Posted on: Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Playtime is important for infants, too

By Doreen Nagle
Gannett News Service

You love him, hug him, hold him gently and feed him all the right things. But the infant asleep in the next room has needs that may not be met if he's not being played with. Infant playtime is as important as play with a child of any age.

Get ready

• Prop the baby up vertically when you are showing him a new play object, book, etc. Babies see more clearly when they are held vertically.

• Can't say this enough: Talking to the baby will give him a jump-start on vocabulary, reading and writing skills. You do not have to limit your talk to a sing-songy manner or "baby" topics. As you go through your day, talk about what you are doing: "We need to go to the grocery store and get some vegetables." Include the baby in family conversations.

• Create a stimulating environment. Don't be afraid of using bold, high-contrast colors and patterns in baby's room. Put pictures of letters, animals and numbers around the room and point to them frequently.

Games infants play

• Movement means learning, so waltz him around the room, put him in a baby backpack as you do your chores, or swing him gently back and forth. Avoid leaving him in one spot all day.

• Give him clean "fingering" toys he can explore by putting them in his mouth: plastic cups, spoons, baby-sized blocks. Make sure the items are big enough so they can't be swallowed, and watch over your baby as he plays.

• Hide near the crib and pop toys up from around the crib's corners and sides. This helps the baby with problem solving.

• Fill a muffin tin or egg carton with a variety of textures from around the house. Let the baby explore how they feel as you describe the objects: stiff, flat, tall, round, etc. In another version, hide the tin under a scarf while the baby feels the objects.

• Make a book of words and pictures. Cut pictures from old magazines and clip a few pages of paper together to glue the pictures and words onto. One excellent theme is opposites: a picture of an open door and one of a closed one; a big chair and a small one. Or use rhyming words: pictures of a pan, a fan and a can.

• Giggling helps the brain develop and teaches positive feelings. Get out the soft feathers, sponges and washcloths and tickle the baby with them. Make funny faces so the baby laughs. He'll soon learn what to expect, and laugh as you approach.

• Visual stimulation increases brainpower. Move a flashlight along the floor slowly so the baby can follow it with his eyes.

• Infants love to see other cute babies. Add a baby-safe mirror to the side of the crib so your baby can talk to the new "friend" he sees in it.

• By six months, introduce bigger baby toys such as shape sorters, blocks and stacking cups. Demonstrate how to play with these toys, but also let the baby explore on his own.

Doreen Nagle is author of "But I Don't Feel Too Old To Be a Mommy" (HCI, $12.95).