Smart Infant Games

Your baby will mature eventually and be able to accomplish the suggested basic skill games presented here at this site. But if your baby seems not to be responsive to the games suggested, then try them again each day. Here is a tip for you, repeating games is very advantageous way to help newborn development through playing infant games. The more a baby repeats an activity, the more secure and responsive he will be. This is the baby’s foundation for learning. An infant is thinking, reasoning and association processes are very immature. Repeating will help develop these abilities to their fullest potential.

#1 Among Smart Infant Games ---- Size

Material Needed

Unbreakable mixing bowls with different sizes

Instruction

Arrange the mixing bowls in a graduated order, and place them in a row in clear view and reach the baby. Then place the smallest bowl inside the next one. Keep nesting the bowls until they are all stacked according to size. Repeat this game several times and encourage your baby to help you to nest the bowls. Say to your baby: “large” and “small” as you stack and unstuck the bowls. Repeat this game often and your baby will soon learn to do it independently. Your baby will discover different sizes through seeing, feeling and doing.

#2 Among Smart Infant Games ---- Ball in motion

Material Needed

A large round plastic container

A large flat cake tin or a similar container without a lid

Instruction

Place the ball in the container. Push the ball around the edge without using your finger. Allow it to roll freely but keep it in motion. Encourage your baby to watch as the ball moves around. Observe if your baby follows or tries to touch the ball? If so, your baby is paying attention.

Then stop the ball and place your baby’s hand on it. Help your baby get the ball in motion. Talk to your baby: “the ball is moving”. Continue to keep the ball in motion and allow your baby to move the ball independently as much as possible with his hand. Praise your baby for any moving he makes.

#3 Among Smart Infant Games --- Shoe box house

Material Needed and Preparation

Take a shoe box, pick the long sides of shoe box, then draw a doorway on them. Cut on three of the lines of the doorway but leave one side uncut so that the door can be opened and closed. Place a stuffed animal( name this stuffed animal, such as “evan” and call it’s name to baby) which is just a little smaller than the opening door in clear view of the baby.

Play Instruction

Show your baby the shoe box house. Tell your baby that you are going to open the door of the house. Open the door of the shoe box house and place “Evan” inside. Close the door and tell the baby that “Evan” is inside the house.

Open the door and take “Evan” out of the show box house and place it beside the baby. Tell the baby that Evan is outside the house. Allow the baby to hold Evan and put it inside of house and pull it out of house, observe your baby’s reaction. Be sure to say the words “inside” and “outside” to your baby as you move Evan accordingly. Encourage the your baby to do this independently and praise him for any positive response that he makes.

#4 Among Smart Infant Games ---- Large Muscle Activities

This game mainly develops your baby's further awareness of his own body and body parts.

Material Needed and Preparation

Spread out a quilt on the floor, place your baby face down on it.

Play Instruction

Gently straighten the baby's left arm and observe the baby's response. then straighten his right arm and watch his response. Do the same with the left and right legs. Does your baby lift his head to watch his left arms and legs when you move them? or response in any another way? Often repeat this game and observe if there is any progress. Try it later if you don't see any responses from your baby. When your baby is getting older, or you see your baby shows some responses during the game. Put a stuffed animal in front of your baby, then observe if your baby attempts to reach it. Don't expect your baby will grab it. Just continue repeating this game until your baby has enough ability to reach the stuffed animal successfully.

#5 Among Smart Infant Games ---- Eye-Hand coordination

This game develops a tactile sensation, skill in focusing on a moving object, rudiments of eye-hand coordination.

Material Needed and Preparation

Put a tennis ball inside of one sock to form a sock ball, use a brightly colored sock to make a sock ball will appeal more to your baby.

Play Instruction

Lay your baby on his back. Put the sock ball on your baby's stomach. Roll it along his body across the chest and up to his neck. Observe your baby's eyes and hands. Does he attempt to reach for the sock ball, or do his eyes focus on the moving sock ball? If you don't receive any responses from your baby, try it again later. Be patient, your baby will respond you when he is ready. Repeat this game at various time throughout the week or month. Your baby will gain confidence from doing this simple game.

#6 Among Smart Infant Games ---- Different faces

This game develops your baby's awareness of his face; a purpose for looking and listening.

Material Needed and Preparation

Use a large wall mirror or a and mirror.

Play Instruction

Make a variation of this game. With your baby watching, try hiding your face with the plate or book and gradually show your face by moving the plate. Then again say :" Peek-a-boo, I see ( your baby's name)". Observe the baby's response. Repeat this game often, your baby will become more aware of his name and your face.

#7 Among Smart Infant Games ---- Front and back face observation

Material Needed and Preparation

Draw a colorful face on a paper plate. The face can be funny and should be only on one side.

Play Instruction

Show your baby the plate face in front of him. Then turn it over and show your baby the blank side. Turn it back over ( gradually turn from left side to right side) and say:"Peek-a-boo" as the face gradually comes into your baby's sight. This game is making your baby aware of the front and the back of an object. Also your baby's eyes follow the movement of the face, thus visually training them from left to right. Repeat this game often, it is also a good game to stimulate your baby's brain.

#8 Among Smart Infant Games ---- Movement awareness

This game develops your baby's body muscles. An awareness of movement through the sense of touch.

Material Needed and Preparation

Place your baby face down on a soft mat and allow him to stretch his arms and legs. Place near him several large cotton reels that have been strung with one centimeter-wide elastic and tied securely at the ends, but leaving enough slack so that the reels can be rolled.

Play Instruction

Variation

Pull the two end reels apart, stretching the elastic and slightly separating them. Tap the reels together to produce a tapping sound. Do this several times to interest your baby and encourage him to attempt to grasp the reels. Repeat this procedure and observe your baby's response. Does your baby's head lift in a wobbly fashion as the arms and hands attempt to grasp the reels? Don't expect your baby will successfully grasp the reel at 5 month. Be patient, the aim of this game is to stimulate your baby's motivation to move forward.

#9 Among Smart Infant Games ---- Listening skills training

This game develops your baby's awareness of different sounds, his listening skills, and an awareness of the rhythm 1-2

Play Instruction

Clap your hands together to make a sound. Then observe your baby's response. Does he listen? Clap your hands again and observe it again. Take the baby's hands and attempt to clap them together. Exaggerate the sound and say, "Clap" each time that you clap.

Variation 1

Take two reels or two jar lids and tap them together to make a sound. Notice your baby's response. Does the baby listen? Hit the reels together again and observe your baby. Continue doing this until the baby appears to be watching.

Variation 2

Use your hands or above objects (reels or jar lids). Repeat the tapping with a rhythm of 1-2, 1-2. Talk to the baby and try to get his attention.

#10 Among Smart Infant Games --- Tap and Listen

This game develops your baby's awareness of sound, his awareness of a rhythmical pattern, and listen skills as well.

Material Needed and Preparation

Remove the metal ends from a big coffee tin, and replace them with plastic lids that fit snugly on each end. Set the can in an upright position in front of the baby.

Play Instruction

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