Age Appropriate Games to Play at Home 

Playing with your little one not only helps you bond with them, but it also helps them develop motor skills, social skills, and emotional skills. Here are some easy games to play at home with your little one based on their age!

 

Newborn to 3 Months

Puppet Play: Whether it’s just your hand, a sock, or an actual puppet, puppet play is a fun way to connect with your baby! Move the puppet around, consider doing a little dance or singing songs or using a funny voice. 

Footloose: Play your baby gently on your shoulder and gently dance with them. They will enjoy the movement and at the same time will learn to tolerate the slight pressure against their tummy.

Pat-a-Cake: Hold your baby’s hands and gently clap them together to play a game of pat-a-cake:

“Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man (clap their hands together with the beat)

Bake me a cake as fast as you can

Roll it (Roll her hands around each other) and pat it (Clap)

and mark it with a B (Guide her finger to write a B in the air)

And put it in the oven for baby and me.” (Kiss your baby!)

 

4 to 6 Months

Block Building: Stack up some blocks and encourage your baby to bat at and reach for them. Most infants absolutely love to see and hear the blocks tumble to the ground!

This Little Piggy: Hold your baby’s foot up and wiggle each toe to the popular song, This Little Piggy.

“This little piggy went to market (big toe)

This little piggy stayed home (second toe)

This little piggy had roast beef (third toe)

This little piggy had none (fourth toe)

And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home (little toe)”

 

7 to 9 Months

The Humpty Dance: Sit your infant on your lap, either sitting up or tummy down, and gently bounce your legs up and down. For more fun, do this while using a rocking chair!

See You Later, Alligator: With your baby seated in front of you, hide a rattle under a blanket or behind your back. Shake the rattle while hiding it and see what happens. If your baby loses interest once it’s hidden, reveal part of the rattle and ask, “Where’s the toy?”

 

10 to 12 Months

Marching On: While seated, stand your baby on your thighs. Hold your baby’s hips and slowly make stepping motions by moving your legs up and down, one side at a time. Sing your favorite song.

Drumming: Whether with toy drumsticks or your fingers (or theirs) practicing drumming on your leg, theirs, or a drum itself is fun for little ones! 

 

Get Creative and Enjoy This Time

You have the knowledge and tools to make play a fun and stimulating part of your baby’s daily routine. Keep it simple, be flexible, and do what works for you and your child! 

 

For questions or any other concerns, Augusta Pediatrics can be reached at (706) 868-0389. The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only.