be able to make the most out of playtime for both you and your baby.
Toys can be a wonderful way to play with your baby and a great way for your baby to learn and develop. Because every infant develops at a different rate, many toys are ideal for more than one age range.
For example, blocks are a wonderful interactive toy for babies at many stages but your little one will play with blocks differently at 6 months than they will at 12 months.
At 6 months it might be great fun for them to knock down a tower of blocks but they may need you to build that tower for them. But at 12 months they’re able to stack the blocks and play with them all on their own.
With all of that in mind, here are some guidelines on how and when to play with your baby. We’ve also included suggestions for toys that are appropriate at different stages during your infant’s first year of life.
- How To Play With Your Newborn
- How Can You Tell When Your Baby Is Ready To Play?
- How Do You Know When Playtime Is Over?
- How To Play With Your Baby As They Grow
- Your Baby’s First Effort Towards Active Play
- Active Playing
- Toys for Your Baby
How To Play With Your Newborn
Most newborn babies spend the first 3 to 4 weeks of their life doing little more than eating and sleeping. During this time, your baby doesn’t actually ‘play’ in the traditional sense.
However, knowing how to interact with your baby at this early stage will help set the stage for play as they grow and develop.
The world is a new and sometimes frightening place to your baby, but they still need to explore it in order to grow and develop. As a parent, you will become their anchor in this strange new world.
Here are some things you can do during your baby’s first month of life to engage them in ‘play’ and help your newborn develop and learn.
Talk To Your Child
Your baby finds comfort in hearing your voice. Your voice has become familiar to them while they are still in your womb, so continuing to hear your voice is both soothing and exciting to your infant.
Spend time every day talking, reading and singing to your child as this allows them to find comfort, and familiarizes them with the sound of your voice.
Encourage Your Baby’s Visual Growth
Your newborn baby’s eyes can’t yet distinguish between colors and shades.While you see beautiful shades of different colors, your baby may only see one big blurry shade.So one of the best ways to stimulate and develop your newborn infant’s vision is to offer them toys with strong contrasting colors, such as black and white. Bold curves and contrasting dark and light stripes are also ideal.
Your newborn infant and see about 8 – 10″ in front of them, which is about the same distance your face is from your baby when you hold them in your arms. You can provide your infant with entertainment and stimulation by doing things like wiggling your fingers a short distance in front of their face, smiling or making different fun facial expressions.
When you move an object from side to side and your baby follows that movement with their eyes, it’s called tracking. Tracking is one of the first ways your baby explores their world so offering objects for your baby to look at and track is a great way to build their visual skills.
Introduce Your Baby to Textures
Newborns love to explore the world with their hands and mouths. Giving your baby objects that are different textures is a wonderful way to interact with them early on and can help develop their sense of touch.
Soft blankets and toys, slightly cool smooth plastic or the touch of the back of your hand all allow your baby to explore different textures in a safe and fun way.
How Can You Tell When Your Baby Is Ready To Play?
After the first month or so, your baby will become more alert and now one of the best times to play with them is right after they’ve been fed and before they’re ready for their next nap.
This is when they tend to me the most alert and relaxed, which makes them more open to stimulation and play and better able to absorb new information. When their little tummies are full you’ll often notice them happily looking around and this is your cue that they’re ready to play.
However, during their first year of life your baby doesn’t need a lot of different toys to be content. In fact, too many toys may simply overwhelm them.
Babies find a lot of comfort in familiar things so introducing one or maybe two toys each month during the first year is a great way to make the most of their playtime development.
At this stage they learn from routine, repetition and practice so they’re quite happy to play with one specific toy for a very long period of time.
How Do You Know When Playtime Is Over?
Every baby responds differently to stimulation. Some babies are fine with a lot of stimulation while others will let you know that playtime is over sooner rather than later.
There’s no right or wrong here; it’s just individual preferences and even at this young age, your baby will know how much stimulation and play they’re willing to take before they need a break.
Some of the more common signs that your baby needs are break are arching their back, turning their head away from you, becoming fussy and crying. When your baby starts to show signs of needing a break, simply put the toys away and snuggle with them.
Keep in mind that direct eye contact is quite stimulating for your baby so when they need a break it’s best to just hug them close to your chest and relax.
If your baby is unsettled or crying, swaddling them in a blanket can help calm them as it reduces the amount of stimulation.
Whether they’re ready to play or need a break, it’s all about taking your cue from them. And over time, with trial and error, you’ll know exactly when your baby is in the mood to play and when they’re not.
