A few notes for the novice baby-entertainer: Repetition is of import. Many games won't work the first time y'all play them. Your baby's attention span will vary a lot, depending on his age, his temperament, and his mood. Sometimes he'll enjoy a game for as long every bit 20 minutes, only more ofttimes yous'll demand to modify the game every five minutes or then. You lot'll know your infant's loving your antics when he's turning toward you, smile, or laughing. Only if he squirms away from yous, looks away, or cries, it'due south fourth dimension to change the activeness.

Not every baby volition grab on to every game. Don't permit this to freak y'all out, but of course if you have concerns nigh a possible developmental delay, talk to your infant's doctor.

Nascency to 3 months

To the outside observer, a newborn basically seems like a pooping ball of protoplasm. Your baby will generally but prevarication in that location, except when he's crying. Then how tin you connect with him and take fun?

Your all-time adventure of doing this is to appoint your baby's senses: touch, sight (retrieve, your baby is still very nearsighted), odour, and hearing. (Allow'south get out gustation out for now.) By the end of his first three months, your baby may reach out and try to grab things and will be fascinated by sounds, smells, and patterns.

Notation: It may accept your newborn several seconds to respond to you or he may not respond much at all. Be patient – you may demand to proceed trying or expect a while for him to enter an alert, responsive land.

Dance, Dance Revolution

In the afternoons when my own baby got grumpy, nothing worked every bit well as dancing with her. I'd put on some music – she preferred soulful tunes from Stevie Wonder and James Brown – and either put her in the sling or hold her in my arms.

At start she preferred soft swaying. Afterwards on she liked me to swing her in the air or bump her upwardly and down rather rudely. (Simply be sure to offer neck back up and don't shake your baby.) When your arms get tired, put your baby downward and keep upwardly the trip the light fantastic.

Silly exaggerated movements like jazz hands or shaking your butt are particularly funny to babies. Close the drapes and so the neighbors won't meet.

Let's Look at Stuff

Most of your early playtime volition be spent showing your baby stuff. Any object in the house that won't poison, electrocute, or otherwise hurt him is fair game. Babies love egg beaters, spoons, wire whisks, spatulas, books and magazines with pictures, bottles of shampoo or conditioner (don't go out your baby alone with these!), tape albums, colorful fabrics or dress, fruits and vegetables, and then on.

Keep a niggling stash of objects beside you lot and sit with your baby. When the moment's right, whip something out like a wizard. "Expect, Kyle, Daddy's bicycle bell." Hold the object however near a pes from his face up and stare at it yourself. Hey, now that you look at it, that bicycle bell is kind of interesting. Congratulations! You lot're thinking similar a baby!

Oh, and don't expect babies to really "get" books at this age. You'll know they're enjoying them by their style of getting nonetheless and watchful when you bring a favorite book out.

Babies don't tend to sit down through a whole story, though, and when they're a few months older they'll grab the books from you and close them. This is all developmental stuff. Babies love looking at books and cuddling close to you, just they usually don't intendance about the plot.

Journey Into Mom'south Closet

You haven't spent a lifetime accumulating a closetful of bright, slinky, tactile clothing for cypher. Dig into your closet and testify your infant your cashmere sweater, your cottony-soft favorite jeans, your bright plaid skirt. Run soft or silky fabrics over her face, hands, and feet. Lay fuzzy stuff downward on the floor and put your baby on peak of it.

In a few months, your baby will desire to run her hands over anything beaded, embroidered, or otherwise embellished. But for now, she may just be content to gaze in wonder.

Hey! What's Over My Head?

Yous'll be amazed at how much fun you tin have with the simplest stuff around your house. Here are iii ideas to start yous off:

Tie or tape some ribbons, cloth, or other interesting streamers onto a wooden spoon and dangle them gently over and in front of your babe'south confront.

Have a floaty scarf and fling it into the air, letting it settle on your infant'south head.

Tie a toy to an elastic string (like the kind used for cat toys) and bounce it up and down in front of your baby's face, saying "Boing! Boing!" every fourth dimension information technology descends.

Remember, never exit your baby alone with strings or ribbons that could encircle his cervix or that he could get into his rima oris.

The Diva Within

You may take a terrible vox – just your kid doesn't know information technology! Now's the fourth dimension to sing at volume 10, so gear up complimentary that opera voice within yous.

Your baby may like absolutely anything yous sing, but there are some classics you should know. "Itsy Bitsy Spider" was the merely vocal that made my infant finish crying when she was on a jag. And most kids similar any song with movements – "The Wheels on the Bus," "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Caput, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," and "Patty-Cake," to name a few. (If you lot don't remember the words to a favorite vocal, only look online.)

