Search Results for: blog games to play 12 to 16 months

Finger Play Fun

The other day I was playing with a friend’s preschooler. He started doing a finger play about bees that I used to play with my children. Sadly, our days of finger plays are long past. But I remember using them to occupy toddlers and preschoolers at restaurants, doctor offices, and while riding in the car on trips. Since then I’ve learned that games like these actually help children with auditory skills, rhyming skills, and story prediction. All of which will help them learn how to read when they are older. Who would have known? I thought I was just having … Continue reading →

Exploration: Playing with Baby

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It’s important to remember that games and playtime for babies under the age of 2 are very much about exploration and experimentation. Babies play through their movement and through their senses. They learn about the world around them. They learn about their parents. They learn about themselves. What’s great about this kind of play is that it rarely requires a purchase and even more rarely does it fail you for entertaining the little one. When you are taking your baby or toddler out to the various 4th of July celebration whether it’s a parade, fireworks or a family picnic – … Continue reading →

More Games to Play – 20 to 24 Months

Can you tell I’m in the mood to play today? I can hardly wait for my nine-month-old nephew to get to these ages as I remember all the fun things that my daughter enjoyed doing at the same time. Following up my two parts from earlier today covering 12 to 16 and 16 to 20 months – here are some games and fun you can have with your soon to be 2 year old! Dance Dance Dance Every mom and dad loves to dance with their baby and who doesn’t get tickled when baby starts to dance themselves? By this … Continue reading →

Games to Play: 12 to 16 Months

Do you love playing with your one year old? Baby games are a great way to spend time, teach and frankly, just to laugh and enjoy. Besides, toddler games help your baby’s development as well as fostering a closer relationship between you and your toddler. Patty Cake and Clapping By 12 to 16 months, your baby can hold their hands open. He or she may clap them together spontaneously, hold your baby’s hands and clap them together. You can lay on the floor in front of him or her or hold the in your lap – sing the clapping songs … Continue reading →

20 Ways to Get Free Entertainment

Free Entertainment is all around us. We just have to reach out for it. 1. Free movie rentals from Redbox. Search for “Redbox codes” online. You’ll get at least one free movie rental a week when using the Redbox video machines. 2. Free Lego Build Event. Each month Lego stores sponsor free building events for ages 6 through 14. Kids can build a new Lego model each month (this month it is a log cabin) and then take it home. 3. Free video games from the library. Chances are that your library is stocked with video games for current systems. … Continue reading →

Grandpa’s Visit

We have been overrun with family lately. I love it. I love Texas, but I miss our families. We were so close to mine in California and we drove to Nevada to visit Chris’s often. Now we have to wait for them to visit us every few months or so. Chris’s parents were here for about a week. We had a few days to ourselves before my mom arrived from California. We all got to spend a few days with Grandma and then we went to the airport to pick up Grandpa. We were at the airport early. We watched … Continue reading →

Mommy’s Helper: A Fun Way To Learn

I love playing with my 19-month-old son. Lately his favorite thing to do is basically destroy whatever I manage to build with his blocks. I try to make a tower and he knocks it down as hard as he can. I’m thinking someone would really love to play whack-a-mole… But, it’s not realistic to play all day. There are things that need to get done around the house. At the same time, you still have to watch and interact with your toddler. What is the solution? I am a big believer in including your toddler in your everyday activities. There … Continue reading →

Where is Dad?

Most of the days of the week our son wakes up Dad. Mom has to get to work early in the morning and the little one sometimes likes to sleep in until the sun starts trying to break curvature of the earth. Dad is normally already up and sitting at the computer reading and writing e-mails or reading a book by a light. There’s no secret that he’d love to wake up and be held by his mother but that isn’t possible most mornings. On the rare occasion he wakes up early enough to wish her well everything is fine … Continue reading →

Happily Clapping

I noticed a new skill in my son the other day: clapping. He was sitting on his little playmat, surrounded by toys, when he heard a song that my wife had previously played to him in the womb repeatedly. He got a big smile on his little face, his eyes lit up bright, he readied his entire body and flung his arms up and behind with a great force in order to bring them back together and create that marvelous clapping sound. My son puts his entire being into clapping and if he is sitting up throws himself off balance … Continue reading →

25 Ways to Entertain Your Baby

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“I can’t keep this kid entertained!” exclaimed my exasperated husband. Truth be told, entertaining a baby is easy for some and difficult for others. Some of us just have an easier time getting into the “baby mindset” to figure out what will be entertaining for someone whose life is still measured in months. For the rest of us, I present this list! Just be prepared to look silly… 1. Lean over your infant and slowly move your face closer until you touch noses for a brief second, then pop back up and act surprised. 2. Play peek-a-boo by holding a … Continue reading →