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Games Babies Play

How a Little Fun Can Go a Long Way

By Lyn Mettler

lier. In the last year, she's had two babies start walking at only 10 months.

Playing educational games with your baby helps him develop a wide range of skills that he'll need to function in the world. "Play affects all aspects of development, from motor skills to cognitive and social abilities," says Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon, a developmental psychologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland. "These skills include hand-eye coordination, fine muscle movements and learning to take turns with another person. Through play, babies practice their skills, continually developing them as they do."

For example, when Acredolo's son was just 2 months old, she loosely attached a ribbon to his leg tied to bells on a rack over his head. He would play for 45 minutes uninterrupted, helping her finish some much-needed work. Such a game helps babies learn to solve problems in their attempts to figure out that they are actually making the bell ring by moving, says Acredolo. "Babies like to problem solve," she says.

Another game that's great for babies of any age helps them learn the earliest skills needed for reading. To read, you must be able to distinguish different letters, which requires scanning and comparing and noticing subtle differences. To stimulate this type of learning, Acredolo suggests putting two slightly different pictures next to one another over the changing table or out of Baby's reach next to the crib. Make the difference easy to spot such as using a picture of Big Bird and putting a hat on one of the images. Talk with your baby and ask, "What's different about Big Bird today?" Make a game of it, and change it regularly.

In order to help your baby learn, it's important to repeat the activity regularly. "Babies learn through repetition," says Morey. She suggests doing the same activity every day, gradually building on it by altering the activity as Baby develops and is ready to do more. Try making a ritual out of it by playing the game at the same time every day as part of another activity. Maybe you always play peek-a-boo while changing diapers, or maybe you play during bath time. "Rituals are really important with children because they allow the child to feel safe," says Morey.

Knowing when your child is ready for certain games is also important. Sometimes you can over-stimulate babies by doing activities they are developmentally not ready for. Signs of over-stimulation include crying, falling asleep or turning the head away. You can learn age-appropriate activities by reading books, attending infant development classes or even surfing online.

But no matter what you do, make sure it's fun for you and your baby. Playing games will help the two of you share an even closer bond. "It is a special bonding time with the parent," says Rosenblum. "There are so many things to do with your child, and when you see that first smile, laugh and them trying to imitate a game, it is so rewarding."

"It's a brilliant time in the child's life and the parent's life if you take advantage of it," says Morey.

Want to see more?

• Talk about it!
• The Mind of the Baby: Unleashing Your Child's Potential
• Make Learning Fun: Developmental Games for Baby
• Brain Builders: An Introduction