Nifty vs. Thrifty

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

5 ways to play with your baby

Babies are so fun! But you have probably found out by now, that most babies don't play with toys very much. Instead, they like playing with things that you have around the house and are easily entertained by peoples facial expressions (you!)
Here's some ideas for helping you to play with your baby!
1. Read a book while your baby is in the high chair. Once your baby is old enough to sit nicely in a high chair (or booster seat), they will sit nicely for a short book. I read to Siena while she is eating her snack and she is much more attentive then when we are sitting on the floor!
2. Silly, Silly, Silly. Can't say it enough! Throw your inhibitions out the window and get silly. Babies love exaggerated expressions such as an exaggerated sneeze or laugh. At 4 months, Siena loved when I shook my head back and forth letting my hair swing all around. Now she loves when I play peek a boo! Use your imagination and make up something!
3. Dance. Pick up your child and dance around the room. Mix in some spins and squat low.
4. Let your child take the toys out of the baskets herself. I used to get toys out for Siena and then realized she liked the activity of taking them out more than actually playing with them!
5. Exercising. Believe it or not, doing exercises while your child is in a bouncy seat or using them as a weight is a great way of keeping them entertained. You probably won't get much of a workout but your child will enjoy watching you! I used to squat and jump (front to back) when Siena was in her bouncy chair. You can also do sit ups with them on your lap. I am going to do a video blog with some demonstrations but in the meantime, you can use your creativity to make this work on your own! You can do it Mom!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment