3 easy games to play with your baby during the lockdown
Having a newborn baby during the lockdown must be very hard. I can only imagine, how worried new parents are with what’s happening outside at the moment.
We often focus on essential things that help us to survive, but often, in our busy lives, we simply forget that playing and interacting with our baby is as important as feeding or changing her/him.
I am not going to tell you anything new. I haven’t invented brand new games. Why would I, if there are plenty of simple, traditional games I can just remind you of.
You know the games I am going to write about, because at some point in your life, you have experienced them. Those games are simple, but at the same time, very important for your baby’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Those 3 games can support development of baby’s communication skills as well as help building the unique bond between you.
Let’s start with…
Peek - a - Boo
The surprised expression on baby’s face is so priceless
This one is my favourite and I know from experience that babies at all ages love it too.
You can use your hands or a soft material to cover you face. Slowly and gently pull the material away to reveal your face saying “Peek-a-boo”. Don’t forget to smile. You can also try to cover your baby’s little face briefly and then uncover it saying “peek-a-boo”. Tiny babies 0-6 months can get scared easily so make sure they are happy and enjoy it as well as you do.
With older babies 6-12 months you can use a toy. Hide it under the material saying: “It’s gone” and when it’s found say: “ Here it is” with a smile. Your baby might copy you and try to hide the toy. Use a proper name for the toy, it will help with baby’s language development.
12-18 months old babies are quite mobile so this game can be a lot more boisterous. At this age, you can explain to your baby: “We’re going to play peek-a-boo” so they know what to expect. You can hide under the blanket or behind the door. When baby finds you say “Here I am’
bubbles
How exciting it is for a baby to pop them
Blowing bubbles with your baby and popping them is so much fun. I don’t think I need to explain how it works. What I would like to mention is, to watch your baby’s reaction. Do they smile, do they kick their feet and wave arms, or they look away and cry. For some, tiny and sensitive babies, it could be too much. It’s good to try it again another time when baby is a little bit older.
6-12 months old babies will try to reach for the bubbles and catch them. This is a great way to exercise their arm muscles as well as hand-eye coordination. Let the bubbles land on your baby belly, hands or toes and see their reaction when the bubble pops.
With older babies (12-18months) let them try to blow the bubbles and pop them. Use words such as “bubbles, pop, more, again”
Tickling
The joy of gentle tickles
At the beginning start by gently patting baby’s feet and hands to see their reaction to your touch. Say “pat pat” as you do it. Next, if your baby is happy, use your fingers and gently tap baby’s chin, cheeks, nose, etc saying “pat pat”
Later, when baby gets used to your gentle touch, you can add a rhyme “tickle your tum, tickle your nose, tickle your knees and tickle your toes.” You may also try to nuzzle your baby with your nose or hair, see if they like it.
One year old and older baby will respond to your question by pointing or nodding the head. Give them a choice: “shall I tickle your tummy, or toes?” This is such an amazing way of communicating with your baby.
To make this simple game more interesting, you can use a puppet or put a sock on your hand.
I’m sure you know many other ways to play with your baby.Play as often as you can, because,
Believe me, babies grow way too fast…
Love,
Magda xx