How to play with your baby

As a new parent, keeping your brand-new baby fed, changed, and rested probably consumes most of your brain space and fills your days. You and your little one have been bonding and adapting to this new family you have together, so don't worry if playtime hasn't been at the top of your priority list.

The truth is, babies spend all of their waking moments learning just by observing and participating in their environment. So, whether you're chatting during diaper changes or kissing their cheeks before a nap, you're creating a learning environment just by being someone they can trust.

If you're ready to add some play to your days, know that repetition is important. Many games won't work the first time you play them. Your baby's attention span will vary a lot, depending on their age, temperament, and mood. Sometimes they'll enjoy a game for as long as 20 minutes, but more often you'll need to modify the game every five minutes or so.

You'll know your baby's loving your antics when they're turning toward you, smiling, or laughing. But if they squirm away from you, look away, or cry, it's time to take a break.

Not every baby will catch on to every game. Don't worry if your baby isn't interested in some of the activities you try. But if you have any concerns about your baby's development, or suspect a possible developmental delay, talk to your baby's doctor.

To make the most of your baby's playtime, try these suggestions:

  • Play when your baby is happy and rested. And be sure to stop when they've had enough. Children have different thresholds for stimulation. When yours seems bored, fussy, or tired, it's time for a break.
  • Let your baby play alone. You might be your baby's favorite person, but they don't need you to play with them all the time. Your baby might enjoy some "alone time" while you're doing another task nearby. Put them in a safe space on the floor with toys nearby, or on a play mat with hanging toys they can kick with their feet.
  • Think of "toys" more broadly. If you've ever seen a baby enthralled with a cardboard box, you understand how babies can find fun in almost anything. Let your baby bang pots and pans together in the kitchen or pour water from plastic cups in the tub.
  • Add fun to your daily routine. Every interaction you have with your baby can be full of fun and learning – from playing "This Little Piggy" with their toes while you change their diaper to singing songs while they splash in the tub. Your baby will love playing during these everyday interactions.
  • Don't fear boredom. Our busy, modern lifestyles can rob children of the free time that's an important part of learning through play. Allow for downtime in your baby's day whenever you can, and use these moments of calm as a time for your baby to play.

Best games for babies

Games to play with newborns (birth to 3 months)

Newborns can't play like older babies just yet, so your best chance of connecting with them is to engage their senses of touch, sight (remember, your newborn can't see very far), smell, and hearing.

It may take your newborn several seconds to respond to you, or they may not respond much at all. Be patient – you may need to wait until they enter an alert, responsive state.

Slow dance

Turn on calming music and hold your baby in your arms for a gentle dance. Very little babies will prefer slow swaying while resting on your shoulder. Later on, they may enjoy being gently rocked in your arms. (Just be sure to offer head support.) Touch facilitates bonding, which provides the security your baby needs to learn.

When your arms get tired, you can put your baby down and keep up the dancing for your tiny audience. Cheerful and silly play is a great way to connect with your baby.

Show and tell

During these early months, your baby is learning to coordinate their head and eye movements. You can encourage this developing skill with a game of show and tell using objects like a board book, a stuffed animal, or a rattle.

When your baby's alert and responsive, pick up one of these objects and hold it in front of their face. Once they take notice, move it slowly from side to side so they can track it with their eyes. You're helping them hone their vision!

Story time

It's not too soon to start reading to your baby. By making reading a part of your daily routine, you're encouraging language skills. They might not follow the story or understand the words you say, but your baby is learning about language by listening to your voice. Plus, daily routines create security, and babies' brains develop best in a reassuring environment with people they love.

Babies don't tend to sit through a whole story, though, and when they're a few months older they may grab the books from you and close them. This is all normal. Babies love looking at books and cuddling close to you, but they usually don't care about the plot.

Funny faces

Newborns learn a lot about the world by watching, and often imitating, the people around them. Even when they're very young, they'll try to mimic you. You may notice your baby experimenting with making faces at you, and you can turn this into a funny game. Get down on their level and smile or stick your tongue out. With time, you'll notice them trying to follow suit.

Don't stop at funny faces: Your little one will enjoy hearing you make funny sounds, too. You can start teaching them animal sounds, songs, silly laughs, and car noises long before they can make them back. These copycat games can help your baby learn basic language skills.

Tummy time

It's important to have your baby spend time on their tummy, even if they protest. Tummy time is a crucial exercise for young babies, helping them build strength in their neck, back, and arms and preparing them for future milestones like rolling over, sitting up, and crawling.

To make tummy time more fun, get down on the floor with your baby and show them a toy or board book. You may want to put your baby down on a towel and use it to gently roll them from side to side. Try saying, "Oops-a-daisy, Oops-a-daisy" as you roll them. Or, lie on your back and put your baby tummy-down on your belly.