You may feel silly at first, but equally your child gets into information technology, and so volition you lot. Endeavor adding your babe's proper noun to the song: "Sometime Mac Ethan had a farm," "Kate is my sunshine, my only sunshine," and so on. Endeavor songs with silly sounds or animal noises in them, like "Witch Doctor" or "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?"

Effort singing a song in a low growly vocalization and so in a high squeaky vocalization, to see which gets the most reaction. Try singing the song breathily into your baby's ear, or use a manus puppet (or a napkin or sock willing to play the office of a paw puppet). And get used to singing, because this could begin to consume up a significant portion of your solar day.

four to half dozen months

At this age, your baby volition become a lot more physical, learning how to roll over and even sit down upward. She can now agree, handle, and mouth objects, and she'll spend a skilful role of her decorated days doing and then (meaning extra vigilance is needed on your part).

Games tin can get more physical now. Your infant might enjoy knee rides or tickle games. She's as well more responsive to yous, making noises and meeting your eyes.

Smell the Spice Rack

Y'all're in the kitchen, trying to throw some kind of dinner together when your infant starts wailing. Have him over to the spice rack and introduce him to the intoxicating scent of cinnamon. Rub some on your hand and put it up to your baby's olfactory organ. (Don't let it go far his eyes or mouth.)

If he likes it, try others: Vanilla, peppermint, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and many other herbs and spices have intriguing fragrances that your baby might dearest. Other household goods are fragrant, also: Dad'south shaving lotion, Mom's hand cream. Sniff out everything yummy – simply be conscientious not to permit your baby eat it!

Bubbling, Bubbles Everywhere

There's something magical about bubbling, and at this point your baby can see far enough away to focus on them. Blow bubbling when she's getting fussy waiting for the motorbus and spotter the tears dry upwardly. Blow bubbles in the park to attract older kids who'll caper nearby and entertain your baby in the process. Blow bubbling in the bathtub or out on the porch when it'southward late afternoon and your babe is cranky. Bubbling are unbelievably inexpensive, easily transportable, and incessantly fascinating for babies.

I'm Gonna Get You!

Your baby is old plenty to have a sense of anticipation at present. And no baby tin can resist your coming at him mock-menacingly with a threat of hugs, kisses, or tickles. Here's what you could say: "Hey, Sweetpea! I see you over at that place sitting up! Well, that just makes you closer to my lips and I'm going to come up over there and buss you! I'm going to steal a kiss, baby! I'm coming! I'm coming! I... gotcha!" And so cover your baby in smooches.

In our house we threaten to eat the babe and punctuate our advances with lip chomps on her fatty little feet. A effeminateness! When your babe's older y'all can change this game to include a chase around the firm – this works wonderfully as a style to become your kid out the door when y'all're in a blitz.

This Little Piggy

Touch your baby's toes in plow, starting with the big toe. Say, "This footling piggy went to market, this petty piggy stayed home, this piffling piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none. Andthis little piggy went wee-wee-wee all the fashion home."

Every bit you say that last part, run your fingers up your baby's abdomen. This game is useful for putting on socks and shoes or distracting your baby during diaper changes. You can besides play this game in the bathtub with a squirt bottle targeting your baby's toes.

ring stacking toy

Tummy Time

It'due south important to accept your baby spend time on her tummy, even if she protests vociferously.

Get down on the floor with your baby. Look her in the eye every bit you lot lie on your own belly. Lay your baby down on a towel and use it to gently roll her from side to side. Attempt maxim, "Oops-a-daisy,Oops-a-daisy" every bit you lot roll her.

Fly, Infant, Fly!

Now that your baby can hold his head up, it'southward time to hoist him into the air. You can play that he'south a rocket ship, flying him over you and making realistic rocket noises. You tin play that your baby is in an elevator, which advances up flooring past floor earlier sinking quickly to the bottom (my husband likes to crash-land noses with our baby and say "Ding!" at this point). Or pretend that your baby'southward doing a helicopter traffic report.

7 to nine months

Your baby's condign an expert at sitting and may soon exist crawling every bit well. Encourage these physical feats by celebrating each new milestone with claps and a cheer: "Yay, you sat up! Astonishing baby!"

The ability to transfer objects from hand to hand and the fabulous pincer grasp are part of your baby's increasing hand command (which means you'll exist forced to carry a container of O-shaped cereal with you at all times for the next year).

Your baby also begins to empathise that when an object moves out of sight, it hasn't disappeared from the face of the earth. This discovery makes games like peek-a-boo a favorite.

Touch on Information technology, Hold Information technology, Blindside It

If your baby has ane object, she'll bang it on the tabular array. If she has 2 objects, she'll blindside them together, hold them up to the light, squint at them, bang them separately on the table, hitting the table with both at the same fourth dimension, come across if the object sounds different when striking using the left manus rather than the correct hand, and on and on.

Help her out by handing over objects that make interesting sounds: hollow containers, metal spoons, bells.

