We hope you enjoy these new AV Baby pages at Activity Village! We have much
more planned and coming soon...
Dislaimer
AV Baby content is for information only. If you are at all worried about your
baby, please seek the advice of your midwife, doctor or paediatrician.
Playing With Your Baby -
6-12 months
As your baby gets older, she will begin
to become more mobile. With play, you can help her to learn about her world in
an exciting and safe way. By now you will know your baby’s signals for being
ready for play, and these will become more frequent and last for longer periods
of time. Still be aware of her signs of tiredness or over-stimulation, however,
and don’t expect too much of your baby too soon.
Games to play
The age-old favorite, Peek-a-boo, never
loses popularity. Now you can play by hiding behind a door or sofa, not just
behind your hands. Older babies love to be surprised, so when playing Peek-a-boo
make sure you pop up somewhere unexpected occasionally; from the other side of
the sofa, for example.
Physical games make the most of your
baby’s new mobility. If she can sit up, she will really enjoy stacking bricks or
blocks, putting lids on objects, and making noises with toy instruments or
tools. (The louder the better!) When your baby can crawl, play hide-and-seek
with her; hiding in the kitchen, for instance, and calling her to come find
you.
Capitalizing on your baby’s love of
surprise makes magic-style tricks a huge favorite. Hide a small object under a
cup and allow your baby to reveal it. To make the game even more fun, remove the
item without her noticing – and then ‘find’ it behind her ear!
Reading and singing
Your baby will love to hear you read
stories. The sound of your voice is soothing and safe. But stories don’t have to
be consigned to bedtime – they are great fun any time of the day. Buy books with
tactile, hard pages. Your baby will be fascinated as you turn the pages and will
reach out to try herself. The act of sitting together looking at a book is a
fantastic way of introducing your child to books in general.
Your baby will also love to hear you
singing – and you don’t have to have a great voice to sing to your baby; she
doesn’t care if you’re out of tune. It’s not necessary to stick to nursery
rhymes, either; any song will do, from your favorite pop song to gospel music.
The important thing is to keep it fun – no sad songs, please! Put some music on
the stereo, get up on your feet and dance around the room. Make a fool of
yourself. Your baby will enjoy it almost as much as you will! If your baby can
toddle a little, get her to dance along with you.
Toys for babies over six months old
As you have probably noticed by now,
when babies reach this age they love to play with ‘real’ objects, such as your
mobile phone, computer or Blackberry. There are many toys on the market which
look like these objects – a good alternative to the real thing! Noisy toys are a
great favorite, as are stackable toys – giving your child an important sense of
achievement. Be creative if your budget is tight – the old saying that children
often prefer the packaging to the toy is very true!
Read our Diary Of A New Mum and discover what happens when Jessica-Ann comes
home from the hospital and during her first year at home. This fun read is
perfect for new mums and experienced mums alike! New episodes weekly. Diary Of A New Mum
Diary of a New Mum Week 31
Too Many Carrots In which the health visitor notices Jessica-Ann's healthy color and suggests
a change to her diet...
You'll be amazed at how much equipment you will need for your newborn
baby! Here we help you to think through and plan for your requirement. De-cluttering Before
The Baby Comes Home
Make sure you know your rights so that you can use your maternity or paternity
leave to good advantage. Maternity And
Paternity Leave
Surprising numbers of parents get their baby's nurseries wrong - filling them
with pretty accessories but often leaving out the real essentials! Don't fall
into these traps... Nursery Do's and Don'ts
What do you need to buy for your baby's first clothes and bedding? A Basic Layette
If there is one parenting issue which causes the most anxiety, disruption and
unhappiness, it is baby sleep problems! Establishing a good sleep routine from
the very beginning can be crucial to a peaceful and happy family. Baby SleepLots NEW!
What should you expect at 6 weeks, 6 months or 1 year? We provide useful
milestones and developmental stages so that you can keep an eye on your baby's
development in the first year. Baby Stages
Print, cut and assemble a mobile to decorate the baby's room - or make
use of matching room signs, door hangers, photo frames and more! Room Decorations To Print
Everything from nursery mobiles and cut-outs to birth announcements and baby
shower invitations and scrapbook paper! Baby Printables
