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Baby Playtime

                                    
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Learning and playing
Playing is a crucial part of every child's development because it helps them learn about the world around them. This section provides tips on how to get creative with your child, from birth onwards, so that you can support their development and have fun together at the same time.

The importance of play
We all know that playing is fun. It’s also the most effective way for children to learn. By playing, children can practise all the skills they’ll need as they grow up.

To grow and develop, children need time and attention from someone who’s happy to play with them. Gradually, they’ll learn to entertain themselves for some of the time.

It can be hard to find the time to play with your child, especially when there are plenty of other things you need to do. The solution can be to find ways to involve your child in what you’re doing, even the housework. Children learn from everything they do and that’s going on around them.  

Get them involved
When you’re washing up, let your child join in, for example by washing the saucepan lids. When you cook, show them what you're doing and talk to them as you’re working.

Getting them involved in the things you do will teach them about taking turns to help and being independent. They’ll also learn by copying what you do.

Sometimes, things have to happen at certain times and it’s important that your child learns this. But when you’re together, try not to have a strict timetable. Your child is unlikely to fit in with it and you’ll both get frustrated. There’s no rule that says the washing-up has to be done before you go to the playground, especially if the sun’s shining and your child’s bursting with energy.

As far as you can, move things around to suit your own and your child’s mood.

Tips for playing
  • Get together lots of different things for your child to look at, think about and do.
  • By making what you’re doing fun and interesting for your child, you can get your household jobs done while they’re learning.
  • Have times when you focus completely on your child. Talk about anything and everything, even the washing-up or what to put on the shopping list. By sharing as much as possible your child will pick up lots of new words.
  • Give your child plenty of opportunities to use their body by running, jumping and climbing, especially if you don’t have much room at home.
  • Find other people who can spend time with your child when you really do need to focus on something else.
Toy safety
  • When buying toys, look for the British Standard kitemark, lion mark or CE mark, which show that the toy meets safety standards. Take care when buying secondhand toys or toys from market stalls as they may not meet safety standards and could be dangerous.
  • Toys usually have age warnings on them. If a toy is marked as ‘Not suitable for children under 36 months’, do not give it to a baby or toddler under three. Check toys for sharp edges or small parts that your child could swallow. 
  • Toys for children with special needs
  • Toys for children with special needs should match their developmental age and ability. Ideally, they should be brightly coloured, make a noise and have some moving parts.
  • If your child is using a toy intended for a younger age group, make sure it’s strong enough and won’t get broken.
  • Children with a visual impairment will need toys with different textures to explore with their hands and mouth.
  • Children with impaired hearing will need toys to stimulate language, such as puzzles that involve matching ‘finger-spelled’ letters to appropriate pictures.

 
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