Here are some ideas for games to play with your baby without having to buy lots of expensive toys:

Nursery Rhymes – songs like ‘This little piggy’ and ‘Round and round the garden’ can be great fun as you tickle your baby and start her giggling.

Very young babies love to copy you.  Hold her so that she can see your face and try sticking your tongue out.  If you keep repeating this, she will copy you.  Then try a big smile, and see if she can do that too.

Talking with your baby – babies don’t have to be able to talk to have a conversation.  Hold your baby so she faces you and respond to her noises with ‘ooh’s’ and ‘aah’s’ of your own. You’ll soon be having a chat.

All sorts of household objects make great toys.  Your baby will be happy to play with an upturned plastic bowl and a wooden spoon – they make a great drum kit.  Filling and emptying containers are also great fun.  A plastic bowl filled with small toys will give hours of amusement. (Make sure that all toys are suitable for your baby’s age.)  Another idea is to collect old yoghurt pots to use as building blocks.

Last Updated: August 14, 2007