What games to play with baby girl 4 months

pprendeville

Hi all,

Just looking for ideas on what games on what type of games we can play with our daughter to keep her happy. I don't mean it in the sense that she's unhappy - quite the opposite. Just want to stimulate her mind from an early age. We usually hold her and cuddle her, talk to her and I play with her by lifting her up and pretending she a plane and stuff like that. She likes that. Also, we practice getting her to stand on us. Her legs have gotton really strong. I do 10 sit ups with her most days. Kinda only pretend ones though as I lift her hands up to me. Got her a puppet bear which she like also and talk to her with that and she stares away at him. Really good for calming her down. when she's tired we put her in an old style pram and push it and it's a great way of getting her to sleep.

Are we doing the right things? Is there anything else we can/should be doing. Anything we're neglecting to do. O ya, we have some musical toys that play tunes like mary had a little lamb, ba ba black sheep etc.

Would love to hear what other parents are doing?

lalalulu

Hi Prendeville.. My dd is 13 month's now but at your lo's age i would read to her all the time, the sound of my voice alway's kept her calm. You can get lovely books with bright colours and different texture's which you can encourage her to touch. My dd love's books now, she can't get enough. She'll sit happily now on her blanket with her animal books flipping through the pages. Also talk to your lo all the time involve her in your day tell her what your doing 'daddy is washing up' 'look what daddy is doing' etc.. I wouldn't bother with toy's especially at your lo's age. I buy very little for dd even now as she's more interested in boxes, my handbags, the remote control and pulling everything out of the cupboards! She very rarely play's with the toy's she has. She prefers to investigate every corner of the room

Best of luck with baby.. It's a cliche but enjoy her now as time flies!

pprendeville

lalalulu wrote: »

Hi Prendeville.. My dd is 13 month's now but at your lo's age i would read to her all the time, the sound of my voice alway's kept her calm. You can get lovely books with bright colours and different texture's which you can encourage her to touch. My dd love's books now, she can't get enough. She'll sit happily now on her blanket with her animal books flipping through the pages. Also talk to your lo all the time involve her in your day tell her what your doing 'daddy is washing up' 'look what daddy is doing' etc.. I wouldn't bother with toy's especially at your lo's age. I buy very little for dd even now as she's more interested in boxes, my handbags, the remote control and pulling everything out of the cupboards! She very rarely play's with the toy's she has. She prefers to investigate every corner of the room

Best of luck with baby.. It's a cliche but enjoy her now as time flies!

great to hear im doing similar things. do read to her a bit. also download vids fron internet and play them to her. check this out - brillant. a pirate without treasure is like a monkey without a spatula.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exads7KV-Y0
try to involve her in a lot of things especially the cooking and when friends come round. shes a great listener. thanks for advice.

angeldaisy

try some action rhymes such as 'this little piggy' ,'pat a cake' and 'round and round the garden'
also make sure she gets lots of tummy time, they love being on the floor, its really good for their development as well. its important to get them used to being on their tummy even if it is only for a few moments at a time, put some toys in front of her to play with. It really helps them develop spatial awareness.

Most of all enjoy every moment, involve them in as much as you can in your day to day life. They grow up far too quickly...

pprendeville

angeldaisy wrote: »

try some action rhymes such as 'this little piggy' ,'pat a cake' and 'round and round the garden'
also make sure she gets lots of tummy time, they love being on the floor, its really good for their development as well. its important to get them used to being on their tummy even if it is only for a few moments at a time, put some toys in front of her to play with. It really helps them develop spatial awareness.

Most of all enjoy every moment, involve them in as much as you can in your day to day life. They grow up far too quickly...

didn't know about the tummy thing. will give that a go so. sometimes it hard to enjoy when you're up ay 4 in the morning and have to go to work at 8. but apart from that i love it.

Billiejo

Doing all right things. Dont bounce too much. Eye contact - smiling, singing and 'making faces' (Oooh's & Ah's) which baby may mimic.
Visual stimulation at this age is very important. They love busy colourful surroundings. EG. wallpaper, baloons, mobiles & lights and are facinated too by Black and white shapes (straight & wavey lines, squares, diamonds etc) and especially 'large face' clocks.

twomaddogs

Slippers with things on them that rattle (we used ones with little rattly bunnies on them) are good at that age to help their co-ordination and get them to find their feet as they make a grab for them

Treasure baskets are fantastic for young babies. It's a basket full of everyday items of different textures such as wood, metal etc. Things like a wooden spoon, metal spoon, fir cone, wooden ball, sponge etc.

Your DD is probably too small to sit up yet, but could still play with a treasure basket propped up next to you, or sitting in a bumbo.

Here's some links:
http://www.peep.org.uk/standard.asp?id=300
http://www.littleacornstomightyoaks.co.uk/Articles/Treasure%20basket.php

horselala

I bought this book Gymboree 365 Activities You and Your Baby Will Love by Roni Cohen Leiderman and Wendy Masi (Paperback - 2006)
Really good simple ideas for each month, €4 think its about €5 in easons

Tabnabs

We had similar worries that our wee man wasn't being stimulated enough at that approx age. He wouldn't sit still for reading and just tried to chew the book :rolleyes:

So we bought him a playmat and he has loved everyday with it.



It can be folded up at night to return the sitting room to normal, but it has developed his hand eye coordination and the soft bars have helped him to learn how to turn over. The poor old monkey has taken some abuse as you have to slap it to get it to light up and play a short tune. But as I said he loves the thing.

We got it on special in Smyths.

pprendeville

great stuff all. have one of those play mats but thought she was too young for it so will get it out and give it a go.