Classic Fun
Of course, there are still plenty of tried-and-true baby games you can share. These are the ones that you grew up with, and you turned out alright, didn't you? Regardless of how you might answer, following are some classic gems baby's sure to enjoy.
Peek-a-Boo
Put your hands over your face for a few seconds, and then remove them quickly and say, “Peek-a-boo.” You can also try this game using a blanket covering your face.
I'm Gonna Get You
While the “got-your-nose” game seems a bit on the gory side, small babies don't seem to think so. They laugh at this game until they are at least two or three years old — so it must be worth something. Put your thumb between your first two fingers and say, “Got-your-nose!” Make your own variations. Creep up baby's stomach with your fingers, like a spider, while saying, “I'm gonna get you!” It's scary, but a fun kind of scary.
Where Is It?
The object is for you to show baby a brightly colored object or toy, and then hide it under a blanket or pillow. Ask baby, “Where did it go?” and baby will probably respond with smiles or giggles. Because they don't understand the concept of object permanence yet, babies find this one highly entertaining.
Alert
If your baby is still having difficulty with object permanence, you might hold off for a while on games where you or Daddy disappear. Wait until baby is a bit older, or make sure you pop around the corner way faster than you would for an older child. This way, baby will see you leave and come sooner, lessening stress.
Babycise
Baby exercises might include sit-ups, knee bends, tug-of-war, and so forth. These games are a little more physical, with baby relying on you to move his legs. Or you can give baby a blanket or toy to hold on to while you pull him up. If you have a padded surface below, you can pull baby up a bit and let him fall gently back down on it, saying the word boom each time. Babies also think this one is really funny.
Funny Sounds
Babies love to learn the sounds that other creatures make, and it helps them learn how to make sounds, too. Don't be surprised if one of baby's first words is “kitty” or “moo.”
Where's Mommy?
Hide around the corner, and ask, “Where's Mommy?” or “Where's Daddy?” (Depending on who or what you have in the room, you could use variations from kitty to Grandma.) If the baby starts to cry when you disappear, she might still be too young for this one. Generally, the three- to eight-month crowd finds this one most entertaining.
Alert
Until they are at least three months old, babies generally tend to respond better to black and white toys versus colorful ones. Once their eyes get used to contrasts, they can process more colors — and then they'll soon find themselves attracted to the brightest, prettiest colors.
Music Making
If you have an instrument such as a piano or drums, let baby tap out a few notes occasionally. You don't have to start with formal classes, unless your child appears to be a prodigy. For most of us, it's just a lot of meaningless (yet fun) noise that baby gets to make. It does, however, teach baby a little about cause and effect. If you don't have musical instruments, give baby a pot or pan and a wooden spoon — many babies enjoy these even more than the real thing.
Art Time
Give baby a big, fat crayon and paper or a bowl of colored Jell-O for finger painting. This activity should be closely supervised and is expressly for those babies who are six to eight months or older. Any younger and they're just not interested; the advantage to the Jell-O is that it's completely edible, should your child decide that he is not Picasso.
