Playing games with your baby elicits the best sound in the world: that adorable giggle. Her little body may shake and her face definitely lights up when you hide and then reveal your face or sing a silly song about a spider in a rainstorm.
Of course, you can buy toys that light up and play tunes, but more often simple playthings are the best teachers. And babies tend to have the most fun when they interact with their favorite people (that’s you!). You’ll be teaching new words to expand her vocabulary, how to move her body to the beat and all about counting and rhythm.
From finger games to clapping rhymes, here are the best games to play with your baby.
Best games for babies: 0-6 months
Your baby’s still very young, but as her sight develops and her ability to engage with you improves, you’ll find she’s thrilled to “play” the following games over and over.
- Can you hear me now? Your baby loves the sound of human voices (especially yours!). And learning to locate the source of a sound when it's farther away is excellent fun. Put her in a baby carrier and then walk around the room while talking or singing, or making a variety of funny noises. She may not be able to fully turn her head toward your position, but she can hear differences in your voice’s sound as you move. This game is the foundation of hide-and-seek and peekaboo — and it helps build a baby's auditory and visual tracking skills.
- Peekaboo. Cover your face (use your hands or a cloth diaper), and ask, "Where's Mommy?" She'll probably reward you with a gummy grin (or giggle) when you reveal your face and exclaim, "Peekaboo!" Then repeat, repeat, repeat. You can also play peekaboo with your baby using toys by hiding them under a cloth and then revealing them with a flourish. This game teaches object permanence, the concept that things don't vanish when out of sight.
- Itsy-bitsy spider. Touch your index finger to your right thumb, then swap back and forth to turn your hands into spiders: "The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout." Now make your fingers into falling rain: "Down came the rain and washed the spider out." Sweep your hands and arms up into a sun shape: "Out came the sun and dried up all the rain." Now back to spider fingers: "And the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout again."
- Patty-cake. Clap baby's hands together as you recite, "Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker's man! Bake me a cake as fast as you can." Help her "pat" and "roll" as you continue: "Pat it, and roll it, and mark it with a B." And then, "Put it in the oven for baby and me!" Vary the game by substituting your baby's name, or switching to her feet: "Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker's feet! Bake me a treat that's good to eat.…"
- Make a funny face. Yup — your goofy face can stimulate your baby's social, visual and emotional development — plus her listening skills. Try a smile, a big, open mouth, raised eyebrows or a stuck-out tongue. Don't be surprised if your baby tries to do the same thing — even tiny infants can imitate facial expressions. Make some quiet ahhhh noises to hold her attention, but if she keeps turning away, she may have had enough for the moment.
- This little piggy. Starting with the big toe, the pigs "went to market," "stayed home," "ate roast beef," "had none," and (the pinky toe; tickle all the way up her body with this one!) "cried wee, wee, wee, all the way home." This cute game is a fun one to play in the bathtub.
- Eyes, nose, mouth. Here’s another adorable game that’ll teach social skills and help you bond with your baby. Hold your baby's hands and guide them to touch your own eyes, nose and mouth, then give her a kiss: "Eyes, nose, mouth, smooch!"
- So big! You’re teaching her big and small with this activity. Start by holding your baby's hands. Then ask, "How big is baby?" (Or better yet, use her name.) Then spread her arms wide and answer, "Sooooo big!"
- Tickle time. A baby's skin is super sensitive (and irresistibly touchable), so now's a great time to help her explore the world through her sense of touch. Gather items with a variety of interesting textures, like cotton balls, feathers, tissues, a comb or pieces of fabric. Then place your baby on a blanket on the floor and gently brush the objects across her tender tummy, leg or cheek. Your running commentary makes it more interactive ("Isn't this soft?" "Doesn't this tickle?").
- Mirror play. A simple baby-safe mirror helps your baby’s eyes to focus as she picks up new words and learns what a face can do. Let her gaze at her own image or join her in the background and make some silly faces (see above) or describe what’s she’s seeing.
