Games Babies Play

Play is a very important tool that helps babies and toddlers develop vital skills. According to experts, babies and toddlers use play to discover and explore the world around them. Because their different senses are just starting to develop, they tend to grab things or put objects inside their mouths to see how these objects feel or taste. As a matter of fact, playing games are learning activities for your growing child. For various learning activities you and your child can enjoy, here are some tips to consider:

Games that Involve Touching Objects

For older babies, games or learning activities that require touching objects are good suggestions. Toys that are safe for babies can encourage them to discover the world through banging, pushing, throwing, and experimenting with a lot of things.

Games that Require Social Interaction

Infants love to laugh, look, and smile so to make your baby do all these things, touch their hands or limbs and carry them around. For older babies, singing itsy-bitsy spider while playing with their small hands is a good idea. Peekaboo is a classic game that’ll make any baby laugh and smile.

Symbolic Games

If your toddler reaches two years of age, he or she may try to play with ordinary objects and use his or her imagination. One example is a little girl playing with a big box, pretending that it’s a doll’s house. Your kid can play with a Hula hoop, pretending it’s a steering wheel.

Functional Play

Perfect learning activities for 12 to 21-month old babies include using familiar items appropriately — swinging a toy club while standing on the lawn or pretending to call dad through a toy phone. As kids during this stage begin to develop their imaginations, they need activities that involve playing with toys or objects that represent real things.

Role Playing

Kids within 30 to 36 months may start to act like a mommy, teacher, or a doctor. Role playing games are popular within this stage so toys such as a little doctor’s kit, a doll, or a tea set can be of great help.

source:
Baby Center