Games for babies

May 17, 2005 1:14 PM

Does anyone know any good games to play with a six-month old baby? I'm frequently with my son Max, and I often can't think of anything to do with him. I feel like I'm denying him proper game playing. He can't sit up yet, or completely roll over and back, so things are a bit limited. I often entertain him with songs and weird noises, but I would like to figure out more interactive stuff to do with him. Any suggestions out there?
posted by Alex Marshall to human relations (19 answers total)

Pattycake?

At that age you should talk to him as much as possible. And not in baby-talk.
posted by bshort at 1:16 PM on May 17, 2005

How about just holding him and reading him lots of stories? They don't have to be kid stories either. Poetry would be good too. Maybe play a game with yourself and explore your house for objects of different textures that he can safely explore. Or get some puppets.
posted by crapulent at 1:23 PM on May 17, 2005

Peek-a-boo type games are great at that age. And here's a great trick: get a Koosh ball (see here for an example), and a smallish box (metal band-aid boxes are perfect). The ball looks like it's too big to fit in the box, and when you drop it in you can practically watch their little brains melt. Good fun.
posted by nixxon at 1:25 PM on May 17, 2005

Just do whatever he does for a while and see if you can relate to each other.
posted by foraneagle2 at 1:27 PM on May 17, 2005

Peek-a-boo.
Flying around the room (holding him out and slowly zooming about to look at stuff).
Flying on feet (you lay on your back and hold him up above you. But be careful of the tummy. I've gotten puked on that way).
Very gentle knee bouncing.
Dancing (like you hold him and dance to music).
Where's the bunny/dog/bear (show him a stuffed animal. Cover the stuffed animal with a receiving blanket. "Where's the bunny?" Remove the blanket. "Here he is!")
Going on walks in the stroller around the neighborhood.
Rocking in a front sling.
Feeling things with hands and feet. (What's on your foot? Soft rabbit. What's on your foot? Slick truck.)
At that age, your emotional reaction to things is as important as what you're doing, so do stuff that entertains you and talk to him about it as you go, not baby talking, but being emotionally expressive.
Also, read books. Long books. Short books. Lots of pictures. Vocalizing with emotion really, really helps. And Frog and Toad, Shel Silverstein poems, Lyle the Crocodile, etc. are fun metaphors for the human condition that make you appreciate humanity as well.
posted by Gucky at 1:28 PM on May 17, 2005

Read to him, get him a exersaucer and put him in it to play on his own, sit on your front porch and watch the world go by, talking to him about doggies, people, cars, trees, etc. AND like bshort said, NOT with baby talk. Talk to him when you're changing him. Also, be sure to give him alone-time to play. Just put him on his back under a stimulation gym playmat or in the exersaucer and let him play. Be nearby but it's important that he knows how to amuse himself or you will never get a moment's peace when they get older. He will grow up thinking that you're there strictly to amuse him. Take him to the zoo-even if you think he's not getting it, he is! Take him to the park and put pine cones and leaves in his hands. Or to the beach and put his little feet in the sand and water.
posted by aacheson at 1:29 PM on May 17, 2005

Touch, tickle, peek, sing, try 'em all - see if any get his attention, then riff on that as long as it makes sense. Also, he may be in the mood to be left alone by Daddy for a while, and just explore the world within his reach, even if it's passively listening and watching.

And agree with above - talking is always good.
posted by kokogiak at 1:33 PM on May 17, 2005

Yeah, lots of talking is important. But I disagree with bshort and aacheson on the "no baby talk" sentiment. There's plenty of research that shows that speaking in parentese actually helps kids learn language more quickly. But maybe you guys mean something else when you say "baby talk".
posted by nixxon at 1:41 PM on May 17, 2005

Imitate him. The faces he is making to you - make them back at him. If he is holding a block and bangs it on the floor, bang your block on the floor, too. Then try leading instead of following. Try banging on the floor twice instead of only once. This can encourage him to start imitating more. It'll surprise you how young he is when he bangs the block twice after you model it.

Blow bubbles so he can watch them.

Make sure when you interact with him, that you are at his level. Put him in a seat on the kitchen table with you sitting at a chair so you are face to face, or lay on your tummy on the floor beside him.

Put on a puppet show for him. (use you socks or his teddy bears, or make paper bag puppets)

Let him experience different textures. Take him to a park and sit in the grass with him. Go to a play ground and dig in the sand together. Go for walks outside together (him in the stroller or a snugli), tell him about everything you're seeing. Tell him the names of things, describe the colours, explain why things are like they are. Tell him about your memories.

Take him places he's never been before. That's almost everywhere! Take him to a music festival and dance together. Go to the mall and go people watching. To a petting zoo and help him pet the animals.

Grab one of your baby's toys that squeak. Hide it under a blanket while he's watching. Encourage your baby to find the toy. You can give the toy a squeak under the blanket to help him find it.
posted by raedyn at 1:41 PM on May 17, 2005

Do some of the stuff psychologists do to test for cognitive ability: see if he'll figure out if something still exists when you hide it in a box, test his grasp "intuitive physics", and check his development of a "theory of mind".

