Important Games to Play with Your Baby

Interacting with your baby is extremely important for the development of the child. It helps them improve both socialization and language skills. Playing games with your baby is really a great opportunity for the two of you to bond. Make up your own games or pick a few old favorites from the list below.

If You Are Happy And You Know It

Everyone knows the song, "If Your Happy And You Know It...Clap Your Hands." Add your own twist to this upbeat song. There are endless possibilities. You can sing "If Your Happy And You Know It...Dance Around."

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

This is a great song to sing to your children as you are tucking them into bed at night. To change things up a little purchase glow and the dark stars for you and your child to look it as you sing.

Peekaboo

Babies love to play the classic game of peekaboo. It is an easy game for them to mimic and play along with you. Believe it or not this is actually a game that can grow behind the first year with your child. As they get older some may even initiate the game with you. Some children will do their own version of peekaboo from behind a large object or jump out from under a blanket.

Patty Cake

Patty Cake is one of those games that can easily be personalized to your child. When you are singing you can easily slip in your child's name into the lyrics instead of singing "mark it with a b for baby and me." Initially you may have to clap your child's hands along to the song, but before long you will be delighted when your child can do it on their own.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

This is one game your child will be sure to requesting more and more of. By using your thumb and the pointer finger on the opposite hand you can simulate this famous little spider climbing up the web. It is fun to watch your child try to copy you. This is a great song to start at birth all they way up through kindergarten. By the time your child reaches their first year of school they will be an old pro at having the spider climb up the web.

So Big

If your singing is not a strong skill of yours (even though your child would not be able to tell the difference) then "So Big" is the game for you. All you have to do is ask your child, "How big is baby?" Then you raise their arms and exclaim, "So Big!" This game is fun to do with other objects as well. You can ask, "How big is the truck?" And raise your own arms to say, "So Big!"

Ring-A-Round The Rosies

This is a great game to do once your little one has mastered walking. Hold their hand and walk around in a circle singing the song, "Ring-A-Round The Rosies." To add a little more fun to the game start off slowly and then speed up. Your child will anticipate the changing pace of the game and speed up before you even start to sing faster the next time. This game is one that can also be played with a group of little playmates. Sing the song for the children as they all hold hands and walk around in the circle.

This Little Piggy Went To Market

This is one game that is completely fool proof. Forget the words? No problem. Make up any story line that you want. Take your finger and one by one grab your child's toe and tell a story. The last little piggy cried "wee wee wee" which leads to a great opportunity for a tickle fight. This Little Piggy can also be played with your child's hands which makes it a great game to play almost anywhere. The next time you are out to dinner waiting on the meal go ahead and play.