Play For Babies

Because a baby - every baby - is a new unique person, with absolutely no experience of this world into which they have arrived, it follows that absolutely EVERYTHING has to be discovered by this baby for the very first time and it is our job to help them to make these discoveries.

For the first few weeks this comes mainly through visual play - examining this new world with their eyes. At this stage, babies focus best on things 20cm - 30cm from their eyes; faces being the most fascinating to them of course and mobiles hung close enough to be gazed at and moving gently in the air currents. The sharp contrast of black and white mobiles often captures their attention, with strong primary colours coming next. They depend on us to bring bright, attractive, but simple things close enough to be focused on - and our own face best of all.

By degrees, this new person begins to gain some control over their arms and hands and starts to enjoy swiping and batting at cradle plays and cot dangles hanging over them. Little by little, they develop the co-ordination needed to grasp things purposefully and bring them to their mouth. This is when rattles and teethers become important for sucking and chewing, shaking and fingering.

Once they can lie on a rug on the floor and on their front, then rocking, wobbling and rolling toys encourage reaching and rolling over and the practice needed to master crawling. First water toys for bath time and other fascination toys open up this wonderful new world of play and growing.

But parents are the best toys of all! 

See "Baby Games" by Elaine Martin: a book of ideas about playing with babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers - a goldmine of play ideas.