games & reading

games

Babies enjoy little games from the time they are very young. Games are a fun way to play with your baby and help them learn.

Some games to try with your baby:

• mimicking games, e.g. baby pokes her tongue out and you do it back (leave plenty of time for baby to take her turn)
• simple songs and rhymes while you rock or gently jiggle your baby on your knee
• brightly coloured mobiles that move in the breeze for your baby to look at; these can be easily made by hanging coloured shapes from a coat hanger and changing them from time to time
• a walk outside in the stroller to look at leaves or grasses moving
• time on the floor on her tummy to kick (always supervised) helps her to develop muscles for crawling and head control
• things that they can hit or push that make a noise.

Never play ‘rough’ games with babies such as throwing them up in the air, lifting or pulling them by an arm or playing loud music. These things can really hurt your baby.

reading

Reading to your baby a few minutes a day will help them grow and develop.

Babies love being read to as they get to feel safe and close to you – they hear your voice and can start to look at pictures.

Sharing a story with them can be lots of fun – and really good for their future development.