How To Play With Your Baby As They Grow
Your baby will develop at a surprisingly fast rate, as will the manner in which they interact with you. So the way you play with your baby as they grow will also evolve.
By the time your child is around 3 or 4 weeks old, they will begin making sounds. At this stage your baby may also begin lifting their head during tummy time and they may love watching their hands move in front of their face.
Placing an unbreakable baby mirror 8 to 10 inches from your babies face during tummy time will help to entertain and stimulate them.
By about two months of age your baby is much more alert. They’ll begin making even more noise when you talk to them and may have started reaching out and trying to grab things. At this stage, during active alert times, rattles are a great way to stimulate their sight and hearing.
If they’re having quiet time in their crib, a rotating mobile with dangling toys is ideal. If the toys dangle low enough, your baby might even start swatting at them which is a great way for them to start to develop their hand-eye coordination.
Your Baby’s First Effort Towards Active Play
Normally by the age of 2 to 3 months your baby will be able to grasp things and will enjoy batting at objects that are in front of them.
They will also be kicking a lot more so an interactive baby gym or mobile that makes enjoyable sounds when they kick it is great at this stage. Not only will they learn about cause and effect, they’ll also begin to realize that making noise is just plain fun!
Your baby will also show more interest in their stuffed animals at this age and will grab them and wave them around.
By the age of 3 to 4 months, your baby will begin to reach for their toes and even put those toes in their mouth. Their ability to grab toys is rapidly improving and they love to explore things by putting them in their mouth.
At this stage, teethers, rattles and soft plush toys that are toxin free are the perfect way to keep your little one engaged and stimulated.
At 4 to 6 months your baby may start trying to roll over or may be able to actually roll from their tummy onto their back. They may also be sturdy on all fours and able to sit up with support on their sides and back. They’re also better able to manipulate toys with their hands and are delighted with any toy they can make a sound with!
By the time your baby is 6 to 9 months old they are able to engage in active play. They will clap their hands when playing patty cake and playing peek-a-boo makes them laugh out loud.
At this stage, your child can sit up by themselves, crawl and scoot and even pull themselves up to standing position while holding onto furniture.
Their babbling will sometimes produce recognizable words such as Mama and Dada and they will scoot or crawl after objects that interest them.
Large balls are a delight and if the ball makes noise or lights up, all the better. It’s fun to roll the ball back and forth between you or roll it away from your child and watch them go after it.
At this age your baby will begin to realize that they can make things happen so squeezing, dropping and shaking things will be tons of fun!
Nesting cups and stacking blocks and toys are ideal at this age. And they’ll have a blast when you build tall towers that they can knock them over and watch them come tumbling down.
Their favorite activity during bath time might be filling something up and emptying it out…over and over and over! 🙂
The 6 – 9 month mark is often the age when they may make their first friend in the form of a favorite stuffed animal or blanket.
Whichever they bond with, you want to be sure that it has no small parts that your child can pull off and put in their mouth. You also want to be sure it’s small and light enough for them to pick up and carry around and that it’s washable and easy to keep clean.
Also a hit at this age is pretty much anything that makes noise! Squeaky toys, activity cubes – anything they can get some fun sounds out of.
By 9 to 12 months your baby will start to engage in more interactive play and pretend play. They enjoy imitating what they see adults or older siblings do. For example, your child baby may love to talk on a play phone.
They’re consistently cruising around by holding onto an object such as furniture and may even be walking on their own.
This is a great time to introduce push toys to your child. Push toys will encourage them to move around more and help develop their fine and gross motor skills. Keep in mind that the best push toys at this age are ones that are very stable and won’t tip over when your child is leaning on it.
Now that they’re getting around better, they’re curious about everything and enjoy getting into things. They’re starting to develop their problem solving skills and that’s where toys like shape sorters can help.
Or, for a cheaper alternative, simply give your child a clear container and some blocks of different sizes and shapes and let the fun begin!
Balls are great for this age range too and instead of just rolling it, your child will be able to have fun watching it bounce. Again, all the more fun if the ball makes whacky sounds or lights up.
Blocks are wonderful for this age too and provide hours of fun whether your child is stacking them up or knocking them down.
As it was when they were younger, filling something up and dumping it out may still be a favorite way for your child to pass the time. Taking a pail and shovel to the beach or park will keep your little one happily engaged for long periods of time.
Toys for Your Baby
Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends of the family all want to know what toys your baby needs or wants to play with. You may be surprised at the range of toys your child will need during their first year of life to help their development and allow them to explore and learn about the world around them.
