This is why playing together with your baby or toddler is important

No year flies by as quickly as your baby’s first year of life. He is born as a tiny little person who is completely dependent, but learns to roll in a few months, sitting, standing, crawling and maybe even walking. Once your baby is a toddler, then come also the first words.

In short: he is going through major developments. By playing with your child, you also contribute to that development. How about that? Well, so.

Learning through play

Your baby can look in amazement at leaves on trees, animals – even the contrast of a black TV screen on a white wall is very interesting. But not only by looking, also by playing, your baby learns more and more about the world around him. That a crackle book makes funny noises, for example. And that a ‘normal’ book doesn’t. But also that a ball can bounce – and his hug not.

Language

And then we haven’t even mentioned the impact on his language development, because reading such a (crackling) booklet together is also good for his vocabulary. If you already have a toddler bouncing around, you can offer other activities to stimulate his language development. Paper booklets remain fun, but you can also use booklets that make noises. Take ‘My First 100 Words’ from VTech: your child presses a picture, and then hears which word belongs to it – in both Dutch and English. How nice is that? In short: they may seem like simple activities, but your baby or toddler will instantly become smarter.

Gripping hands

Admittedly: that a ball bounces does not interest your newborn, er… ball. In the first few months, “playing” with your baby mainly consists of cuddling, talking and bonding. That changes when he is about four months old, because then he starts reaching for objects more and more. Could be your nose with a bit of luck (ouch!), but preferably he grabs some nice toys. Think of a rattle, a (here it is again) crackle book or a cuddly toy made of all kinds of different textures and materials. Oh, and with that grasping comes ‘tasting’, because your baby also discovers objects with his mouth.

More interaction

When your baby has passed six months, playing together takes a new turn. There is more interaction and you will notice that your child tries to imitate you more often. With making sounds, for example, or movements – think ‘peek-a-boo’! Not only good for his development, but also crucial for your bond together.

first steps

There is also a lot going on in the motor area. Rolling (a mirror or towel can help your child to roll on his stomach, there is nothing more fun than seeing his own face, namely), crawling, standing, maybe already some steps… Although that last phase can also take a while – and that’s fine too. How can you encourage him to do so? With a walking or block cart, for example. Although you are also guaranteed success with the Baby Walker from VTech. It is a sturdy cart that provides your child with good support, and there are countless buttons on it that he can press – believe us, for a baby or toddler, buttons are the end of the line – with which the flashing lights, sounds and music go off. Plus: once he’s shining behind his cart, you bet he’s prouder than proud – and so are you, of course.