Games to play with your baby (under 12 months)
Written by Charlotte McClure
Your baby will love these simple games and they'll help her development too.
If you don't see your favourite baby game below, why not visit our community, to share it with us.
Your baby loves having the chance to watch your face and this game will help sharpen her visual skills, too. Hold your baby close - she can focus best at around 20-35 cm - and when she is gazing into your eyes, slowly poke your tongue out. Do this every 20 seconds or so. It may take a minute or so but after a while, you will notice she's sticking her tiny tongue back out at you. She'll try to imitate other facial expressions too, such as a big smile or wide open mouth.
Tickle songs
Once your baby is a little older, try playing 'This little piggy' or 'Round and round the garden' with her feet or hands. Hold her close on your lap and gently uncurl her toes or fingers as you sing. Repeat the song a couple of times until she starts to giggle in excited anticipation of the tickle at the end. Simple, repetitive rhymes like these are great for improving your baby's memory skills.
Roll and stretch
Your developing baby will soon be able to raise her head up for a second or two when lying on her tummy. If she's happy in this position, roll a brightly coloured ball across her line of vision about 60cm from her body. To begin with, she'll concentrate on watching the ball but soon she'll try to stretch towards it. This will help strengthen her neck, arm and leg muscles. Always give her lots of praise and finish the game as soon she starts to get frustrated.
Attach a small soft toy to a brightly coloured ribbon. Dangle it in front of her and make it sway. When she reaches out to try and touch or grab it, give her lots of praise. Squeaky toys will also entice your baby to reach and grab, and help her practise her hand-eye co-ordination.
Chatterbox
Have a conversation together! Your baby loves interacting with you and as she becomes more vocal, responding to her coos, gurgles and grunts will also help encourage her language development. Sit her facing you and when she says 'aahh' say 'aaah' in return. Encourage her to mimic you, too. Try, for example, stretching the sounds out: instead of 'bah' say 'baaaaaah'. Or even add a new sound to a familiar one: 'ooh-baaaah.'
Bubble magic
All babies are fascinated by bubbles. Sit her in her bouncy chair or car seat and using a simple bubble-blowing toy, blow bubbles around her. See how she tracks the bubbles with her eyes as they float down. Blow bubbles when she's outside in her pram too. If she catches one she'll learn about cause and effect -- touch and they go pop! (Remember to clean her hands afterwards so she doesn't get soapy water in her eyes).
Make some simple finger puppets from cut-off gloves and give them ears, eyes and a mouth with pieces of glued-on felt. Show your baby how you can make them sing, dance, tickle and kiss! She'll love watching them come alive and pretending that the puppets are real will help develop her imagination.
In and out
Your baby loves emptying everything -- drawers, your handbag, boxes of tissues, bags. Turn this into a game you can both play. Fill a large plastic container or bowl with safe, interesting objects, such as blocks, small soft toys, rattles or measuring cups. Help your baby pick up the container and turn it upside down, then together fill the container up again. Handling different objects will help her learn about size, shape and weight as well as introducing early mathematical concepts such as big and small, empty and full.
Adventure playground
If your baby is becoming mobile, build a miniature obstacle course out of cushions. Stay at ground level and peep out from behind them, or use a toy to encourage her to climb over them. This fun game will help develop her body strength, balance and co-ordination.
Your baby doesn't need to be walking to have fun playing football. Place a lightweight, medium-sized ball in front of you, hold her firmly under her arms, pick her up and swing her forward so her legs make contact with the ball. Help her 'kick' it across the floor or the garden. Swinging her legs helps your baby strengthen her tummy and leg muscles and prepare her for playing football for real when she's older!
Tower power
Gather together a collection of old cereal boxes, lightweight books, plastic bowls, empty yogurt tubs and baby blocks, then work together to build a tower. Once it's up and ready, take it in turns to knock it down. Your baby will love watching it tumble -- and at the same time she's learning about sizes and shapes.
Watch me!
Your baby loves imitating you -- if she sees you busy brushing your hair or wiping your face she'll try to copy what you're doing. Turn this instinct into a fun game by doing things like slapping your thigh, putting your hands on your head, blowing out your cheeks. Invent a silly song to go with your actions and she'll learn new words too. Learning to imitate is one of the first steps towards imaginary play.
If you don't see your favourite baby game below, why not visit our community, to share it with us.
