Things babies like to do

As a parent or care giver, finding activities to do with your baby which benefit your baby’s development and are enjoyed by the baby may be a challenge for you. As learning begins with play for the babies and toddlers, productive play will assist in the development of their brains as the brain tends to grow quickly in the first year.

Being actively involved in play will help your baby to learn about his body and the world around him. It helps to build stronger bonds with you and other family members. Your baby will be able to sleep better and will have strong bones, lungs and heart. Active play will also help build strong muscles that will help him to learn to walk and learn other skills. Especially your baby will feel good when you play with him.

What do babies like to do? Surprisingly they like to do simple things. They like to take things out and put them back in to boxes. They like to crawl over, under and around things. They like to play with things that are of different colors, shapes and sizes. Sounds easy enough? Yes it is. Plus these kinds of activities can be put together for low cost in a short time. Here are some ideas of how you can put together activities your baby would like to do.

Your baby loves to crawl. Take him/her out doors for a change. He will love to be outdoors. Let him crawl around on a blanket outside.

Burst bubbles with your baby. Blow bubbles within your babies reach and pop bubbles together.

Let your baby explore the house. First make sure your house is safe for the baby to explore, e.g. make sure there are no small things on the floor which could be hazardous, if your baby puts in the mouth. Crawl around the floor with your baby around, over, under, in and out. Make it adventurous, enjoyable and safe.

What about the old row row row your boat?  It was your old time favorite and your baby will enjoy it too. Sit on the floor and put your baby between your legs so that both of you are facing forward. Grasp a stick or rolled newspaper in front of his/her arms and both of you hold it. Gently reach forward and back in a rowing motion.

Stretch and wiggle in front of your baby and enjoy seeing him observe and copy you. Stretch your arms, wiggle your fingers and toes, shake a rattle, pat your nose and stomach.

These are just a few things your baby will like to do. Use your imagination and put together other fun activities by observing your babies behavior and observing what he enjoys.