BABY'S FIRST PLAYTIME
Baby's First PlaytIMe
Are you wondering how to engage with your little one during their awake times? Just a few minutes of playtime can significantly contribute to their development. While those first words won’t emerge until closer to their first birthday, you'll spend this year laying the foundation for communication.
That's where "Baby’s First Playtime" comes in - it's filled with educational toys specifically designed to support this crucial stage of development. The accompanying booklet written by me - Senior Speech and Language Therapist provides you with valuable ideas on how to maximise your interactions with your baby and support those early communication milestones.
Allow me to introduce you to what it has to offer....
EnGaGe TheiR SEnses
A double-sided sensory book designed to keep your little one engaged during nappy changes, capturing their attention while on the go in the buggy, simply when they’re lying on the floor and enhancing tummy time. The high contrast black and white images are all your baby can distinguish in the first few months of life and will stimulate their vision.
Sensory elements include crinkle material, a mirror for self-recognition, and a squeaker providing tactile and auditory stimulation. As your child grows, they will be drawn to the colourful side of the book which is designed to capture their attention and expand their visual experiences.
It's not just about engaging your little one's senses and promoting visual development. It's also about creating precious moments for you to bond and play with your child. All while laying the foundation for early communication. Model early vocabulary by pointing to the objects and naming them. Incorporating fun sounds like ”brmmmm,” “beep beep” and “zzzzzz” not only entertain your child but provide opportunities for imitating, aiding in speech and language development.
LEarn Through MoveMeNT
The wrist and feet rattles are designed with contrasting colours, interesting textures and engaging sounds to capture your baby’s attention and encourage exploration. At around 2 months, babies begin to explore their hands, followed by their feet at around 4 months. These rattles are specifically designed to encourage this exploration while providing auditory feedback and oral stimulation when placed in their mouths. As your baby refines their motor skills, these rattles engage them, building attention and teaching cause and effect - all while having fun!
While interacting with your baby you can model simple language, helping them to become familiar with early language patterns and sound.
Playing peek-a-boo with your baby’s feet can add an element of surprise, further enhancing their engagement.
ImItAtIoN Rattles
The set of rattles are designed specifically to encourage your child’s ability to imitate actions. Babies typically start to grasp and hold toys between 3-6 months. By observing you, they'll learn to imitate actions before mastering words - a crucial step in their development.
These rattles also support visual tracking and motor development. Model shaking the rattles for your child in various ways – high, low, side to side. Encourage your child to take their turn by pausing and looking expectantly at them. Your baby can explore the textures, listen to the sounds the rattle makes and put the teether in their mouth to give relief from teething gums.
Communication involves a back-and-forth, reciprocal interaction, much like a game of tennis. By engaging your child in this manner, you're laying the foundation for communication from an early age. Model fun sounds
such as "yay,” “shake” and "uh-oh" while playing the rattles. Add simple relevant vocabulary to your interaction to make the language meaningful for your baby.
InteraCTive DiscOvery
The hanging banana is a versatile and engaging toy for your baby's exploration and development. With its various sensory elements, including a rattle, crinkle textures, and teether, it provides ample opportunities for your baby to engage their senses and enhance their cognitive and motor skills.
Attach to your buggy, car seat, or any accessible area, it ensures that your baby can enjoy its stimulating features wherever you go. Whether on car journeys, walks in the buggy, or outings, this toy offers entertainment and stimulation, keeping your little one engaged and happy. Your baby can grasp, pull, squeeze and explore all while developing their hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
Moreover, by modelling simple language and fun sounds during playtime with the toy, you can support your baby's language development and interaction skills, enhancing communication and bonding moments between you and
your little one.
CoMMuNicATe & COnnEcT
Peek-a-Boo is a simple but powerful activity for engaging children in interactive play, promoting social interaction and encouraging early communication skills. By incorporating the Peek-a-Boo Square into playtime, you can create meaningful bonding experiences with their child while laying the foundation for future language acquisition.
When playing Peek-a-Boo you will capture your baby’s attention and spark joy and laughter through the anticipation of revealing their face or a toy hidden behind the cloth. This interactive game develops turn-taking, as your baby learns to anticipate their turn to hide or reveal themselves. Furthermore, Peek-a-Boo encourages nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact.
Additionally, incorporating tickling into the Peek-a-Boo game adds a tactile element that enhances the sensory experience for the child. Tactile-stimulation not only reinforces the bond between parent and child but also provides opportunities for sensory exploration and learning.
Tips & TRIcks
Baby’s First Playtime booklet is designed to support you and your baby through the important early communication milestones. This booklet provides detailed discussions of the various toys, offering creative ideas to help you engage your child and support their development.
Each section of the booklet focuses on a different toy, outlining their benefits and suggesting ways to use them effectively. While you may naturally come up with your own methods to interact with your baby, this guide is here to offer reassurance and inspiration whenever you need it.