Play time for infants — Pt 1
CHILDREN should always be encouraged to express themselves creatively by using all their senses to acquire new knowledge, skills and competencies, as well as to engage in independent learning. This is done well through play.
Here are some activities you can employ, whether you are a parent or teacher, from The Jamaica Early Childhood Curriculum Resource Book.
Activities for infants and toddlers (birth to 12 months)
Activity # 1
What you’ll need: Gym mat or sponge and brightly coloured objects, eg plastic toys
1) Hold or suspend an object in front of the infant as he lies on a mat.
2) Place the object very close to the infant and allow him to reach for the object.
3) Slowly change position of the object so infant can continue reaching for it
Activity # 2
What you’ll need: Music with different rhythms
1) Place the infant on your lap and clap your hands to the rhythm of the music so that the infant will try to imitate your actions.
2) Repeat activity at different tempos (slowly at first, then increase the pace).
Activity # 3
What you’ll need: Colourful shaker and mat
1) Place the infant on mat, then shake the rattle from side to side allowing the infant to move his/her head from side to side.
2) Shake rattle above the head to allow the infant to lift his/her head.
Activity # 4
What you’ll need: Bath with tepid water and wash cloth
1) Test the temperature of water with your elbow and make sure it is comfortable enough to bathe the infant in.
2) Put infant in bath water and allow him/her to kick legs and splash water with arms.
3) Drip water from wash cloth on to baby’s body, legs and arms while encouraging him/her to reach for the wash cloth.
4) Bathe baby.
Activity # 5
What you’ll need: Bouncing balls, cushions and mats
1) Place infant on the floor against cushions/pillows.
2) Sit on the floor in front of the infant.
3) Roll the ball to the infant allowing him/her to try to reach for it.
4) Repeat activity if he/she is enjoying it.
Activity # 6
What you’ll need: Mat or sponge or towel
1) Place the infant on his/her back on the mat.
2) Move the infant’s legs in a bicycle motion.
3) Repeat the activity if he/she is enjoying it.
Activity # 7
Do the finger play, “This Little Piggy,” using the infant’s fingers:
This little piggy went to market (wiggle infant’s thumb)
This little piggy stayed home (wiggle index finger)
This little piggy had roast beef (wiggle middle finger)
This little piggy had none (wiggle fourth finger)
And this little piggy cried, “wee-wee-wee!” all the way home (wiggle little finger).
AGE RANGE: 6 – 12 MONTHS
Activity # 1
What you’ll need: Shakers
1) Give the infant shakers. Ensure that these shakers are easy to grasp and big enough not to be swallowed. Place a shaker in each hand to help develop his/her grasp. Use shaker to make music and sing with infant.
Activity # 2
What you’ll need: Coloured blocks and a container
1) As you both play with the blocks, place one small block in the container.
2) Shake the container to get baby’s attention.
3) Next, show the baby how to take the block out of the container. Use the word ‘out’. For example, “See how I take the block out.”
4. Let the baby try to do it on his/her own.
Activity # 3
What you’ll need: Baby’s meals and feeding tray
1) Place the baby’s meal on her feeding tray.
2) Ensure that you give the baby food that he/she can pick up with the fingers. Pieces of fruit, cereal and small pieces of bread are good.
3) Praise the infant when he/she picks up food with the fingers and feeds herself.
Activity # 4
What you’ll need: Large crayons and paper
1) Give baby the large crayon and paper and encourage her to make scribbles on the paper.
Activity # 5
What you’ll need: Pictures of familiar faces, clear contact paper and cardboard
1) Create a big book of familiar faces by gluing photos/pictures of family members or from magazines or your own collection, on cardboard.
2) Preserve them with clear contact paper.
3) As you point to the picture, name it. For example, you could say “This is daddy.”
4) The infant will begin to connect names with pictures.
5) He/she may also develop favourites and begin to show signs of what is liked or not liked.
Activity # 6
What you’ll need: Large blocks, cereal boxes, shoe boxes, plastic bowls, plastic cups
1) As infants gain greater hand and arm coordination, they enjoy placing one object on top of another. Allow them to place the blocks in whatever position they want.
2) Allow infants to play freely with the various sets of objects. Watch them stack the blocks up and knock them down. This activity helps the infants to explore spatial relationships and differences in size and shape.
Activity # 7
What you’ll need: Wooden spoons, metal bowls of different sizes, metal lids of various sizes, chubby bottles and squeezable toys
1) Encourage the infant to experiment with the various objects by banging, shaking or squeezing them to create interesting sounds.
