In the very early days while you are getting to know your baby it can be difficult to know what to do with them when they aren’t sleeping, pooing or feeding. Many babies have long periods of alertness during the day, which means they are up for a bit of play time. This is a great chance to bond and get to know each other.

Play Tips for all ages

Let them take the lead and be in control of play time

Observe what she’s showing interest in; she may be feeling the texture of the teddy, watching the leaves gently move in the breeze or trying to reach the mobile. This is an opportunity to talk about what’s captured her attention, name the objects or textures & show your child from early on that their interests are worth pursuing to build a healthy self esteem.

Don’t fall into the trap of feeling like you need to entertain your baby every waking second or every time they let out a whimper

Babies and children need to be able to entertain themselves and seek out stimulation on their own.  If a baby has had enough of the activity they will tell you by turning away, grizzling/crying, arching their back, frowning. This is their way of letting you know they are ready to rest.

Give gentle encouragement like clapping, laughing, smiling, hugging & cheering

Show your baby you think his achievements, like grabbing the rattle for the first time or waving are worth striving for. Babies learn very quickly the things that make people around them happy and will even look around for approval after a “trick” like clapping hands.

You DON’T need to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive toys

According to your young child YOU are the best toy they could ask for! Parents can go from being a juke box to a jungle gym within seconds, providing a comfortable rocking chair at the end of the play session for a much needed rest. You are able to fulfill your child’s sensory & developmental needs.

You would have also heard plenty of parents say “I bought him this Robot & he just wants to play with the box!” This is especially the case in the first year of life.

Give him access to the plastic container cupboard and there’s a great range of sights & sounds for your little explorer.

Play with Bubs Senses

Smell – A newborn baby can recognize his mum simply by smell, but within a few days there’s so much around them to stimulate this sense, like perfumes, food, breast milk & their own smells they make regularly! Talk to bub about what’s making a particular smell or show them flowers or fragrant herbs in the garden.

Taste – Pretty soon your baby will have mastered the hand to mouth action and there’ll be no stopping this form of exploration, it’s one of the ways he’s getting to know the mysterious world around him. The best thing you can do is let him, but make sure he stays safe by keeping sharp, small or poisonous items well away.   

Sound – Sounds are all around us, even in the womb babies can hear the external environment. Babies love the sound of the human voice (they learn language & emotion – not only through speaking but singing, humming, mimicking animal sounds) music (rhythm, melody & enhanced memory through repetition of a tune or song), plus general racket from the various objects around the house, cooking & cleaning. It doesn’t have to be a toy that makes noise to be stimulating for a baby but you’ll notice that almost every toy does make some kind of sound, whether it be crinkling, rattling or squeaking, your bub is learning that pressing or squeezing something causes a reaction of some kind. 

Sight - Babies toys, books, manchester & room decorations are made up of bright, bold colours with sharp contrasts for a reason, this is what’s visually appealing to them.  To avoid over stimulation or confusion keep their toys in any one area limited to one or two, any more than this an you might find that none of them will get any attention because there’s too much going on.

Your baby is also learning to tell the difference between people & objects, as well as being able to distinguish between one person & another and even mood or feelings based on facial expressions & body language.  Ideal visual aids are mobiles & other things that move slowly or blow in the breeze like tree branches & leaves, mirrors (at around 4-5 months you can see if your baby recognizes the difference between himself & his reflection by putting a sticker on his nose or forehead in front of the mirror and see if he reaches for the reflection or his face). Most babies are simply happy being outside, allowed to explore the sights, shapes & colors of their surroundings.

Touch – Objects and people alike are great fun for babies to touch. There’s soft, hard, furry, rough, smooth, textured, wet or dry. Babies will pat, poke, slap, bang & rub to find out everything there is to know about things around them. They’ll be fascinated by the fact that Dads face is rough and Mum’s is smooth! Teach them how wonderful it is to experience the world by telling them about how an object feels & what kind of texture it is. Humans also communicate & express love and affection through touch, kisses & cuddles, but you can try more obvious things like massage & playing games like round & round the garden on their palm with a tickle at the end.