femalenetwork.com

Following our recent article about how motherhood evolved from the past generations to today's modern living conditions, a study has emphasized how playtime is important to a child's holistic development. Play encourages a healthy and well-rounded growth, allows children to have fun with friends, be independent, knowledgeable, happy, and confident.

Here are some expert playtime tips and how these help them cognitive, language, social and physical skills.

Tempo Frenzy (for babies 0-6 months)
Teach your baby the difference between speeds with this little game. Start by strolling around your house slowly while holding her in your arms. Then, increase the movement by breaking into a march with big, exaggerated steps. Finally, increase speed into a little jog. She'll love anticipating the different tempos and will delight in the movement. This activity will help develop your baby's sense of rhythm.

Mirror, mirror (for babies 2 months and up)
From as early as 2 - 3 months, newborns learn to imitate you. Although may not be equipped at that age with the mental and physical ability to replicate what you do or say, they are learning from all your actions. Turn this around for your baby, by imitating everything she does. If she says 'ba ba ba' do the same, likewise, if she waves her hands frantically do the same.

This helps build the bond between your baby and you, and helps her recognize that communication is two-way. It also develops your child's sense of humor.

Your own special song (for babies 3 months and up)
Include your baby's name in her favorite tunes. Example, say 'twinkle twinkly little Jane' and touch her toes and fingers as you sing. Kiss her fingers and rub her toes so she enjoys different sensations while you sing.

This helps your baby recognize her name, and reassures her she's special to you. The song, together with touching her fingers and toes, also helps develop her sense of rhythm and touch.

Reaching Out (for babies 4 months and up)
Let your newborn lie on her tummy and reach out for a rattle dangled above her. This gives them an upper body work-out, which they need in order to develop their core stability muscles (their trunk, chest and back muscles). These are responsible for controlling gross motor skills such as crawling, walking, running and even sitting up. Tummy time is vital for newborns this age.

Build It Up (for babies 12-18 months)
Through play, children learn to take turns, follow rules and cooperate.
Start with a rhyme, which you sing as you place one block on top of the
other…

Build it up, (place the 1st block on the ground)
Build it up, (place the 2nd one on top of the 1st)
Build it up. (place the 3rd on top of the 2nd)
Build it up, (4th block)
up, (5th block)
up (6th block)
into the sky.(7th block)
Build it up, (8th)
build it up (9th)
Build it higher (10th)
Build it up, (11th)
up, (12th)
up, (13th)
up, (14th)
up (15th)
into the sky.(16th)
Brrrrrmmmm… BOOM ( Let all the blocks fall)

This helps your baby with her:
- Fine motor skills as she balances the blocks on top of each one.
- Concentration skills as she places the blocks and listens to the rhyme at the same time.
- Sense of humor as she watches the blocks come tumbling down.
- Sense of suspense as she watches the blocks getting higher and sense of anticipation as she waits for it to tumble.
- Patience as she waits for each block to be placed carefully.

Upstairs, Downstairs (for babies 19 months and up)
Climbing up steps can be a fun way of getting older children to work on their body coordination and balance, and refining their motor skills. Counting the steps at the same time also allows you to introduce math concepts to your child. To make it even more fun, play music in the background to develop your child's sense of rhythm. This also helps develop your child's creativity.

Photo courtesy of Huggies.