Games to Play With a 3-Month-Old

Flying

• This game will allow your baby to see his environment from a different perspective. Lie down on your bed, couch or floor and gently straighten your arms, lifting your baby above you. You can move him back and forth or lift him up and down. Start your play session in the same manner every time and your baby will soon begin to anticipate his flying time. You can count off before you lift him above you or you can ask him if he̵7;s ready to fly. Eventually, your baby will respond and you will know he is ready and eager to have some fun. End his flying session with him softly crash landing on your face for a kiss.

Singing Songs

• No matter how terrible you may think your voice is, your baby will enjoy listening to you sing. You can sing just about anything to your baby, including popular childhood songs. A soothing song like ̶0;Lullaby̶1; might be just the thing to soothe a cranky baby. Babies will especially enjoy songs with actions and movements such as ̶0;The Itsy Bitsy Spider,̶1; ̶0;Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star̶1; and ̶0;The Wheels on the Bus.̶1; To add a little variety you can sing songs in different voices, using a squeaky tone or a growl. You could even whisper a song to your baby. Having a hand puppet or stuffed animal ̶0;sing̶1; to your baby will offer yet another experience for her. If you don̵7;t know a lot of children̵7;s songs you can go to the library and check out some of the many CDs available in the children̵7;s section. Once you find one you and your baby like you can buy it because, chances are, you̵7;ll be playing it over and over.

Touching Game

• Babies are just starting to learn about the world around them. Their sense of touch can be utilized to teach them about their environment and to give them a little fun. For this activity you will need as many articles made of different fabrics and textures as you can easily find. You can use silk scarves, a cashmere sweater, satin or silky sleepwear, bright cotton shirts, fuzzy socks or anything else you can find with an interesting texture. Show your baby the objects, one at a time. Talk about what each one feels like and let him touch it. Rub it gently on his arms, legs, face and feet so he can feel the textures. Spread out the object and sit him or lay him on top of it if possible. Keep talking about his experiences. Do this for as many objects as you like or as long as he is interested in the activity. You could extend this activity by using things that he will only touch with his hands such as large rocks, leather bags and pillows. Never leave your baby unattended and take special care when playing with objects that could be swallowed or wrapped around a baby.

Moving Time

• Show your baby how things move. Lay your baby down and move toward her and away from her. Move slowly enough so she is able to track you. Move from side to side. You can also pretend you are a bird or a plane and make motions and sounds. Choose different objects, such as a bright beach ball or a colorful stuffed animal, and do the same with them. Sit your baby up with you and show her wind-up toys that move by themselves. Go outside and sit on a blanket or a chair and watch for things that move to point out to your baby. Show her birds, kids playing, airplanes, cars and leaves on trees. Don̵7;t forget to talk to your baby about everything you see with her.