Best games for babies: 6-12 months
Your baby’s now able to grasp things and she’s starting to creep and crawl, and maybe even take her first steps as she approaches her first birthday. These games for older infants take advantage of a longer attention span and her burgeoning motor skills.
Read This Next
- Stacking game. Once your baby has developed better eye-hand coordination, she'll love to try building and stacking. Any objects that can be placed on top of each other will do: Try offering her wooden, foam or cardboard blocks — or plastic cups or a set of stacking rings. And while she might need your help erecting her skyscraper, she'll definitely want to knock it down herself. Stacking teaches problem solving and the concept of size.
- Puppet play. A new plushy friend (or a homemade sock puppet) might inspire you to sing a different song or tell a story. Maybe your previously picky eater will open wide for lunch if a puppet is wielding the spoon or bath-averse baby will enjoy the tub more with a washable puppet bath mitt. Puppets can play peekaboo, act out stories or songs, and keep your baby company in unfamiliar places. They encourage her to imagine (hey — that little bunny is talking to me!), focus (wait a minute, what's happening here?), laugh (listen to that silly voice!) and talk (let me get in on this conversation!).
- Oopsie game. Does your baby merrily toss her spoon overboard — over and over and over again — and giggle with glee every time you return it to her? She’s not really trying to drive you crazy. Instead, she’s learning about cause and effect ("When I throw this, Dad picks it up! Cool!") and object permanence ("I can't see it under my chair, but there it is again!").
- Pop! Goes the weasel. Hold baby on your lap and sing, "All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel, the monkey stopped to pull up his sock…Pop! goes the weasel." As you chant the last line, gently pop your baby up with your knees. Once she gets the idea, wait a few seconds before the Pop! so she can figure out how (and when) to pop on her own.
- Zig zag game. Whether she's crawling, cruising or even tottering her way around, you can challenge her world of mobility by constructing a little obstacle course. Set up a series of pillows, stuffed animals, books and toys on the floor. Then hold your baby's hands or crawl alongside her as you guide her around and over those objects. This activity boosts gross motor skills, coordination, balance and lower-body strength.
- Flashlight fun. Place a piece of colored tissue paper or a sheer scarf over the end of the flashlight. (Hold your "filter" in place with masking tape or a rubber band.) Then shine that beautiful beam around the room, letting the light dance across your baby's ceiling, walls, toys and toes! Narrate the show as you experiment with concepts such as fast and slow, high and low, and back and forth. Or play chase the beam! Shine the flashlight on the floor (or the wall or even the grass out in your yard), and encourage your baby to catch it.
- Two little blackbirds. Tap this little ditty out with two fingers — and as one bird flies away, hide your hand behind your back (your baby will wonder where it went!). Then, when the bird returns, bring your hand back around. Here’s how it goes: “Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill. One named Jack and one named Jill. Fly away Jack, fly away Jill. Come back Jack, come back Jill.”
- Roll a ball. It doesn’t get any simpler than a ball of any size rolled back and forth between you and your baby (before she’s coordinated enough to pass it to you, expect your baby to bat it around willy-nilly). Use different sizes and explain the shapes, colors and textures, such as a big smooth beach ball, a fuzzy yellow tennis ball and a tiny white golf ball.
- The pouring game. This activity is best for older babies (closer to 12 months) and toddlers. Got some plastic bowls or cups and pourable items such as sand, rice or water? Spread a plastic tablecloth on the kitchen floor first, or better yet, head outside if the weather's nice. To get your child started, show her how it's done by pouring water from one container to another or scooping up sand and dumping it. Then she'll be ready to roll (and tilt and pour and scoop!) on her own. To take this game to the next level, introduce your baby to the concepts of full and empty, heavy and light, wet and dry. (Just make sure she doesn't put any sand or rice in her mouth!)
Yes 
No 
Trending On What to Expect
