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!
More Things To Do With Your Baby
You might also be interested in:
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
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