Pay attending to tactile sensations as well: Your baby volition be fascinated by an embossed greeting card or the slickness of Mom'southward enameled jewelry box. A babe with strands of cooked spaghetti to play with will be thoroughly entranced.

I Can Control the World

Babies love cause and upshot at this age, as in: I practice this, the light comes on. I do that, the light goes off. Showing your baby how to piece of work calorie-free switches, faucets, doorbells, and more will thrill him – only tin can make life more than difficult for y'all when he insists on being held upward to work the lights yet once more.

Instead, y'all may want to offer a other dangers (dressers with drawers pulled out tin turn over on a kid) so permit your infant become to boondocks.

Obstacle Course

If your babe's crawling, scooting, or walking, she may enjoy the challenge of having to motion over things. (This is great for developing her motor skills, too.) Pillows, tired parents, and laundry make adept obstacles. Sleeping cats exercise not.

Then Many Variations on Peek-a-boo

The classic: Hold upward a towel between your face and your baby's and ask, "Where's Sam?There'due south Sam!" over and over over again. You tin vary this game in a meg ways. Hide backside a door and brand your babe push it open up to encounter you. Hide behind a chair and pop out first from above then from the sides. Become behind a corner with another person and alternate who jumps out and yells "Boo!"

Keep a pick of hats behind the couch and popular upward wearing a different ane each time. A surefire laugh-getter is to put a chapeau on your caput, low enough to embrace your eyes, and allow your infant take information technology off, saying "Oh!" in surprise each time he does it. (This will too guarantee that yous'll never habiliment a hat in peace again.)

Curl Play

Babies are fascinated by balls and how they move. Yous'll get a big laugh by juggling or tossing balls up in the air and letting them hit the floor while you brand a silly sound consequence: "Whoops!" Roll a soft brawl toward your baby and scout her grab and squeeze information technology. Somewhen, with encouragement, she'll roll the brawl back toward you. And someday she'll be able to kick and toss the ball or drib it into a large bowl or bucket. For now, bounce and roll.

ten to 12 months

Developmentally, your infant has all of a sudden morphed into an well-nigh-toddler. Games that let him to practice so-called gross motor skills such equally standing, pulling up, and climbing are important for him now. Your baby volition also like to work on his fine motor skills past fiddling with the tag on your shirt or the pages of a book – and perchance your breasts or bra if he's still nursing.

Rearrange and Re-rearrange

Your babe is figuring out the connections betwixt objects in the globe. She'll love to stack and conform objects, as well as fill and empty them.

Requite your baby a box that'south easy to open (similar a shoe box) and bear witness her how to put things within and take them out. At our house, this game chop-chop evolves into "Take everything out of Mommy's purse and fling information technology wildly effectually the living room," which is why I no longer carry change or pens.

Another way to play this game: Get a bunch of cups (perhaps even stackable measuring cups – ooh, two toys in one!) and show your baby how to cascade water, sand, or cornmeal from 1 to the other, or into a larger container.

The Endless Cruise

Once your babe is upwardly on his anxiety, you lot tin can encourage cruising by placing a favorite toy at the far finish of the burrow or over on the coffee table. Try enticing your infant by putting ane ofyour toys, such as your or sunglasses, a distance abroad and cruising on your knees toward information technology. Your baby may find this amusing and attempt to join you.

Encourage your baby to push button an object effectually the room. Button toys and big empty boxes work well. Avoid folding chairs, which can fold up unexpectedly.

Top That Kid

Babies this age love to imitate. Encourage this beliefs by making a ridiculous noise and then nodding at your baby to go ahead and try a noise. She may imitate you lot or make her own noise, which you tin imitate. Or you can make up a new noise of your own.

You lot can also play this game with faces or movements – our child likes to heighten her arms in a V shape and wave them around. When we do it back, her expression is of someone witnessing magic.

The Bathroom Is Fun

No longer is your infant content to sit in the tub and exist washed. Older babies want to stand up, splash, catch your pilus, pat the shower curtain, and so on. (Notation: Never leave a baby unattended in the bath, not fifty-fifty for a infinitesimal.)

Encourage the fun by adding lots of toys to the tub. Enough of stuff effectually the house can be endlessly filled, drained, poured from or into, and floated. Pile upwardly some plastic cups, yogurt containers, funnels, and squeeze bottles, and bring them into the bath along with any of your baby's plastic toys.

Poke holes in the top of a plastic bottle with a flat cap to brand a bootleg watering can. Let your baby feel the sensation of the h2o dripping onto him and prove him how to cut off the period by blocking it with his manus. Use your homemade toy to give his rubber ducky a shower.

At the finish of the bath, drain the toys in a plastic colander or a cyberspace bag suction-cupped to the side of the tub. Hopefully your baby is make clean, happy, and ready to sleep. Wasn't that fun?