23 Baby Game Ideas for Your Baby's First Year

There's nothing more fun or rewarding than playing with your baby. Playtime together is entertaining for both of you, of course, but it's also a big part of the way your little one learns and grows. No matter how simple the game, play stimulates the senses and helps your baby develop skills, which means they'll learn a lot about the world around them through play. Here are some great suggestions for games to play with your baby at home.

Games for Babies From Birth to 6 Months Old

These games for infants can work well for your newborn up until they're around 6 months old:

1. All smiles. Your baby may begin to smile around the time they turn 2 months old. This will be a good time to play a smiling game with them: Simply smile at your baby and wait for them to smile back. Try making faces and funny noises to get them to grin.

2. Monkey see, monkey do. Get close to your baby, and try imitating their facial expressions and gestures. This is one of the simplest infant games that you can enjoy together. You’ll soon see your baby start imitating you! For example, try sticking your tongue out to see if they copy you.

3. Show and tell. As you hold a toy or a safe household object, show your baby what you’re holding and talk about it. Describe its shape, color, and even its texture. Let your baby feel the object, especially if it’s an unusually textured item like a squishy ball. It’ll be a fun learning experience for them.

4. Clappity clap. When your baby’s in a happy mood, clap their hands together, narrating what you’re doing. Eventually, they'll love getting your attention by making this sound all on their own.

5. Pedal pedal. Maybe after you’ve changed your little one's diaper and while they're lying on their back, pedal their legs, just like a bicycle. They'll get a kick out of it for sure!

6. Tickle me. Chant a classic tickle rhyme such as “This Little Piggy” or "Round and Round" as you touch your baby's toes, tummy, or chin. Your baby will get excited in anticipation of the tickle to come.

7. Shake and rattle. Grab a rattle or a squeaky toy to attract your baby’s attention and shake away. If you don’t have a rattle or squeaky toy, you could half-fill a jar or bottle with dried beans or rice and secure it tightly. But don’t give the homemade rattle to the baby.

8. Bubble blowing. Have your baby sit in your lap or in a bouncy chair and blow bubbles around them. Just make sure none go into their eyes. They'll love the magic of the bubbles and following them with their eyes. They may even try to swat at them.

9. Play ball. A ball can be a great plaything for your baby at nearly any age. It's one of the simplest games to play with baby that encourages movement and interaction. In this game, all you have to do is roll a soft toy ball toward your infant. Encourage your little one to reach for it. They may even try to roll it back or just grab it and mouth it.

10. Tummy time. Practicing tummy time can help your baby strengthen their head and neck muscles. Lay your baby down on their tummy on a blanket, and entertain them while they crane their neck to look up at you. You could blow bubbles in their direction, shake a rattle, put on a puppet show, etc.

11. Baby workout. This game for babies does require some equipment, specifically an infant gym. If you have one of these, you can set your baby up on the living room carpet, placing them on their back with the gym above them. They can swat and hit all the dangly objects safely, actions that help your baby develop muscle strength and coordination.

12. Chitchat. Use every opportunity to talk to your baby and narrate as you go about your daily activities. Explain what you’re doing together or what you'll soon be doing—changing their diaper, dressing them, taking them for a stroll, etc. Be as specific as you can; for example, while dressing them, describe the jumpsuit you've chosen, and how you're placing their feet in one at a time, followed by their arms, and then buttoning them up.

• Fishing for fun. A game to play with your baby could be as simple as attaching one of their favorite toys to a long piece of ribbon or string. You can dangle the toy in their line of vision to get their attention during tummy time, for example. This game will help develop visual coordination, and they'll love watching their favorite toy bounce around. Just be sure to put the string away when you two are not playing.

• Read aloud. Just like talking to your baby, reading and looking at picture books together is a great way to promote language and cognitive development while bonding with your little one. Good choices include sturdy books with big pictures and simple stories, and books that introduce different colors, shapes, or animals. As you turn the pages, describe what you're seeing on the page. If it’s an animal book, you could make animal sounds and describe what the animal likes to do.

Games for Babies From 6 Months to 1 Year Old

The following games to play with your baby can work well from 6 months old up to around the time they're 1 year old:

1. Crawling course. Once your baby reaches the crawling stage, one of the most fun games to play with babyis to create an obstacle course for them in the living room. You can use couch cushions, pillows, oversized plush toys, and other soft, safe objects. Once you’ve shown them what to do, encourage them to crawl to you from the other end of the course by enticing them with one of their favorite toys. Any way they crawl over to you is fine, whether they crawl over, under, or around your course—the key is that they're moving and having fun.

2. Puppet theater. Entertain your little one with a finger puppet show. To make puppets, you can cut the fingers off a pair of old gloves and draw faces on the fingers with a marker or hot-glue googly eyes. You can also make finger puppets using construction paper or felt. Your baby will love watching the show unfold.

3. Mirroring. Use a mirror to play a game with your little one. Hold it up to them so they can see themself. They may even laugh or giggle at themself. Encourage them to make faces by making faces yourself in the mirror.

4. Kickball. Obviously, your baby is too young to play sports, but it’s never too early to inspire the interest. With this game, you sit with your baby on the floor or on the ground if you are outside and hold them under their arms. Have a ball ready to go in front of them. Then gently swing your baby so they kick the ball forward. Eventually your baby will get the hang of the game and love it.

5. Peek-a-boo. It’s one of the easiest and most fun-filled games to play with your baby. All you need to do is cover and uncover your eyes or face and say peek-a-boo. Your baby will laugh and giggle as if it were the best thing on earth. And you can vary the game in different ways: for example, after changing their diaper, you can play peek-a-boo through their legs, or you can hide and then uncover your face with a piece of clothing, or perhaps you can pull different faces and make funny sounds each time you show your face.

• Hide and seek. There are a few different ways you can vary this game so that it’s suitable for your baby—it ends up being like playing peek-a-boo with your whole body. Try hiding behind a door or a big chair or use a large sheet or blanket to hide behind, and quickly reveal yourself to your astonished baby.

• Stacking towers. This fun game for infants involves gathering some empty, clean containers such as shoe boxes, milk cartons, and cereal boxes—anything that is light and rectangular in shape can work well as a fun, stackable toy. Build a tower or a fort with your baby, and then let them knock it all down. Your baby will love the destruction just as much as the building.

• Sing along. Singing a song or reciting a nursery rhyme like “Pat-a-Cake”,” The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” or “Pop Goes the Weasel” is a wonderful, easy way to interact with your baby. As you say or sing the words, you can add fingerplay, acting out the words with your hands. In time, your little one will learn the words and you can sing along together.

• Packing up. At around this age, babies love to explore and empty out drawers, shelves, baskets, and other storage areas. Because of this, always secure any furniture that might topple over to the wall and remove any unsafe objects from low shelves or baskets that are in reach. To make this form of play and exploration safe, give your baby a box or basket filled with safe toys such as blocks, stuffed animals, rattles, stacking cups, etc. Let your baby explore the items and pull them out one by one (or dump out the contents of the container yourself); then, have your little one return the items to the container. Not only does this help introduce the idea of chores and tidying up, but it’s also fun as your baby gets to touch and play with various objects and choose how long they spend with each. Use the opportunity to describe when the container is empty or full, and describe each item as they drop it in.

The Bottom Line

Playing with your baby can be a fun activity, a bonding moment, an educational experience, and a developmental opportunity for them. No matter which games for babies you choose, your baby will love the time spent together, and you may find that playing together becomes a highlight of your day too!

_{How We Wrote This Article The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.}