Feel and grab

You haven't spent a lifetime accumulating a closetful of bright, tactile clothing for nothing. Dig into your closet and show your baby your cashmere sweater, your cottony-soft favorite jeans, or your silky robe. Run soft fabrics over their face, hands, and feet. Spread fuzzy sweaters down on the floor and put your baby on top of them.

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

Grasping objects is a milestone that's in the near future for your newborn. (They'll be able to grab things between 3 and 4 months old.) Help them practice this skill during playtime by keeping objects they can reach for nearby, like a teething ring or soft toys hanging from a play mat.

Sing-along

You may have a terrible voice – but your baby doesn't know it! Now's the time to set the diva inside you free.

Your baby may like absolutely anything you sing, but there are some classics to familiarize yourself with. Add "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "The Wheels on the Bus," "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," and "Patty-Cake," to your repertoire. Don't forget to learn hand movements while you're at it!

You may feel silly at first, but as your child gets into the songs, so will you. Try adding your baby's name to the song: "Old Mac Ethan had a farm," "Kate is my sunshine, my only sunshine," and so on. Try songs with silly sounds or animal noises in them, like "Witch Doctor" or "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?"

Try singing songs with a hand puppet (or a napkin or sock willing to play the part of a hand puppet). Singing to your little one can be seriously fun, and it's a learning experience, too. When your baby listens to you sing, they're learning about language and preparing to say their first words, too.

Games to play with 4-month-old to 6-month-old babies

At this age, your baby will become a lot more physical, rolling over both ways and even sitting up. Games can get more active now, too. Your baby might enjoy "pony rides" on your knee or tickle games. They're also more responsive to you, making noises and meeting your eyes.

Super smells

You're in the kitchen, trying to throw some kind of dinner together when your baby starts wailing. Take them over to the spice rack and introduce them to the intoxicating scent of cinnamon. Rub some on your hand and put it up to your baby's nose. (Don't let it get in their eyes or mouth.)

If they like it, try others: Vanilla, peppermint, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and many other herbs and spices have intriguing fragrances that your baby might love. Other household goods are fragrant, too: shaving lotion, hand cream. Sniff out everything yummy – just be careful not to let your baby eat it.

A simple game of "what's that smell?" can help your baby make connections between the information their senses are taking in and the world around them. And once your baby's ready to start solid foods, introducing them to different flavors (and even some spices and seasonings) will help expand their taste palate as well.

Narrate your day

Your baby loves to listen to your voice, so don't be shy about keeping them informed about what you're doing and thinking throughout the day. You can describe what you're up to while you're making your lunch or picking up around the house. On a walk, point out the things you're passing or describe how the weather feels. When you're at the grocery store, mention items on the shelves by name as you roll past with the shopping cart.

You might feel like you're talking to yourself, but all of this chit-chat is already paying off even though your baby can't answer back. Language development begins in the womb and continues each day that follows. Listening to you talk is one important way your baby will begin to piece together the meaning of words and eventually learn to say those words back to you.

Bubbles everywhere

There's something magical about bubbles, and at this point, your baby can see far enough away to focus on them. Blow bubbles when they're getting fussy and watch the tears dry up. Blow bubbles in the bathtub, at the park, or on the front porch.

Bubbles are cheap, easily transportable, and endlessly fascinating for babies. Similar to watching moving toys or a mobile, watching bubbles float helps babies strengthen their ability to track objects with their eyes. At this age, babies are learning cause and effect, and they'll enjoy seeing what happens to each bubble they hit with their hands.

I'm gonna get you!

Your baby is old enough to have a sense of anticipation. And no baby can avoid giggling when you're coming at them with a joking threat of hugs, kisses, or tickles. Here's what you could say: "I see you over there sitting up! Well, that just makes you closer to my lips and I'm going to come over there and kiss you! I'm going to steal a kiss, baby! I'm coming! I'm coming! I... gotcha!" Then cover your baby in smooches.

Expect your baby to laugh or even give you a happy scream. Responding to your teasing and kisses with laughter is a social skill, their way of letting you know they're having a good time.

This little piggy

Touch your baby's toes in turn, starting with the big toe. Say, "This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none. And this little piggy went wee-wee-wee all the way home."