Just don't get too Skinnerian.
posted by orthogonality at 1:57 PM on May 17, 2005

My wife is a speech-language pathologist who works exclusively with birth to kindergarten children.

She says "imitate the sounds the baby makes. Try to get a conversation going back and forth." You're aiming for the baby to take another turn to get you to take another turn.

"Up to about nine to twelve months, baby talk serves a very functional purpose and promotes the baby's understanding of language. Once the baby starts to use words, it's better to use real words and keep what you say to the baby short and simple, but not babyish, and talk about what the baby is doing."
posted by five fresh fish at 3:01 PM on May 17, 2005

If you have a baby carrier, try walking him around your neighborhood. Talk about everything and everyone you see. It'll stimulate him and give you a good workout.
posted by maryh at 3:09 PM on May 17, 2005

Sign language! Can't get much more interactive than that, and I hear it really helps.

There are classes in NY, but since it's about fun stuff to do with your baby, maybe books would be more sensible, since there's no hurry.

The idea (read the first link) is that this helps them communicate their needs, helps reduce their (and your) frustration, and that when they do start to speak, they are that much more developed.
posted by xueexueg at 3:15 PM on May 17, 2005

There's no reason to get all dogmatic and categorically write off "baby sounds"--yes, it helps to speak "adult" words to your kids, but as fff's wife points out, you can use effectively mix in baby talk as well. It's not like their minds going to curdle if they hear a single nonsense syllable.

That being said, all the above suggestions are great. There's nothing wrong with leaving a kid alone in a stimulating environment every once in a while, and letting him learn to entertain himself, but when you do engage with him, just mix in a range of things from baby play, to (gentle) rough-housing, to letting him ride sidekick while you do grown-up things.
posted by LairBob at 4:02 PM on May 17, 2005

My boys loved the following:

dancing together in my arms- I really exaggerated the moves, big dips & swoops, generous wiggles, etc.

exercising - just do whatever you do to stay fit & include him; arm lifts, leg curls. I'm sure there's probably a list somewhere that gives good exercises to do with baby.

blowing bubbles - sure fire way to get big laughs

Pat the Bunny is a great interactive book for playtime.

Mostly just let yourself loose and get silly, whether you're vaccuuming or making dinner. Kid's watch everything you do whether it seems like it or not.
posted by LadyBonita at 5:05 PM on May 17, 2005

i second the vote for sign language. there are studies that prove babies who were signed to speak earlier and have higher IQs and larger vocabularies. my son is three months old and the books I've read say six months is the perfect time to start. you should be patient though since it might be around eight months before your child can sign back but they do when you least expect supposedly. imagine how amazing it will be when you can have your little one sign stuff back to you.

if you do decide to sign, i would recommend using ASL(american sign language) as opposed to baby-special signs, this way your kid also learns an actual language in the process.

and thanks for asking the question since it gives me a list of ideas for when my son turns six months :)
posted by karen at 5:26 PM on May 17, 2005

I've watched babies signing. It is downright eerie.

I highly recommend the old Richard Scarry books. They are perfectly designed for the toddler's attention-span, knowledge base, and desire to learn.

Also, don't be afraid to sing children's songs with your child. At that time of their lives, you have the voice of an angel. They'll never regret it, and neither will you.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:36 PM on May 17, 2005

Babies at that age usually like real words that sound funny. My kids and my nephew really enjoyed names for pasta, especially when said in an exaggerated way, like "Linguiiiiine," or "Rrrrrigatoni."

Of course, like anything that makes babies (and bigger kids) laugh, once you've done it a few times they don't want you to stop.
posted by cerebus19 at 8:09 PM on May 17, 2005

See if you can take a baby music class. It's fun, something to do, and you'll learn lots of musical games and activities you can repeat at home. Personal favorites include "The itsy bitsy spider" while slowly tickling my way from baby's feet to head, and "Trot, trot to London!" while gently bouncing baby on my lap like he's riding a horse.

Also, a six month old is old enough to go in the baby swings at the park, just lean 'em forward so they're propped up. She'll probably be so busy absorbing the sights and sounds that she'll be too distracted for games, but a popular one with my kids is to push them in the swing and then pretend like they're going to hit you: "Nooo, don't kick me! Nooooo! Noooo!" and then let their feet touch you and throw yourself theatrically to the ground "OOOohhhh Nooooo, you knocked me over!!" Hugely popular, I promise. It's also fun to keep repeating "I'm going to get you! Iiiiiii'm going to GET you!" with lots of excitement in your voice to build tension, then finally give them a big tickle and yell "AAAAhhhh, I GOT YOUuuuuu!"

Lastly, try placing your baby in on the floor, face down, with a mirror in front of her. Encourage her to push up with her arms and look at herself in the mirror. Employ funny hats, scarves, faces etc. as needed. Babies like looking at themselves, and it will distract her from the fact that she's building lots of arm strength for future crawling skills.
posted by bonheur at 10:17 PM on May 17, 2005