My kids are three and a half now (the half is very important) and it's wonderful to see how well they are progressing and not a day goes by when they do not amaze me. We've always placed a huge emphasis on play in our family, right from the word go and we're convinced that the amount of time we spend simply playing with our children since they were born has helped them to develop.
So my ears pricked up when I recently stumbled across an interesting article from the National Toy Council which explains how play can help babies develop socially, mentally and physically. It’s a long article so I’ll try and summarise it in as few words as possible.
Play is an essential part of growing up.
It spans all cultures across the world and is a universal language. Have you ever been on holiday to a foreign country and noticed how children from different nationalities (and languages) instantly connect on the beach or swimming pool by one common desire, to play?
So what is play exactly?
Essentially, play allows children to interact with the people around them, whether it’s with their parents or their siblings or friends. This interaction with the people who are closest to them allows children to develop key social skills which are essential in later life. Play also allows them to learn about themselves and the environment in which they are growing up and enables them to adapt to different environments in the future.
A baby experiences an enormous amount of mental and physical development from the moment he or she is conceived. This continues apace once they are born and the experiences a parent exposes their baby to through play can increase their ability to learn and be happy as play is a major factor in developing key early skills such as:
- Fine and gross motor skills
- The regulation of their emotions
- The ability to cope with stress
- Attention and perception
- The role of different genders
There are a number of games, activities and baby toys that are recommended by the National Toy Council to encourage emotional and physical development of your baby.
The activities and games they suggest for younger babies up to 6 months are:
- Constant communication with your baby, even if you’re just doing the housework!
- Playing simple games such as Peek a Boo
- Singing to your baby
- Dancing whilst holding your baby
- Pull faces so they can copy you
- Tickling!
The toys they suggest for babies up to 6 months are:
- A play mat that lets them touch, feel and see new shapes, textures and colours
- A brightly coloured baby mobile to hang over their cot
- Noisy toys such as baby rattles
- Books with pictures of faces or brightly coloured animals
- Beads on their pram to entertain whilst shopping or walking
For babies older than 6 months, the games and toys change as they are now able to grasp objects, sit up on their own and enjoy playing independently.
The activities and games you play with your baby in the first 6 months can continue but can also include some emphasis on more physical play and wherever possible expose your baby to new sights and sounds such as pets, flowers and trees.
In terms of toys, the older baby will still enjoy the toys that you played with in their first 6 months but you can now add other toys such as:
- Everyday items such as wooden spoons and pots and pans
- Teething toys so they can learn co-ordination by picking up and putting in the mouth
- Cuddly toys
- Stacking toys
No matter how old your baby, it’s important to make them feel safe and happy and to have lots of fun. They will only be this young for so long so enjoy every precious moment!
For some ideas on toys for your baby, take a peek at out Early Learning section of the site – we’re sure you’ll find something for your little bundle of happiness.
