Play with a purpose

It’s true that little ones learn through play long into childhood, with some arguing this continues into adolescence and even adulthood! During the first year, babies will grow and develop in ways you might never have thought possible. In fact, these tiny people will go through a major developmental change every month in that first year, hitting numerous milestones along the way.

6-9 MONTHS

Communication/motor skills

Wind the bobbin up

Singing to your baby will help to further their speech and language development, as well as offering entertainment. Choose a song with actions for them to watch and attempt. This will add a further thread of developmental play as they try to copy you, which works on their motor skills.

For simple actions for babies to watch and copy, opt for something like Wind the Bobbin Up which features hand turning, clapping, pulling and pointing. Perform the actions for babies to watch and then help them to learn them by moving their hands into position and show them how to perform the actions themselves.

Cognitive

Call their name

At around seven to nine months old, babies will begin to respond to their name. Before this stage, they’ll recognise the intonation pattern that makes up their name, but now they’ll start getting to grips with the syllables. It makes sense, then, that babies will learn their name more quickly if they hear it often. Work their name into the games you play to help them meet this milestone.

Play imitation games, such as ‘Your Turn, My Turn’. Ask your baby to copy what you’re doing. Try saying ‘My turn’ before showing them an action – such as clapping or waving – and then asking them to have a go, using their name when you tell them it’s their turn.

You could also incorporate your baby’s name into songs and peekaboo games, where you ask ‘Where’s…?’, saying your baby’s name as you look for them and then declaring ‘There you are’! You could make up a song that uses your baby’s name or work their name into an existing one. Sing it to them often and watch as they begin to realise it’s all about them.

Understanding their name is an important milestone because it helps to direct a child’s attention, as well as being key to their sense of identity.

Motor skills

Clapping

This is an important milestone for your baby as it requires a combination of muscle control, hand–eye coordination and fine motor skills to pull it off. While all babies develop at their own pace, children usually start to clap between about eight and 12 months. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t start showing them how to clap sooner to help them get ready for that next stage in their development.

Put on some music and gently clap your baby’s hands together to the beat. Bring their arms together in front of them, then above their head, then to the left and to the right. Repetitive actions will help your baby to learn faster, so do this whenever you remember. Taking babies to classes or to join in with activities where applause or clapping is involved will also help them learn this action.

9-12 MONTHS

Communication/motor skills

Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

By this stage, babies will have more body awareness and can control movements in ways you almost couldn’t imagine when they were sleepy newborns. Why not help them get to know the names for different parts of the body? Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is a classic children’s song with actions. While they might not be able to sing along yet, encourage babies to copy as you point to your head, shoulders, knees and toes – and of course your ‘eyes and ears and mouth and nose’ too.

As well as working on motor skills, this activity strengthens baby’s listening and language development, while providing a social situation to help with emotional development. Repetition also aids in memory building and the nature of the song will, of course, reinforce body awareness.

Motor skills/social-emotional and behavioural

Chase the baby

Chase is the ultimate game – kids of all ages love it, and the joy and silliness of chasing each other around can last well into adolescence and even adulthood. This is where it all starts.

The jury’s out on exactly why babies enjoy being chased, but they genuinely do! It’s been suggested that evolution has a part to play and that playing chase simulates predator-prey relationships, which helps to build a natural survival skill.

Then there’s the thrill of the chase and trying to escape, and also enjoyment in a new sense of autonomy as, once babies can crawl, they have more control over their bodies and can actually move themselves from one place to another. Babies also expect you to catch them, which they look forward to because, of course, you are their everything.

Encouraging your child to crawl away from you – while calling, ‘I’m coming to get you!” – will help with the development of their gross motor skills as they do a full-body workout and strengthen their arms, legs, core and neck muscles. It will also encourage babies’ emotional development as they build their social awareness and sense of trust in you.

Sensory

Mess-free painting

This activity is wonderful if you don’t have the energy for the clean-up involved after a round of messy play. And, of course, it will do great things for your child’s sensory development. Take a large zip-lock bag (if you’re using washable paints, these can be reused; there are also a range of sturdier reusable varieties available) and place a few splodges of paint inside. Carefully smooth out most of the air from the bag and use masking tape to fix the bag of paint to a surface at a height your baby can reach. You could tape it to the floor, the patio or a low window/glass door.

Encourage babies to move the paint around and watch as they push, pinch and smack their hands against the bright colours to achieve a mini modern art wonder. Adults should also have a go! This is a hugely pleasurable activity that will satisfy anyone’s sensory needs.

The Baby Play Guide by Emily Kearns is published by Vie Books, price £9.99.

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