The best play activities for babies to toddlers. Developmental stages of play for babies 0-3years. Learn the right types of activities and toys for each stage of development.
The Best Play Activities for Babies to Toddlers
How do you know what is the best play activities for babies to toddlers. Especially as our toddlers are learning and growing at such a rapid rate. It can be hard to keep up. Given today’s wealth of information about types of play, types of toys, and the ever changing technology, it can be hard as a parent to know where to go or what to do. Today’s post is a brief look into play for our toddlers from 0-3 years of age as well as suggestions for appropriate play activities for our toddlers at each stage.
0-6 Months PLay development
Our babies come pink and beautiful into this big wide world. They are so vulnerable and have so much to learn about the world. Our newborns are beautifully created to understand the world based purely on sensations such as touch, taste, smell, sight and sound. Until about 3 months most of their movements are made based on reflexes such as the grasp reflex, or the sucking reflex. Not only do these reflexes allow them to survive they are also learning to explore and learn about he world in almost involuntary way. Their little brains begin to make connections and by about three months some of our reflexes already begin to integrate and our babies learn to make purposeful movements.
The best play activities for 0-6 Month Babies
At this stage the most fun and interactive toy a baby can have is you as their parent. They will begin to track you facial expressions and make eye contact. They will respond with smiles and giggles and try to copy facial movements like poking out your tongue.
The Best activities and games for 0-6 month Babies
- Begin intentional play interactions by around 2months of age
- Be dramatic pulling faces, noises, singing and changing the tone/pitch of your voice (reading books can help with this)
- Try wearing colourful or contrasting clothing such as stripes or dots.
- Get to eye level with them during tummy time for engaging play.
- Use nappy changes as a perfect opportunity for tickles, songs and rolling or rocking movements.
- Begin playpen time at around 3 months for short periods of time. First with you as a parent showing them how to play for 5-10 min then independently with you out of sight for a few minutes.
THE BEST Toys FOR 0-6 MONTH BABIES
- Rattles, maracas – cause and effect.
- Toys that make gentle noises when pulled, swiped or pressed.
- Mirrors – engaging with their own facial expressions.
- Hanging toys above them – baby play gym
- Puppets and stuffed animals – imagination play and songs.
- Tummy Time toys – rattles, teethers, contrasting board books.
6-12 months Play Development
Your baby is growing up. During this phase of development they begin to sit up, crawl around and communicate with the world. They are much more intentional about their play and there is a jump in variety and opportunities for play. Your baby will love repetition. They are learning about cause and effect e.g. if I hit the drum it makes a sound, if I knock the tower it falls over crash! There is a big leap in fine and gross motor skills such as pincer grip, crawling, handing toys from one hand to another, self feeding and more. Such a fun age to explore and provide opportunities for play.
THE BEST PLAY ACTIVITIES FOR 6-12 MONTH BABIES
- Repetition, repetition, repetition! – They will love to play the same games like break the tower, jack in the box, peek a boo over and over. This solidifies concepts for them and each time they are learning more about the activity.
- Cause and effect games are the best for this age bracket. Cause and effect means any simple game that has a consistent reaction or response.
- Pincer grip activities – encourage your child to pick up and explore smaller objects using their thumb and finger, demonstrate how to pull toys along.
- Place safe toys at standing height to encourage standing up and reaching and safe/positive interaction.
THE BEST TOYS FOR 6-12 MONTH BABIES
- Cars, toys etc. that can be pushed and pulled – may have a string to pull along.
- Board books – pointing, learning simple animals and shapes
- Finger play, songs and rhymes (twinkle, twinkle, open shut them).
- Wooden puzzles with nobs, ring stackers, simple shape sorters, jack in the box (pincer grip)
- Busy Boxes
- Blocks or Duplo
12-24 Months Play Development
At this stage you are still their favourite toy, but your toddler is learning how things work together too. For example dumping things out, pouring things (sand and water play). They are also learning about how two objects might work together like placing the people in the car. Our toddlers are beginning to explore sizes of objects such as stacking rings and similarities like lining up cars. At this stage your child will begin to enjoy more peer play and simple group games (tag, ring around the rosy). They begin to play alongside each other helping to build or joining in with the same activity.
