Baby Activities: Ten Fun Things To Do With Your Baby

Posted by TinyTotties on 3. July 2009 10:37

Babies are a lot of work. I should know: I raised two babies. My kids are now in elementary school, and while life is certainly easier, I do miss that magical first year. Sure, I changed lots of diapers and slept very little, but I also got to cuddle with them and play with them and see myself through their adoring eyes.

There are lots of fun activities to do with your baby. These are my favorite:

Photo credit: Chesi - Fotos CC

1. Baby Massage. I loved massaging my babies. It’s a wonderful way to enhance the emotional bond between you and your and baby and to help your baby calm down and relax. Ask your pediatrician for details on how exactly to do it. Do remember to respect your baby’s preferences: most babies enjoy a massage, but some don’t. Other babies become easily over-stimulated so a very short massage works best for them.

2. Peekaboo. This game has been around for a long time, and that’s for a good reason: it’s fun for baby, and it also teaches him the important lesson that objects still exist, even when they’re out of sight. Playing is easy: hide your face behind your hands, then uncover your face and say, "Peekaboo!"

3. Stacking games. When baby is around six months old, she’ll love stacking objects, then knocking them down. Blocks and rings work well, as do everyday household objects such as cereal boxes. Stacking objects promotes your baby’s fine and gross motor skills and her eye-hand coordination. Knocking them down helps reinforce the concept of cause and effect.

4. Filling and dumping. Your baby can occupy himself for a long time filling objects, then dumping their content. Just take him to the local playground, have him sit in the sandbox with a shovel and a bucket, and show him what to do. He will catch on quickly. Filling and dumping helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

5. Slow down! When my first baby was born, I used to carry her in the baby carrier while running errands. It was a great experience, but I basically carried on with my usual hurried pace while my baby was close to me.

   When she was about six months old we hired a nanny. One summer morning we all went outside together, the nanny carrying my baby in the baby carrier. I was amazed to see my wonderful nanny walking slowly and making lots of stops along the way, allowing my baby to touch trees, smell flowers and point to interesting objects. My nanny taught me the value of slowing down and allowing baby to experience things along the way.

6. Look at picture books together. This will teach your baby that books are fun. If you name the objects you see in the book, it will also help develop his vocabulary. Older babies enjoy flipping through the pages by themselves, which also reinforces fine motor skills.

7. Dance together. Afternoons used to be long when my babies were very young. Especially winter afternoons. One of my favorite ways to handle these long afternoons was to put on some music, hold my baby in my arms and dance away. This also a great exercise!

8. Bubbles. I’m not sure what it is about bubbles that makes them so fascinating for babies, but both my babies loved bubbles. Sometimes when they were fussy I would take them outside to the yard, where we would sit on the grass and blow bubbles. Watching those bubbles was all it took for them to transform from fussy into happy babies.

9. Exercise together. Exercising with your baby means you can get back in shape while spending quality time with your baby. One great exercise: lay on the floor holding your baby above you. Slowly lift your baby up in the air, and bring her back down again. You are essentially using your baby’s weight to build muscles!

10. Just talk! Even if your baby can’t talk yet, she loves to interact. Having a conversation with your baby is so much fun: look her in the eyes, and say something. Then pause and let her respond. Remember: it will take her a few more seconds than it would take an older child to form her response. Depending on her age, she may smile or coo or make other noises. Now you can say something else. This conversation can go on for at least ten minutes, and provides your baby with an important lesson in communication.

Do you have a fun activity that you do with your child? Please let us know by posting a comment.

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