Playtime: 0-6 Months.....Really?

Little M playing in his boppy while I clean

 When I first came home from my son’s (from here on referred to as Baby Boy or Little M) doctor’s appointment, I was completely overwhelmed. There is so much that they tell you to do and soooooooo much more that they leave out. One thing they did tell me to do was to make sure I played with my son and to play with him a lot! Of course, since I was a new mom I was slightly baffled by baby playtime. I mean babies can only do so much and it seems there are tons of resources about fun things to do with your toddler, but not as much about “baby playtime”.  After reading a few books and a couple of weeks with my son I began to learn little things that he liked to do. In case you’re ever in the same dilemma I was, here is a compilation of the baby games I have played with my son up to his current age. 

Playing on his mat

At the pumpkin patch

0 to 3 months:

1. Tummy time w/ a small rattle like toy (increase time as they get older)

2. Have baby track toys with their eyes: move it up and down, side to side

3. Talk to baby about everything your doing

Rub soft stuffed animals or blankets on baby’s skin

4.Gently tickle and laugh at the appropriate time so baby will learn to smile and laugh

5. Hold baby in standing position on counter in front of mirror and play “dancing bear” (my son loved this….we would dance him around on his legs and call him a bear and would giggle and giggle)

6. Read to your baby

7. Snuggle w/ baby

8. Line up the stuffed animals and tell a cute story

Make animal noises to go with stuffed animals

Get baby a play mat

Take baby out and about to see new things

3 to 6 months:

Read to baby

Increase tummy time and include toys baby can grab. Place hands behind baby’s feet and let them push off your hands to scoot across the floor

Play peek-a-boo (hide behind your hands)

Play pat-a-cake

Increase tickle time and teach baby to laugh more

Talk to baby and laugh/ respond to their cooing like you’re holding a conversation

Hide objects in a bucket and rattle them. Then take the items out so baby can see what was making the noise

Let baby tear up paper (My son loves, loves, loves to play with paper. Just make sure they don’t swallow it)

Pounce around like your favorite animal

Describe colors and numbers

Go for walks

Take baby riding in wagons, etc. on your lap

Sing to baby (even if you have a terrible voice they will love it)

Play dancing bear in the mirror

Hold objects over baby’s head in the mirror and have them track the object

Practice rolling over

Take naps together (always fun for mom and for baby)

Make wild noises that they can laugh at

Hold baby on their tummy in your arms and fly them around

Get baby a jumper

6 Months:

Spoons and other objects to bang on their high chair

Soft stuffed animals to chew on (make these animal noises

Teach them cause and effect by tossing something in the air and watching it fall to the ground (describe what is happening

Keep reading to them

Make your conversations livelier and let them participate by babbling, laughing, cooing

Put on music and dance around with them in your arms or let them watch you and laugh

Play in the mirror (try out different facial expressions)

When baby’s head and body control is strong enough put them on your legs and lift them in the air to fly

Sit them on your tummy with on leg on either side and roll up and do sit-ups with them

Put baby on your knee and bounce/ rock them while you hold their hands. (My son loved this especially when we would make noises like he was riding a motorcycle)

Help them stand up and pretend to walk around

Hide behind the couch or other objects and play peek-a-boo

Roll balls and stack blocks

Go people watching (My son loves to watch other people at the store)

Little M and Helpful Husband playing with wrapping paper!

This is just a small list of the things I do to keep my son entertained and learning. Being a former teacher, I know one of the most important things is just engaging your baby in what you’re doing and loving on them. You do not have to have tons of toys and you may not have tons of time of you’re a working mom/ dad. Just talk to them and include them in whatever you are doing. There are many things around the house that can work as toys that don’t cost anything. My son actually loves to get into my stuff more than he likes to play with his own toys. He wants to slap at my laptop, bang the spoons and cups, chew on my sweaters and socks, and do everything I’m doing. The only thing that I would stress for all new moms is to make sure you do tummy time. While Helpful Husband was deployed Little M had 3 adults at his beck and call for 6 months. Between my parents and me, he was almost never put down. When Helpful Husband came home and we moved to Colorado, it was just me and Little M had to learn to like tummy time since I could not hold him all the time. So to avoid needless tears (on mom and baby’s part), give lots of tummy time! Hope this baby info helps and tomorrow will be a health and fitness blog.