Now that your baby is a little bit more aware, mobile, and can control their little fingers enough to grab at things, you might not be surprised to know that playtime is even more fun. Your baby will spend the first 12 months of their life busily exploring and learning about the world around them. Every moment that your baby is awake he or she is learning boundless things about life, and themselves. You can help your baby in their discovery by playing with them.
Playing with your baby at this age is about playing simple games and sharing experiences that will help stimulate their imagination. Things such as pulling funny faces, playing peek-a-boo and singing will start to get a greater reaction around the 3 month mark, and baby will start to mimic back to you.
Your baby will most likely enjoy playing with toys that incorporate various textures to familiarise with, sounds to listen to and different visual components. Your baby will also start to interact more with other people and babies they come in contact with. As your baby grows a couple of months older, you will notice they start to enjoy loud, fast and exciting play; such as being bounced on your knee and being lifted in the air.
The first 12 months of a person’s life is the most highly concentrated period of learning and development. Babies learn by growing, watching, and experiencing the world and people around them. You should talk to your baby often, and even start to read aloud to them from very early on, as this helps your little one as they start to form the ability to make their own noises and eventually talk.
raisingchildren.net.au. (2020, April 3). Imagining, creating and play: babies. Retrieved from https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/play-learning/play-baby-development/imagining-play-babies