Play

0-12 Months

When playing with new babies it is important that you begin by engaging all of their senses.  An infant’s eyes, ears, nose, hands, and mouth are the tools they use to explore the world around them.  As they grow, babies begin to reach and grasp, which allows them to explore toys and other objects in new ways.  By the time a baby is 9 months old, he will begin to understand cause and effect, and will also begin to understand that things still exist, even if he can’t see them.  For example, if you are rolling a ball back and forth and it suddenly disappears under the couch, a 9-month-old will try to look for it, whereas a younger infant wouldn’t because if he can’t see it, he doesn’t think it exists.  As he nears 12 months of age, he will begin using gestures, sounds, and some word approximations to communicate.  This is a great time to teach babies a few simple signs that they can use to communicate their needs appropriately before they have the verbal language skills to do so.  For example, you may want to teach simple signs such as “more,” “please,” “thank you,” and “all done” so that infants can convey their desires without simply screaming to get your attention, as they may have done previously.

The following is a list of suggested playtime activities that are appropriate for infants 0-12 months old (adapted from the ZERO TO THREE resource titled Learning Through Play from Birth to Three): 

At this stage, look for toys that engage your baby’s senses, such as mobiles, rattles, chew toys, and chunky board and cloth books. Toys that help her learn cause and effect, such as pop-up toys and busy boxes, are also good at this age. Keep in mind that some infants will enjoy a lot of stimulation, such as simultaneous sound and movement when they play, while others may find it overwhelming and prefer more gentle sound and movement at different times, as opposed to at the same time.  Again, remember to follow the infant’s lead by watching and listening to her reactions in different situations.  It is usually pretty apparent when infants are enjoying an activity and when they are not.

12-24 Months

As children grow, their possibilities for play grow significantly.  They begin learning to communicate, they become much more mobile, and they become more interested in exploring the world around them in a variety of ways.  Some children take a very active role in exploring—running, jumping, climbing, touching, tasting, etc.—while others prefer to take a more passive, observant role.  It is during this stage (12-24 months) that toddlers may start to engage in more “imaginative play”—pretending to feed their baby doll a bottle, pretending their stuffed puppy dog is chasing you, pretending to eat when handed a bowl and spoon, and so on.

The following is a list of suggested playtime activities that are appropriate for young toddlers 12-24 months old (adapted from the ZERO TO THREE resource titled Learning Through Play from Birth to Three): 

During this stage, provide children with toys that imitate real life, such as plastic tools, play food, and animal farms.  Problem-solving toys that help children learn how things fit together, such as shape sorters and nesting cups, are also good.  Push-and-pull toys and balls that let toddlers move their active bodies are also a great choice.

24-36 Months

As toddlers get older, they become more social and interested in playing with other children.  They start moving from simply playing beside other children to playing with other children as their physical ability, problem-solving skills, and ability to communicate increase.  During this stage, children begin to learn how social skills such as turn-taking and sharing come into play as they develop friendships with one another.  Gentle guidance from an adult or older child is often helpful during this stage as children begin learning how to communicate their needs and wants and to resolve conflict appropriately.  For older toddlers, pretend play becomes more sophisticated as they make up stories to act out, or games to play with made-up “rules” to follow.

The following is a list of suggested playtime activities that are appropriate for older toddlers 24-36 months old (adapted from the ZERO TO THREE resource titled Learning Through Play from Birth to Three): 

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