22 Simple Joys Not to Miss With Your Baby
This is a list of simple ways to connect and interact with your baby. These are not situations that you need to spend a good deal of time setting up and planning for – just ways to enjoy the opportunities that come naturally during your day for playing with your baby.
So much of the love your baby feels from you comes from little moments that you simply grab when the opportunity arises. When you make eye contact and enter your baby’s world for that instant your connection is strengthened.
Interactive play that babies love:
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Making eye contact and smiling
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Being read to
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Being sung to
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Hand rhymes like Itsy Bitsy Spider
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Being bounced or rocked
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Showing them you can copy their hand movements
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Silly sounds – copying their sounds
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Repetition…of just about anything
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Kisses, snuggles and “blowing raspberries”
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Pointing out ceiling fans and other wonders of the world
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Peek-a-boo
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Playing this Little Piggy
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Making toys disappear and reappear
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Looking in a mirror together
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Rattles, bells and crinkly toys
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Being “flown” around – baby Super Man
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Showing baby family pictures
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Dancing together
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Swishing hands in the sink
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Taking on and off glasses or hats
- Touching different textures – fuzzy blankets, rough rocks, bumpy oranges…
- And of course, making faces
What are the simple joys you share with your baby?
We all have our silly and endearing baby games we play – which are the ones you’ll remember when you have grandkids?
For more fun things to do with babies and toddlers take a look at the Zero to Two eBook!
64 Positive Things to Say to Kids
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Thank you. I was just lamenting to my husband that I don’t feel like I do enough with our 5-month-old. He, of course, reassured me that I was doing all the right things regarding playtime, interaction, etc., but it’s always nice to see affirmation from neutral sources. Thanks again for the reminder.
And the old “I’m going to eat your feet… num num num” or “urgh stinky feet pooooey”
Our little guy loves when we make fake fart noises. Must be a boy thing. The one that you don’t have on the list but is a fun thing for us to do with that baby is gaze out of the window.
Aww, you reminded me of the first days with my first son. We lived in this place with a bunch of tall pine trees and he was enamored with the light and shadow. I remember sitting with my tiny newborn next to the window and watching the trees. Thanks for bringing up that memory.
Thnx very helpful.
Thank you so much. I’m always stuck for ideas on how to play with my 1yo