Games to Play With Babies

An essential part of a baby’s development comes from the interactions, including playtime, with those around them. Play time helps babies improve their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social skills as they grow—and playtime is great for parents too! The games you’ll play with your baby can look different as they reach different milestones, but remember, the time spent bonding and playing games doesn’t have to be complex, so don’t overthink it too much. In this blog, we’ll share some games to play with babies so that you can make the most of play time no matter what stage your baby is in.

Keep in mind, a Tushbaby Hipseat Carrier can provide additional support for your back and arms, helping ensure no play or bonding time is cut short due to aches and strains.

Games to Play With Baby

What games can I play with baby?

There are plenty of great games you can play with your baby to help promote learning and fun at any stage. The best part about playing games with your baby is that they often require little to no supplies. That’s right, sometimes all it takes is a smile, a song, or silly hand gestures to bond with and stimulate your baby. Keep reading as we highlight some popular ideas for games to play with babies throughout their infancy.

Games to play with babies: birth to 3 months

From birth to 3 months, your baby will be in the newborn stage. While you may not traditionally think of games to play with a baby at this early stage, there are many fun ways to interact with your newborn, including the following.

Reading: It’s never too soon to start reading to your baby. Reading can be a great way to soothe your baby as they become familiar with the sounds of your voice.
Smiling and facial fun: At about two months, your newborn will start to pay more attention to the faces and people around them. The simple act of smiling at your baby can be a fun interaction, especially as your baby begins to mimic the faces you make. Make silly faces and watch as your baby begins to try to copy yours!
Sing along: Like reading, singing is a great way to have fun with your newborn. Not only is it a mood lifter for the parents, but singing can also be a fantastic way to calm a fussy baby. Singing can even be a great way to share some of your favorite nostalgic songs with your baby, so don’t be afraid to dust those records off the shelf.

Games to play with babies: 3 to 6 months

Rattles and toys: Your baby will start reaching for things during this phase, which means play time can now be filled with your favorite rattles and toys. When leaving the house, a sustainable bag like the Totebaby can provide ample space for bringing along all your baby’s favorite toys, snacks, a change of clothes, and your personal items for the day. Dad, we didn’t forget about you — try Tushbaby’s mini wearable diaper bag The Pack, so you can leave the house just as prepared as Mom. Imagine the brownie points that’ll earn you!
Tummy time: While your baby is working to strengthen those neck muscles, you can be the entertainment. Engage your baby with toys, make animal sounds, etc., as they lay tummy-down on a blanket. Note: You can use your clean Portable Tushbaby Changing Pad if you are out and about and need a place for tummy time.
Dance party: Music is a fun way to add some excitement to you and your baby’s day. Discovering songs your baby loves can promote healthy and playful bonding time. Turn this into a game to distract your baby. Try strapping on your Tushbaby Hipseat Carrier and babywear your baby while you sing and dance to music. With the Tushbaby your baby can sit on your hip as you support them with one hand. You can use your other free hand for theatrics or maybe even get some chores done while singing, dancing, and babywearing. For a less energetic version of dance party, play softer music and hold your baby while sitting or standing with the Tushbaby. The Tushbaby offers support for your arms and your baby too by evenly distributing weight. It can be used for babywearing or just support in general. When sitting down you can rest your baby on the Tushbaby to keep them closer and safer.

Games to play with babies: 6 to 9 months

Sound books or toys: At this developmental stage, your baby is likely starting to respond more to sounds. While sing-alongs are a great way to promote fun, you can also start to incorporate storybooks or toys with sounds. Pro tip: read to your baby while babywearing with the Tushbaby to make this time double as a skin-to-skin bonding opportunity!

Blocks and stacking: Now that your baby may be sitting up without support, this is a great time to introduce age-appropriate blocks or fun things to stack. Hey, even some Tupperware from the kitchen can do the trick. You can sit with your baby and help encourage them to stack, build, and get curious about their blocks.

Games to play with babies: 9 months to 1 year

Peekaboo: This classic game of ‘face hide and seek’ is a great way to interact in a fun way with your baby. At about nine months, your baby will start to be receptive to this game, meaning lots of laughs and giggles. What’s not to love about a baby belly laugh from something so simple
Pointing games: At this stage, your baby may develop the skill of pointing at objects. You can make a game out of this by talking to your baby about the things they’re pointing to. Did they point at a stop sign? Great! Tell them all about the stop sign, the colors, and why it exists. You can also ask your baby to point at different objects from their favorite storybook, tv show, or outdoor adventure.

When you babywear, you can interact more with your baby to help them learn the world around them while going about your daily life together. And babywearing doesn’t have to be restrictive for you or your baby: with Tushbaby’s open, multifunctional design, you can get the support and freedom you need. Plus, Tushbaby gives you the flexibility to pick your baby up and put them down as often as demanded with ease.
Crawling Games: Now that your baby may be cruising all around by crawling, you can have them crawl to you as a fun game. Consider it a baby racetrack; sit across the room in a clear/safe space and encourage your baby to come to you.

When to take a break from games with baby

It’s all fun and games until you have an overstimulated baby, so it's important to know when your baby needs a break. Play time can be incorporated into your daily routine, but be sure to keep your eye out for the following signs of overstimulation:

Cranky or fussy baby
Upset, moving, or jerking away from you.
Clenching fists
Spacing out

Baby overstimulation is very real. Thankfully, there are ways to help soothe an overstimulated baby. For example, taking a moment to snuggle your baby in a quiet room is a great way to help them relax. You can use your Tushbaby to keep your baby feeling close and secure as you soothe them from overstimulation.

Life with a baby is fun. . and even more so when you’re prepared. Shop Tushbaby for products that make life with a baby easier and safer!