As you say that last part, squeeze your baby's little toe gently or run your fingers up your baby's leg. This game is useful for putting on socks and shoes or distracting your baby during diaper changes. You can also play this in the bathtub with a squirt bottle targeting your baby's toes. Like many baby games, this one showers your baby with the love and laughter that are so good for their developing brain.

ring stacking toy

Airplane

Now that your baby can hold their head up, help them continue to strengthen their upper body by hoisting them in the air. You can play that they're a rocket ship, flying them over you and making rocket noises. You can pretend that your baby is in an elevator, which jerks up floor by floor before sinking quickly to the bottom. Or pretend that your baby's doing a helicopter traffic report. Just watch out that your little one doesn't suddenly drop their head down onto yours, which hurts like crazy.

If your baby has a strong upper body, they may enjoy playing airplane. While you're lying on the floor on your back, rest them on your shins (while holding their hands). Then use your legs to "fly" your baby around.

Games to play with 7-month-old to 9-month-old babies

Your baby's becoming an expert at sitting and may soon be crawling as well. Encourage these physical feats by celebrating each new milestone with applause and a cheer.

Band practice

If your baby has one object, they'll bang it on the table. If they have two objects, they might bang them together, hold them up to the light, squint at them, bang them separately on the table, hit the table with both at the same time, see if the object sounds different when hit using the left hand rather than the right hand, and on and on. Help them out by handing over objects that make interesting sounds: hollow containers, wooden spoons, or bells.

Your baby is doing so much more than making a lot of noise. At this age, babies are learning about cause and effect. When they bang an item against a table, it's a mini-experiment, their way of checking out what will happen next.

Obstacle course

Once your baby's crawling, they may enjoy the challenge of having to move over things. (This is great for developing their motor skills, too.) Couch pillows, empty boxes, and piles of laundry make good obstacles. Just make sure to supervise your baby so they don't get stuck under or in anything.

Peek-a-boo

Your baby now understands 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.

The classic: Cover your face with your hands or a blanket, then reveal your face with a loud "peek-a-boo! I see you!" (repeat until your baby stops laughing). You can vary this game in a million ways. Hide just out of your baby's line of sight or behind a chair and pop out. Hide a stuffy behind your back and have it pop out and say "peek-a-boo." Or, keep a selection of hats behind the couch and pop up wearing a different one each time.

A surefire laugh-getter is to put a hat on your head, low enough to cover your eyes, and let your baby take it off, saying "Oh!" in surprise each time they do it. (This will also guarantee that you'll never wear a hat in peace again.)

Roll play

Babies are fascinated by balls and how they move. You'll get a big laugh by juggling or tossing balls up in the air and letting them hit the floor while you make a silly sound effect: "Whoops!" Roll a soft ball toward your baby and watch them grab and squeeze it. Around 9 months old, babies start learning how to roll a ball back toward you. They might not get it at first, but with practice, they'll figure out how to send the ball back your way.

Games to play with 10-month-old to 1-year-old babies

Developmentally, your baby has suddenly morphed into an almost-toddler. Games that allow them to practice gross motor skills such as standing and cruising are important for them now. Your baby will also enjoy working on their fine motor skills by fiddling with the tag on your shirt or the pages of a book.

Home organizer

Your baby is figuring out connections between things. They'll love to stack and arrange objects, as well as fill and empty them.

Give your baby a box that's easy to open (like a shoe box) and show them how to put things inside and take them out. Another way to play this game: Get a bunch of cups (maybe even stackable measuring cups) and show your baby how to pour water, sand, or cornmeal from one to the other, or into a larger container.

Your baby's fine motor skills are just beginning to improve. Games that involve stacking, grabbing, and moving toys are one way to help them grow in this area.

Cruising practice

Once your baby is up on their feet, you can encourage "cruising" (walking while holding on to things for balance). Place a favorite toy at the far end of the couch or over on the coffee table. Try enticing your baby by putting one of your toys, such as your sunglasses, a distance away and cruising on your knees toward it. Your baby may find this amusing and attempt to join you.

Your baby may enjoy pushing an object around the room, like a push toy or a large, empty box.

Pat-a-cake

Games that involve rhyming and repeated movements and words are good for building language skills and improving your baby's memory. Pat-a-cake is a classic baby game that encourages these skills, as well as clapping.

Use these words:

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man

Bake me a cake as fast as you can!

Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a "B"

And put it in the oven for baby and me!

As you say "pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake" you can clap and then gently touch your baby's tummy with both hands. You can also pretend to roll and pat the cake, trace the "B" in the air in front of your baby or on your baby's tummy, and pretend to put the cake in an oven.

Water play

Encourage your baby's fun by adding lots of toys to the tub. Plenty of stuff around the house can be endlessly filled, drained, poured from or into, and floated. Pile up some plastic cups, yogurt containers, funnels, and squeeze bottles, and bring them into the bath along with any of your baby's favorite bath toys. At this age, your baby is still learning about cause and effect. Filling and draining bath toys is one of the many ways your little scientist can experiment.