0-3 months
CopycatYour baby loves having the chance to watch your face and this game will help sharpen her visual skills, too. Hold your baby close - she can focus best at around 20-35 cm - and when she is gazing into your eyes, slowly poke your tongue out. Do this every 20 seconds or so. It may take a minute or so but after a while, you will notice she's sticking her tiny tongue back out at you. She'll try to imitate other facial expressions too, such as a big smile or wide open mouth.
Advertisement | page continues below
Once your baby is a little older, try playing 'This little piggy' or 'Round and round the garden' with her feet or hands. Hold her close on your lap and gently uncurl her toes or fingers as you sing. Repeat the song a couple of times until she starts to giggle in excited anticipation of the tickle at the end. Simple, repetitive rhymes like these are great for improving your baby's memory skills.
Roll and stretch
Your developing baby will soon be able to raise her head up for a second or two when lying on her tummy. If she's happy in this position, roll a brightly coloured ball across her line of vision about 60cm from her body. To begin with, she'll concentrate on watching the ball but soon she'll try to stretch towards it. This will help strengthen her neck, arm and leg muscles. Always give her lots of praise and finish the game as soon she starts to get frustrated.
3-6 months
Catch meAttach a small soft toy to a brightly coloured ribbon. Dangle it in front of her and make it sway. When she reaches out to try and touch or grab it, give her lots of praise. Squeaky toys will also entice your baby to reach and grab, and help her practise her hand-eye co-ordination.
Chatterbox
Have a conversation together! Your baby loves interacting with you and as she becomes more vocal, responding to her coos, gurgles and grunts will also help encourage her language development. Sit her facing you and when she says 'aahh' say 'aaah' in return. Encourage her to mimic you, too. Try, for example, stretching the sounds out: instead of 'bah' say 'baaaaaah'. Or even add a new sound to a familiar one: 'ooh-baaaah.'
Bubble magic
All babies are fascinated by bubbles. Sit her in her bouncy chair or car seat and using a simple bubble-blowing toy, blow bubbles around her. See how she tracks the bubbles with her eyes as they float down. Blow bubbles when she's outside in her pram too. If she catches one she'll learn about cause and effect -- touch and they go pop! (Remember to clean her hands afterwards so she doesn't get soapy water in her eyes).
6-9 months
Puppet showMake some simple finger puppets from cut-off gloves and give them ears, eyes and a mouth with pieces of glued-on felt. Show your baby how you can make them sing, dance, tickle and kiss! She'll love watching them come alive and pretending that the puppets are real will help develop her imagination.
Your baby loves emptying everything -- drawers, your handbag, boxes of tissues, bags. Turn this into a game you can both play. Fill a large plastic container or bowl with safe, interesting objects, such as blocks, small soft toys, rattles or measuring cups. Help your baby pick up the container and turn it upside down, then together fill the container up again. Handling different objects will help her learn about size, shape and weight as well as introducing early mathematical concepts such as big and small, empty and full.
Adventure playground
If your baby is becoming mobile, build a miniature obstacle course out of cushions. Stay at ground level and peep out from behind them, or use a toy to encourage her to climb over them. This fun game will help develop her body strength, balance and co-ordination.
VIDEO
9-12 months
Kick ballYour baby doesn't need to be walking to have fun playing football. Place a lightweight, medium-sized ball in front of you, hold her firmly under her arms, pick her up and swing her forward so her legs make contact with the ball. Help her 'kick' it across the floor or the garden. Swinging her legs helps your baby strengthen her tummy and leg muscles and prepare her for playing football for real when she's older!
Tower power
Gather together a collection of old cereal boxes, lightweight books, plastic bowls, empty yogurt tubs and baby blocks, then work together to build a tower. Once it's up and ready, take it in turns to knock it down. Your baby will love watching it tumble -- and at the same time she's learning about sizes and shapes.
Advertisement | page continues below
Your baby loves imitating you -- if she sees you busy brushing your hair or wiping your face she'll try to copy what you're doing. Turn this instinct into a fun game by doing things like slapping your thigh, putting your hands on your head, blowing out your cheeks. Invent a silly song to go with your actions and she'll learn new words too. Learning to imitate is one of the first steps towards imaginary play.
Was this article helpful?
Yes
No
Track your pregnancy on our free #1 pregnancy & baby app
