Games for a 5-Month-Old

Infants learn and develop through play, so spend time playing simple games with your 5-month-old. Give babies a variety of safe toys and items of different sizes, textures, colors and shapes. Playtime is the most important tool you can give your child as she learns about the world and herself.

  1. Traditional Baby Games

    • Certain games never go out of style, such as Peekaboo, clapping hands, This Little Piggy Went to Market and Pop Goes the Weasel. You can play the Horsey Game by bouncing your baby on your knees while singing or making horse hoof sounds.

      According to Heidi Murkoff, author of "What to Expect in the First Year," ̶0;These games ... strengthen that special bond you share with your [baby] ... and stimulate a baby's senses, gross motor skills, visual tracking, social development, and her sense of humor!̶1;

    Toys for 5-Month-Olds

    • Kathleen Alfano, director of child research at Fisher-Price, suggests that you and your 5-month-old can play with toys such as: ̶0;roly-poly toys, toys that help develop a sense of self, hand-held musical toys, activity toys, baby books for patting, pointing and talking, measuring spoons, and squeeze toys with surprise sounds.̶1;

    Sensory Games

    • You can help your baby learn and contribute to her sensory stimulation by exploring and naming various aspects of toys with her. This will help her experience and identify different textures, activate sounds and movements, and see different colors

      Hide-and-seek and variations on peekaboo delight babies as they begin to grasp the concept of object permanence, the understanding that things exist even when you can̵7;t see them.

      Mirror games are fun and educational, too. Hold your baby on your lap and put the mirror in front of you. Look into the mirror so your baby sees your reflection and then hold the mirror up to your baby's face so he can his. Toys with mirrors are entertaining, especially as babies love to smile at the ̶0;other baby̶1; in the mirror.

    Active Games

    • At five months, a baby̵7;s grasp is becoming stronger, and she can pull objects toward her, pick them up and transfer them from hand to hand. Activity toys are full of surprises and encourage babies to use hands, feet, eyes, ears and mouth. Look for toys that babies can shake, grab or easily move to produce an immediate result.

      Roly-poly toys, especially with sound effects, are ideal for this stage because the baby can make the toy move without it rolling away. As the baby̵7;s eye-hand coordination improves, he will probably bat at toys to make the moving action happen. A toy that responds when a baby bats at it will encourage him to develop coordination, skills and practice at balancing.

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