Games to play with babies and young children

0 - 6 months

Give the baby safe objects with different shapes and textures to feel
Sit the baby on your lap and rock or sing songs or nursery rhymes
Babies like bright colours and different sounds. Toy rattles are great fun
Try board books, particularly with bright colours or strong contrasts of colour or black and white. Point to the pictures, and talk about them, rather than trying to actually read a story

Show the baby his reflection in a mirror
Put on music or sing to the baby. Clap in time to the music
Put some toys or blocks into a box or basket and show the baby how to empty and fill the basket
Give the baby some safe objects to bang together to make a noise - try a wooden spoon and a saucepan
Try musical toys, large blocks, rolling balls along the ground
Fingergames eg "Peek-a-boo", "This little piggy", "Round and round the garden"
Nursery rhyme books, books with pictures of objects around the home, or of animals

Help the child stack building blocks on top of each other. Push the stack over
Look at pictures of animals and make the animal noise
Try singing nursery rhymes and using finger or hand rhymes
Play with action toys eg trains, cars, or toys that make a noise; push and pull toys
Nursery rhyme books, books with pictures of objects around the home, or of animals for this age group as well

Simple jigsaws or puzzles will appeal to this age group
Play hide and seek, but stay in just one room
Make paper boats or hats, or fold and cut paper to make cut-out shapes
Songs, music to dance to
Play dough
Blowing bubbles
Books with concepts in them - big and little, up and down; simple counting books; books with recurring sounds or phrases