Have you ever walked into a nursery room full of babies and felt unsure? Do you wonder how to interact or play with them?

Or wondered how to set up the room in a way that supports infants’ and babies’ development and learning? Play is one of the most critical ways children learn and grow. Through play, they develop essential physical, cognitive, and social skills. Research highlights that engaging in play from infancy supports brain development. It strengthens neural pathways and lays the foundation for lifelong learning and relationships (Ginsburg, 2007). When we understand the power of play, educators can offer meaningful and developmentally appropriate activities that foster exploration and joy.

The Magic of Bubbles

Soap bubbles are more than just captivating—they actively support the development of neural connections in a baby’s growing brain. Watching bubbles float helps babies practise visual tracking while trying to pop them improves hand-eye coordination. By around one year old, babies can clap their hands to burst bubbles. This activity also enhances gross motor skills. It further develops fine motor skills. Research shows that sensory-rich play like blowing bubbles promotes cognitive and motor development in early childhood (White et al., 2020).

Nesting Toys: Learning Size and Space

Nesting dolls, stacking cups, or similar toys help children develop spatial awareness. They support size differentiation and enhance fine motor skills. These activities encourage problem-solving as babies figure out how to fit pieces together. High-quality, child-safe materials are essential, especially for teething infants. Playing with nesting toys supports early mathematical concepts. These include sequencing and comparing sizes. They make learning both fun and educational.

Hide-and-Seek Games: Cause and Effect in Action

Peek-a-boo and “which hand” games are simple yet profoundly important and super easy to play. Babies love cause-and-effect interactions, and games like these help them understand that actions lead to outcomes. For example, you can hide a small toy in your hand and let your baby guess where it is. As they grow, hide toys under a scarf or in a pocket and let them search. This fosters cognitive development by strengthening memory and problem-solving skills.

Dance and Freeze: Music and Movement

Movement is a primary way babies explore their world, and dancing with them combines physical activity with emotional connection. Hold your baby and move to the music together. Pause when the music stops. This simple “freeze dance” game introduces them to cause and effect. It also promotes listening skills and body awareness. Play and movement are shown to be crucial for emotional regulation and social development (Brown & Vaughan, 2009).

Obstacle Courses: Exploring Through Movement

Babies and toddlers thrive on movement. Set up an obstacle course using pillows of various sizes and textures to create a safe and engaging environment. Crawling, climbing, and navigating different surfaces help build coordination, balance, and strength. Make sure to stay nearby to give support and encouragement, fostering their confidence and independence.

High-Contrast Patterns for Early Visual Development

From as early as six weeks, babies are drawn to high-contrast patterns. Black-and-white designs or chessboards are visually stimulating and can capture their attention for minutes at a time. Research supports the use of high-contrast visuals to enhance visual development and focus in young infants (Slater, 2013). Creating a simple high-contrast mobile or paper cube provides a cost-effective and engaging way to stimulate early visual skills.

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Balls: Rolling into Development

A simple ball can be one of the most versatile toys for babies. For newborns, a large gym ball can be used for tummy time or gentle bouncing, which helps develop core strength. Small balls are perfect for rolling back and forth with older babies. This activity supports hand-eye coordination. It also introduces concepts like timing and turn-taking. As children grow, these simple games evolve into early lessons in physics, movement, and collaboration.

Treasure baskets

Treasure baskets and heuristic play are perfect companions to ball activities, especially for babies and toddlers exploring their world. A treasure basket filled with balls of different sizes, textures, and materials allows young children to investigate through their senses. They can touch, hold, and compare, developing their tactile awareness and fine motor skills. Heuristic play with balls encourages curiosity and discovery. Children experiment with rolling, stacking, or even balancing them in creative ways. This open-ended exploration nurtures problem-solving skills. It fosters a deeper understanding of cause and effect. This lays a foundation for lifelong learning.

Play is a vital part of a child’s early development. It enables them to explore their environment. It also helps build essential skills and allows them to connect with others. Adults can create meaningful interactions by incorporating simple, playful activities like bubble popping, hide-and-seek, and obstacle courses. These activities support physical, cognitive, and emotional growth. As research confirms, engaging in purposeful play enhances a child’s development. It also strengthens the bond between caregiver and child. This interaction makes it a win for everyone involved.

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References

• Brown, S., & Vaughan, C. (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. Avery.
• Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182–191. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2697
• Slater, A. (2013). Visual perception in the newborn infant: Issues and debates. Developmental Psychobiology, 55(1), 96–100. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21028
• White, R. E., Fleer, M., & Linke, P. (2020). Play in early childhood education: Learning in diverse contexts. Oxford University Press.

What are your favourite ways to support infants development through play?