5 Ideas for playing with young babies

5 Ideas for playing with young babies

1. Baby sound games

• With your mouth, try making raspberries, kissy-noises and humming sounds and watch as your baby tries to mimic your noises and expressions.

2. Baby singing games

• Babies will love your singing no matter how bad it sounds to everybody else!

• Sing nursery rhymes, the latest hits or make up your own songs as you go along.

3. Baby hand games

• Newborn babies have a strong grasp reflex and love to play hand games.

• Lay your baby on their back on the floor or on your lap, and let them grasp your fingers. Lift their arms gently, describing your motions “Up, Down. In, Out”.

• They’ll soon begin to associate the words with the motions as you play this game over the coming months.

4. Baby foot games

• Newborn babies have a stepping reflex that is fun to play with.

• Hold your baby under their arms and around their chest and stand them in the upright position on the floor.

• When your baby’s foot touches the ground they’ll automatically lift it up, lowering the other foot as though they're walking.

• This baby reflex fades after about 2 months, but it's fun to do whilst it lasts.

5. Baby voice games

• Even at an early age, your baby recognises your voice and prefers your voice over strangers. This makes for fun baby games.

• Call your baby from their right or left and watch as they turn their head to look at you. It’s not important what you say – just that you spend time talking to them.

• What is heuristic play?
• Benefits of reading to babies
• Early brain development and learning