Games babies love
Games teach your baby a wide range of social, physical and mental skills, and babies find them endlessly amusing. Choose games that you enjoy too. Your mutual enjoyment will be infectious.
Musical mittens
Toys that make noise will arouse your baby's interest as he tries to connect the source of the sound with his ears and his eyes. To play "musical mittens," take some brightly-coloured mittens and sew a tiny bell securely onto each one (a bell that could be easily pulled off poses a choking risk for your child). Put the mittens on his hands. He will soon discover that when he waves his hands, the mittens make a tinkling noise.
Sing along with Dad
Most babies like the sound of your singing, no matter what the rest of the world thinks. Lullabies and nursery rhymes are always a hit. Get some CDs or tapes to remind you of the words and the melodies. Sit your baby on your lap and bounce him to the rhythm of a nursery rhyme. Lift him up into the air, wiggle him to the beat, and bring him back down to a safe place on your lap for the finale.
What's in the cupboard?
Your baby loves to have things to grab and hold, to feel and play with different shapes and textures. Along with rattles and other toys, let him explore household objects such as spoons, pots, pans, cans, plastic or paper cups, and empty shoe boxes — after you've first ensured that the area is childproofed.
Peekaboo forever
Peekaboo is a standby that never falls to amuse. Cover your face with your hands, a blanket, or a piece of clothing. Say, "Where's mommy?" Uncover your face and say, "Peekaboo, I see you!" And don't forget hand games like Round and Round the Garden, Patty-Cake, and The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.
Blockbuster
Babies love the infinite possibilities of blocks. Watch your baby pick up blocks, transfer them from hand to hand, bang them together, drop them, and stack them.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Mirrors give babies a change of view. Use a metal safety mirror rather than a glass one. Hang it near the crib or changing table, but out of the baby's reach.
Fly, baby, fly
This exercise will benefit both of you. Lie on your back with your knees and feet up. Lift your baby up so that his torso and legs are resting on your shins. Hold his arms at your knees to support him and look at each other's faces. Raise your knees and lift his arms into the air so that he's "flying," but still securely held.
Excerpted from Growing with Your Child: Pre-Birth to Age 5 by Christine Langlois. Copyright 1998 by Telemedia Communications Inc. Excerpted, with permission by Ballantine Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
