Games for babies involve rock and roll, bookworm, roly poly or a little baby lift off - enjoyable and gentle fun for your growing, wriggling, adorable bundle!
Exhausted and sleep-deprived? The parents - not our babies I hope!
Because from now on, our bouncing bundles are becoming increasingly active.
That sense of self-importance and curiosity is growing, and your little one is busy claiming her place in the life of your family.
Use the ideas below to enjoy time with your growing baby.
You'll both benefit - worthwhile time together and a lot of fun with it. The normal rules apply: keep it simple, keep it fun and make time to play :)
Babies' games for the fourth month.
Your child will start to hold her head up well, and will start to reach out for things. She may try to grab your hair or your glasses, so watch out!
She'll soon start using her hands to put things in her mouth, so it is now doubly important to ensure that everything within her reach is safe. She's beginning to stretch her limbs more and the roll is becoming more advanced. She nods her head, squeals with delight and responds to your never-ending praise!
Rock 'n roll Your little one is growing up, more able to appreciate different kinds of music. Play some music with a good beat, and have a boogie! Or lie down next to baby and roll around on the bed with her, singing some old favorites. Get the cuddly toys dancing in front of her too. The baby gym is a good place for her to listen to some music and have a good kick. You can get the percussion section going with a few rattles.
Bouncing babes Sit your child on your lap and sing or recite some suitable nursery rhymes. These ones usually involve pretending to fall off - so Humpty Dumpty or This is the Way the Ladies Ride are fun. Don't bounce your baby too hard though - gentle is good!
Bookworms Reading a board book or soft book to your baby will be something new for her. Now that she can sit on your lap more easily, you can start with picture books. Your baby will be just as interested in what you say as in looking at the book, so be expressive. You can make a game of it by always tickling her when you get to the picture of the teddy bear. She'll want you to read the book just to get the tickle.
Give and take You can start to give her something and then ask her to give it back. It's nice to start this with someone else around so that she can see you passing the item back and forth. Don't be surprised if she doesn't want to give it back! She'll soon learn that it's a game, particularly if you shower her with praise when she succeeds.
Lift-off Put baby on her back and hold both of her hands. Pull her up slowly and then let her down. You can sing songs or make funny noises to make her laugh as you do this.
Babies' games for the fifth month.
Your child will be wriggling around a lot more now, and probably rolling about too. She will start to play with her own hands and feet, reaching out and grasping objects around her. She will start to babble and tries imitating sounds. She's certainly very interested in watching your mouth and seeing how you talk as well as trying to understand the words you use. She's gaining full head control, and developing that sense of humor.
Peekaboo Cover your baby's eyes with your hands and then take them off and laugh. She'll feel you're there even if she can't see you. Then hide under a blanket, or behind a book, and surprise her. Show her toys and ask where they are, then hide them, ask again, then show them! Laugh with her to show her it's funny.
Garden rhapsody Sit your baby outside in the garden or park - on a sunny day! Describe everything you can see. Blow some bubbles in the wind and let her enjoy watching them pass by. You should be able to prop her up to see what's going on.
Keep dancing Sit your little one up in your arms and ask her for another dance... swing her around gently to help her feel the movement whilst keeping her head stable.
Out of reach Lay baby on a blanket or play mat and put some toys just out of her reach. She'll soon try to wriggle towards them. Don't let her get too frustrated though. It's enough for her to show you which toy she wants. Start with one toy, then add another to the mix.
Sound it out! Now she's learning really fast. She can't reproduce most of the sounds you make, but she is storing everything up in those memory banks. Make it fun by looking at board books with animals, and imitate the animal noises. barks, miaows, birds tweeting, ducks quacking - she'll soon learn which animal makes which noise. Babies also love looking at babies. We had a lovely book with pictures of babies eating, laughing, crying, sleeping and so on. It's a great way to help her begin to understand some of the things that she does every day. Don't forget to add your sound effects to this book too!
Babies' games for the sixth month.
At around six months, your baby begins to realize just how important she is! This is a wonderful age when she really begins to contribute to the action. She will try and sit for a moment unsupported and will be wriggling around more than ever. She'll be shy of strangers though, becoming aware also of how important you are to her. Her hand movements are becoming more defined, and she will look intently at the toy she is holding and try to pass it from one hand to the other.
Name games Spend a few minutes now and then naming her nose, eyes, mouth, tummy, arms, legs, hands and feet. Lie on your tummies and examine each other's hands. Look at her fingers and repeat the word "finger" and stroke her fingers. Look at Mummy's fingers. Point to your own nose, then her own nose. Teddy's nose. You can do a gymnastics show for your little one, raising your arms in the air, patting your tummy, making funny faces and crawling around her as she lies on the floor. Say what you're doing (if you still have any breath left) and let her enjoy and learn at the same time.
Roly-poly Now that your baby can roll over, you can help her roll from side to side gently. Put a toy on either side of her so that on one side she can see teddy and on the other side sits ducky. Roll her over to teddy, then over to ducky. You can do this several times then change the toy on one side and give her a surprise when she rolls over!
Rolling toys are fun for this age too. A chunky car or small soft ball will fascinate her as she sees them move along. Play with the toys yourself in front of her so that she can see how it all works. Sit on the floor with baby sitting between your legs, her back against your tummy. Roll the car or ball to another person a few feet away. Get them to roll it back to you both. Your baby will love to feel that she is joining in the game.
Cause and effect Baby is beginning to understand that once one thing happens - something else happens! She'll soon be driving you mad dropping everything from her high chair onto the floor - but you're going to be the one to show her how to do it! You can drop things onto her play mat or into her crib, and pick them up again and again. She might even begin to pick them up for you and offer them back for a repeat performance. Roll toys off a table and make a great show of surprise that you have to pick them up again. She will love this game, particularly if you can help her to hold a toy and drop it or roll it off a surface herself.
