Games for Infants

Making Sounds

A caregiver can encourage a baby to imitate and respond to sounds and vocalizations.

Playing the Activity: Place your baby down on a padded flat surface with good support. As you lean over your baby, make eye contact and say something in an encouraging tone. Listen to your baby. Your baby will then respond with sounds. Imitate the sounds your baby makes. Your baby may smile so make sure you smile back and continue vocalizing.

Rattle Time

Encourage your baby to vocalize and listen by calling his attention to a toy, object, or your talking or singing voice.

Playing the Activity: Place your baby down on a flat surface such as a bed or padded floor. Simply gather some toys or objects that make calming sounds such as a rattle, soft bells, music box, or a cup with a spoon. Hold the object in front of your baby about eight to ten inches from his eyes. Shake the object (rattle) gently and move it in and out of your baby's sight. Smile and imitate any sounds (cooing or gurgling) your baby makes while you play the game together.

Gentle Voices

Your baby will love the sound of your sweet tender voice.

Playing the Activity: Hold your baby in your arms while making good eye contact. Begin to talk to your baby using a warm and tender gentle voice. You can talk about your baby's cute little face, body parts, or favorite little toys. As you talk, you may hear vowel-like, cooing, or gurgling sounds. Go ahead and repeat any vocalizations you hear.

Musical Sing-a-Long

Babies love listening to the gentle sounds of lullabies or nursery rhymes.

Playing the Activity: Hold your baby in front of you or on your lap. Look at your baby, face to face, as you sing or play a favorite lullaby such as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or "Rock-a-Bye Baby." Make good eye contact with your baby. When your baby vocalizes or coos, repeat any of the sounds your baby makes during your musical sing-a-long. Continue singing to your baby.

Lots of Sounds

Your baby will hear you make all kinds of different sounds and enjoy repeating them back to you.

Playing the Activity: While holding your baby make good eye contact. As you look and talk to your baby, begin to laugh, whistle, or make non-speech sounds like humming or gurgling. If your baby repeats any of the sounds, talk about them. You can say, "You're gurgling little Lou Lou. I like the sounds you're making." Your baby may smile back at you, so remember to keep on making lots of sounds and vocalizations.

Pat-a-Cake

Infants enjoy this playful game because of the rhythmic sounds and simple rhymes.

Playing the Activity: Place your baby on your lap or in an infant seat. Take your baby's hands and clap them together as you say the "Pat-a-Cake" rhyme. Continue making the hand motions along with the rhymes. Be prepared to repeat the game several times.

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man, (clap baby's hands together) Bake me a cake as fast as you can; Pat it and roll it (roll baby's hands) And mark it with a "B," (make initial on baby's tummy) And put it in the oven for baby (or say baby's first name) and me!

Tender Tickles

Your baby will enjoy the warm feeling of your tender touch.

Playing the Activity: Place your baby on a flat surface such as a bed or padded floor. Gently touch your baby's body parts such as the belly, arms, or legs in a circular motion with your fingertips. As you touch your baby's body parts name them. You can use different objects to touch your baby including a soft cloth, silky string, feather, or lace. Make good eye contact. If you hear any sounds, repeat them back to your baby.

Playful Reading

Reading is a fun way to "talk" with your baby. Your baby will not only listen to all sorts of different sounds, words, and rhythmic patterns, but will see all kinds of pictures too.

Playing the Activity: Hold your baby close to you while sitting comfortably on your lap. Select a book with simple colorful pictures and begin to point to them. As you point to the pictures, begin to name them and describe the pictures with a few words or phrases. Help your baby touch the pictures. If you hear any sounds or vocalizations from your baby, imitate them and smile back at your baby.

Merry Melodies

Babies love to hear you sing as you feed, change, play, or bathe them. As you sing simple lullabies, you will establish a special closeness and bond with your baby.

Playing the Activity: Hold your baby close to you while you look and smile back. Begin to sing a lullaby.

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Your baby may smile back at you or try to sing along. Repeat any vocalizations or sounds your baby makes.

Peek-a-Boo

Babies love to participate in games where they learn to listen, take turns, and look at the people playing with them.

Playing the Activity: Place your baby on a padded flat surface or in an infant seat. Move your face in and out of your baby's visual range. Hide your face in back of your hands or in a blanket while suddenly showing your face to your baby and say, "Peek-a-boo, I see you!" Your baby will laugh and smile when looking at your face. Smile back and repeat the game.

Just Talk

Encourage your baby to talk while making random movements during daily routines.

Playing the Activity: As your baby is chewing on a squeeze toy, say, "mmm, mmm, mmm!" If your baby is bouncing in a swing, say, "Bounce, bounce, and bounce!" If your baby is drinking milk from a bottle, say, "M-m-m-milk." If your baby is playing with a rattle, say, "Shake, shake, and shake." Listen and imitate any sounds your baby makes.

Tubby Time

Bath time is a perfect time to name your baby's body parts and reinforce sounds and smiles that your baby makes as you gently splash the water together.

Playing the Activity: Place your baby in an upright position in the bathtub. While washing your baby, name some body parts. You can say in a sing-song tone, "This is the way we wash your tummy, wash your tummy, and wash your tummy." Continue washing other body parts while naming them and singing about them to your baby. Be sure to imitate any sounds your baby makes while playing "Tubby Time!"

So Big

Your baby will enjoy imitating you as you play interactive games.

Playing the Activity: Place your baby on a flat surface or in a supported high chair facing you. Begin showing your baby how to play "So Big" by placing your arms up in the air. Ask, "How...