Checklist: Smart playtime
Posted
Monday, May 07, 2007 6:06 PM
When
baby gets bored with her toys, it’s so easy to pop in a cartoon and let
the TV work its magic. Baby gets hypnotized by the TV for one simple
reason: The animation. The colors, sounds, and movement really engage
and stimulate her. The take-away? Add a little animation into playtime!
By playing to baby’s senses, you can entertain and educate her. (no TV necessary!) Some
crowd pleasers:
□ Sing songs
Babies love music. The more you
change the tone and pitch of your voice, the better. Turn everyday activities
into a sing-along. Make up fun songs while you’re making lunch, folding
laundry or cleaning. Let your playtime have a soundtrack.
□ Play music
Pick pleasing rhythms and melodies to stimulate baby. From classical music to The
Beatles, listening to music has been linked to math aptitude... you’ll have
yourself a baby genius who can really groove!
□ Make errands fun
Take baby
grocery shopping. The colors and new faces are great stimulation... plus, you can cross another item off your to-do list!
□ Become a
storyteller
It’s
never too early to read to baby. The best storytellers use lots of
voice inflections and tone changes -- better ham up your performance if
you want to keep up with the local librarians! Hey, baby's the only one
watching... why not have some fun?
□ Play with blocks
Find ones in fun shapes,
sizes, colors, and even textures. Or, bring
out the pots and pans and let baby jam. You don’t need the most expensive toys when
baby is content to play with things you can find around the house.
□ Go for a walk
But
not just any walk! Stroll near a park or lake, letting baby see new
things in nature. Fill the walks with the sound of your voice. Talk
throughout your stroll, pointing things out to baby and engaging her in
your surroundings.
Users know how to have fun too. Here are some of your best suggestions:
□ Hide and seek
"A favorite playtime game I like to play with my son is to hide his noisy
toys under a blanket and make the noise and then show the toy when he
looks, it's like a modified peek-a-boo. It's also a great way for him
to start to remember his toys." --
□ A workout for two
"Get on the floor and exercise with baby. My favorite is Yoga Bonding. Mommies get to do yoga with
their babies. It's a great way to use up all of baby's energy!" --
□ Hit the water
"Water play! My son loves to hear, watch, and splash in water. Sometimes
I park his stroller in front of a fountain where he can watch and
listen to the water. Other times I put him in a front carrier and let
him 'help' wash dishes. And of course, a good splash in a baby pool in
the summertime is always fun! Make sure never to leave baby alone
around water for safety." --
□ Mirror fun
"Our daughter loves to play with the 'baby' in the mirror. Either
my husband or I will put her in front of the mirror and we will ask her
who the pretty 'baby' in the mirror is, and she'll wave hello to the 'baby' and talk (well, coo) to the 'baby' and play with the 'baby' --
she loves that game! We like to pretend that we are monsters and we'll
look at DD and make a claw motion with our hands and say, 'GGRRRR!'
and she will do it back -- and she's only 6 months old!!" --mistybryanemily
□ Make a sound
"My favorite game to play with my nieces (since I'm 5 months pregnant
still) was laying them on my lap and making different sounds and
waiting as they attempted to mimick them. It was so fun to make the
ooooo sound and watch as one of them circled her lips as I was doing trying
to make the same sound!" --
Posted by
Nest Paula
Filed under: parenting