Barely born, your little one has awakened senses.
He asks only to see, touch, smell and, already, he loves your company!
Take the opportunity to offer him activities that will help him discover the world and progress in his various learning experiences with these 15 early learning games for babies.
Noting that you must consider his stage of development when you start introducing a new game..
(Click here for more details about The Basic Stages Of Development)
Early learning games for babies: before 3 months, the time for caresses
Your little one has always loved being rocked and cuddled.
The more time passes, the more these rituals become games. Interesting..
He responds with smiles to your taste buds, wiggles under your tickles and reaches out to you in anticipation of the next guili-guili.
- All in tenderness
Nothing lighter than a breath on the skin..
Gently tickle your baby with a straw or stroke him with a small feather.
You can also use a very soft fur, with which you will brush the different parts of his face or that you will walk on his arms.
All these delicate sensations help him become aware of his body.
- Heart to Heart
Choose soft music and hold your toddler close to you, one hand passing under their buttocks and the other gently holding their head against your breast.
Simply sway back and forth, in time with the melody, trying to match your breath to your baby’s.
The scent of your skin, the beating of your heart, and the swaying rhythm of the music delight him.
In addition, feeling carried helps him develop his sense of balance.
Early learning games for babies: 3-6 months, the pleasure of surprises
He is now able to anticipate and, when what happens does not correspond to what he expects, he shows his joy.
It’s time to vary the tempo of your taste buds, to walk your hand where it will surprise him… And don’t be afraid to destabilize him, he loves it!
- Baby fly
Lie on the floor or on your bed, legs bent, feet in the air.
Sit your toddler face down on your feet, facing you, and hold their hands firmly.
Attention, we take off!
Your legs slowly rise and wander from side to side and front to back.
Careful, we’re landing!
They descend and stop. Laughs guaranteed!
In addition, this is an exercise that allows him to work on his sense of balance.
- What’s on the end of the line?
You need a string (or cord) and a toy.
Tie it at the end of the string, then secure it with an adhesive on the edge of a table.
Sit your little one on it, facing you…
The object of the game is to make the toy appear and disappear in front of your child.
Wave it under his nose… then drop him, held by the cord.
Are you surprised with him: but where has he gone?
Then give him the string and encourage him to pull it towards him.
Seeing the toy reappear will delight him!
- The little beast that goes up
Tickling, he loves it!
Move your fingers over his skin, whispering “It’s the little beast that goes up, that goes up …” At the end of the race, the little beast stops.
Announce: “I think she is going to be guili-guili“, and you end up with a tickle.
He laughs with happiness and asks for more, already ready to undergo the assault of a new little beast.
Early learning games for babies: 6-12 months, the world on the move
Now that he sits well, he appreciates a little more “muscular” games, which require active participation.
He also begins to be sensitive to sounds and to imitate them.
Finally, he is fascinated by objects… A passion that will continue to grow…
- Trot, my horse
With your toddler facing you on your knees, gently bounce him up, supporting him firmly under the arms.
First at a walk (your legs move slowly), then gradually at a trot, at a gallop…
At the end, the horse unbalances its rider (your knees move slightly apart).
Acceleration helps your little one prepare for the final fall. They work on their rhythm memory and develop their anticipation skills.
- So do, do, do …
Nothing like puppet games to develop your baby’s language.
With a cleaning glove and a few colored markers, glue, and small pieces of felt, transform your five fingers into little figures that you will bring to life in front of your child.
Take it on your knees, and let’s go…
- Music in the skin
No need for fancy toys to make music.
Wooden spoons and saucepans as drums, small boxes or plastic bottles that you fill with different materials: sand, small pebbles, lentils, pearls, coarse salt..
..or a rain stick made with a handful of grains of rice in a plastic bottle. Amazing!
- Pan in the heap
Stack empty yogurt pots, plastic cups or cubes on the ground to form a pyramid and give your child a ball.
The objective is of course to bring the edifice down.
This little game will develop his manual skills and above all … make him laugh out loud.
Early learning games for babies: 1-2 years old, the joys of dexterity
He likes more and more games which call upon an object and which require skill.
He is also at the age where he follows you everywhere, imitates your gestures and makes up stories for himself …
- In my cabin
Collect a large packing box and turn it into a small house.
With a craft knife, cut a door wide enough for your child to get in and out easily. Also open two windows, so that he can observe what is going on outside.
To finish your work, draw curtains, flowers on the facade, and finally write his first name above the door…
The trick is played!
He will love to find new people (he will call them friends) in his cabin and escape into his imaginary world.
- The little delivery man
Beforehand, you kept empty packaging: boxes of cereals, tea, mash, pasta, etc.
Install a first basket at one end of the room, in which you will place all your small groceries, and a second at the other end.
Your child’s mission is to move all the contents of the full recycle bin to the empty one.
Your apprentice delivery man can proceed as he wishes: carry everything in his arms, use a cart, a trailer, the trunk of his tricycle… or even move them one by one.
Excellent for its motor skills and manual skills.
- Forbidden to touch the ground
Blow up a balloon and give it to your little one.
He has to throw it in the air in any way possible (with head, hands, feet) without ever letting it touch the ground.
Not that easy !
He will learn to coordinate his movements and to measure his actions.
Early learning games for babies: 2-3 years old, limitless imagination
Make-believe play is now his big business.
As he expresses himself better and better, he invents dialogues, makes the characters speak. Enter the round with him …
- At the restaurant
This is a game that requires your active participation.
Ready?
You are the client, he is the restaurateur.
Give the plasticine in different colors and order.
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