Playtime With Your Baby

As a parent, you are the first to play with your baby. Playing with your baby helps you build a strong attachment that will give your child a safe place from which to explore the world as they grow. Responding to and playing with your baby in a caring and nurturing way will support all aspects of their healthy development.

As your child grows from newborn to toddler and beyond, play should continue to have an important place in their life and in your relationship with them.

The principle of “serve and return” is an important idea that can guide your interactions with your child, during play time or at other times of the day. Pay attention to what your child is “serving” to you, such as a smile or an interest in a book or toy, and “return” that interest. Repeated, positive “serve and return” interactions can play a big role in your child’s healthy development.

Take time each day to cuddle and play with your baby. Hold your baby skin-to-skin regularly in the first months of their life. Look your baby in the eyes and mirror their expressions. Smile and sing to your baby. This will help your baby connect with you and grow in healthy ways.

Tummy time is when you lay your baby on their stomach or side when they are awake. You can put your baby on the floor, on a safe firm surface, on your lap or on your chest for tummy time. It’s recommended that babies have lots of supervised tummy time, spread out throughout the day. Tummy time is a chance for your baby to strengthen their muscles. It helps them grow socially and emotionally as they play with parents, siblings, or other family members and friends.

Start tummy time when your baby is a newborn. Some babies do not like tummy time at first. You may have to help your baby learn to enjoy tummy time. Some ways to do this are by:

• Slowly adding more tummy time each day
• Talking and singing to your baby
• Giving your baby interesting things to look at like colorful pictures or a mirror
• Gently touching or massaging your baby’s arms and legs
• Getting down on the floor so your baby can see your face
• Putting you hand under you baby’s chin to support the head until your baby is strong enough to do it by themselves
• Rolling roll up a towel and putting it under your baby’s chest with their arms propped up for support