At this stage your toddler begins to communicate and understand how we communicate. For example using a toy phone, talking to themselves in the mirror or conversing with their stuffed animals and dolls. Between 12-24 months most of our toddlers are beginning to walk and many are exploring by climbing, throwing balls, riding push along trikes and crawling through tunnels. Encouraging this active, physical play is so important for their physical and mental development.
THE BEST PLAY ACTIVITIES FOR 12-24 MONTH Toddlers
- Sand and water play tables – model dumping, pouring bubbles and imagination with boats or watering cans.
- Include them in everyday activities like putting washing into the machine, kneading dough, squirting the spray bottle and wiping up the counter.
- Model imaginary sequences such as feeding the bear a drink, stirring the soup in a cup, little people talking to each other, talking on the toy phone, driving the truck and dumping out the rocks and puppet play.
- Set up obstacle courses with blankets, chairs, boxes or tunnels, have fun showing your toddler how to climb and navigate the course.
- Beginnings of craft activities like playdoh, water paint, bubbles, colouring in and messy play.
The best toys for 12-24 month toddlers
- Sand and Water table
- Blocks and boxes to dump and pour, Duplo blocks
- Cups, spoons and pots
- Simple craft items like playdoh or crayons.
- Wooden puzzles with nobs
- Flap books, board books
- Puppets, dolls and stuffed animals
- Cars, trucks and toys to push pull, line up and imaginary play
- Toy telephones, mirrors
- Balls to roll over and safe to throw, tunnels, blankets, tricycles or ride on toys.
24-36 Months Play Development
Your toddler at 2-3years old is in an exciting phase of becoming more independent and learning so quickly. Their pretend play is really blossoming and their ability to communicate with you is really progressing. You will see your toddler acting our everyday activities in sequence like bath, bottle, bed. They are creating scenarios and involving multiple people or characters like teddy bears or people. This is a stage of learning to problem solve by sorting objects during tidying up or putting together simple puzzles. They might problem solve reaching the cookie on the counter by pushing the chair over to get it.
Your toddler is getting really clever with their hands and can more accurately hold a crayon, roll the playdoh or build the house out of blocks. This stage is by far the most complex as your toddler may even begin to imagine that items are something that they are not for example the box is the car, the pillow is the cake and the car is a rocket. Its a beautiful stage full of discovery and imagination! Have fun!
The Best play activities for 24-36 month Toddlers
- Set up sensory bins filled with rice or oats for your toddler to find items in.
- Pretend play activities like cooking, looking after the baby, driving the race car and building the house.
- Reading books interacting with you toddler by asking questions, pointing to different objects, search and find and comprehension about the story.
- Songs and finger plays
- Set up art and craft activities – painting, playdoh, mud play, simple cutting, gluing, colouring in, simple construction crafts.
- Balls to roll over and safe to throw, tunnels, blankets, tricycles or ride on toys.
- Obstacle courses, play grounds, climbing equipment.
- Building forts and cubby houses.
THE BEST TOYS FOR 24-36 MONTH TODDLERS
- Sand and Water tables
- Tricycles and ride along toys
- Balls
- Simple craft items
- Blocks, Duplo
- Trucks and cars with little people
- Doll house, dolls, prams, bottle
- Play kitchen with play food, utensils and crockery
- Stuffed animals and puppets
- Dress up clothes
- Climbing equipment
- Sand pit
- Trucks to push, pull or dump
- Outdoor play toys.
- Simple games such as fishing, memory, pick up sticks etc.
Learning the best types of play activities for babies to toddlers is as simple as trusting your mama gut, observing, learning and adapting as they grow. Many of the toys and activities mentioned above are just small adjustments to what you already have or do. You are most likely already challenging them and showing them many of these skills. So mamas trust your gut, be intentional about play, toys and play spaces and enjoy watching your child learn!
I hope this article has given you the confidence to set up your play space and teach your kids to play. Check out my other article on learning to play here.
Let us know in the comments below your favourite activities for your child. Don’t forget to share their age!
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