Here are some toys that will appeal to your child from the time they’re born until around their first birthday:
Newborns and infants like objects that move slowly and produce gentle sounds, which make mobiles an ideal gift for the first year of life. In the first month of life, mobiles that have high contrast colors and designs such as bold black and white stripes are the best way to help develop your child’s vision.
Around 2-3 months of age, your baby’s vision has improved so a better choice at that age is a mobile with bright colors. Around the same time they’ll probably start reaching for things so mobiles with dangling toys that make
noise will fascinate and engage them, while at the same time continue to develop their visual skills.
It’s no secret that babies enjoy staring at their own face almost as much as like staring at your face. So giving your baby an unbreakable mirror that can be mounted 8 to 10 inches away from their face will be an absolute delight for them.
Sock And Wrist Rattles And Teethers
Very young infants shake their arms and kick their feet, so sock and wrist rattles are the perfect way for your newborn to begin exploring different sounds.
As they get older, hand held rattles and teethers that your little one can chew. Not only will these types of toys soothe your little one’s aching gums, they’ll also allow them to explore cause and effect and help them develop some motor and grasping skills.
Also called a baby play mat, baby gyms are are a wonderful way for your baby to grab some interactive playtime while they’re on their back or tummy.
Decked out with all kinds of dangling goodies including baby safe mirrors, crinkle toys, rattles and music, baby gyms offer a variety of things for your little one to look at, listen to and touch. They’re a perfect way to help develop your infant’s gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination once they get to the age where they’re grasping for things.
Tummy time is important because it helps your baby develop their neck, back and shoulder muscles but not all babies like being put on their tummies, especially at first. Baby gyms provide a fun and entertaining distraction for your baby when they’re on their tummies. If your baby is having fun and being stimulated, they’ll want to stay on their tummy for longer periods of time.
Baby gyms are simply an excellent all-round way to develop your child’s gross motor skills and early hand-eye coordination.
Stuffed Animals And Dolls
Small stuffed animals and dolls that your baby can grasp and later hug and carry around are always a great choice. Often the first stuffie or doll your little one gets will become one of their best friends for years to come.
There’s no doubt about it: stuffed animals and dolls provide comfort and companionship at any age. As your baby nears their first birthday, these types of toys are a wonderful way to encourage pretend play, which is really important for their social development.
In addition to cultivating your little one’s social skills, dolls and stuffed animals can also help them express their emotions and develop their language skills.
Hand Held Toys
Small hand held toys are a great way for your baby to discover different textures. Try choosing toys that have several different textures such as a smooth surfaces, a bumpy surface and a fun crinkly surface.
This will help your baby’s sensory growth by allowing them to explore and begin to recognize a variety of textures.
Of course, hand held toys should always be safe for your baby to put into their mouth and large enough that they don’t pose a choking hazard.
Balls And Blocks
Large soft balls are wonderful because your baby can roll them, gnaw on them and eventually toss them. Once your baby is able to sit up on their own, one of the most exciting things you can do with them is roll a ball back and forth between you.
Not only will it be great fun for your infant, this activity will also help develop your little one’s gross motor skills.
Soft large blocks that your baby can grasp and play with are also ideal toys for developing your infant’s motor skills. And as your baby gets older, they begin to have even more fun with blocks as they progress from grabbing and holding them to throwing, stacking and knocking them down.
Your baby will also have a blast crawling or scooting after balls and blocks and that helps strengthen their little arm and leg muscles.
Crawling and scooting are important ways for your baby to develop strength and coordination. At some point, the next thing your baby might do is start pulling themselves up using furniture and eventually start walking.
At this stage, a sturdy walker that won’t tip is a safe and fun way to help them cruise around. And of course, all this movement and exploration will help improve their balance and strengthen their leg muscles.
But close supervision is crucial when your infant is using a walker because they’re able to move quite fast and they have access to things they couldn’t reach before. In addition to that, your child should never use their walker in rooms with steps or other objects that can result in them taking a tumble or being injured.
Playing with your baby is great way to bond and an important way to help them develop on many levels.
Each stage of your infant’s development is exciting and offers you new ways to play and interact with them. When your baby is first born, it’s wonderful to spend time singing, reading and talking to them.
As they get older, start introducing toys that will help them explore and learn about the world around them. Simple games such as peek-a-boo, patty cake, and itsy bitsy spider are also great fun for your baby during their first year of life.
However you choose to play with your baby, keep in mind that every infant develops at different rates. So don’t expect your baby to always be drawn to the same toys other infants their age are drawn to.
Your baby is unique with a personality that’s all their own. That’s what makes them so wonderful and such a joy to be with!