How to play with babies to pre-schoolers

Research suggests that play in youngsters is not just about making a mess and having fun, but it also helps to develop your child's cognitive, emotional and physical development

The secret to playing with kids is to leave inhibitions at the door. You have to be prepared to throw yourself into being a shopkeeper, a dragon, a fairy or a hopping rabbit, and once you do, both you and your child will have great fun.

Here are some play tips that will suit the different stages of your child's development:

Babies

While many think newborns are pretty unresponsive to play, research shows that between three and four months you will start to notice a difference in his or her development.

In the first year babies begin developing their fine motor skills, and start to communicate with different cries and gestures.

How to play:

Encourage communication using cooing, tongue clicks and good old raspberry blowing. Your baby will start to learn that his or her babbles and cooing get a response from you. For example, a smile will result in big cuddles from mum!
Play peek-a-boo. Around eight months your baby will learn that objects and people still exist even when they can't see them. Play peek-a-boo while he or she is in their cot, and start hiding objects under cushions or towels asking 'where could teddy be?'
Encourage reaching and grasping. As your baby begins to understand clenching and reaching for things, hold things just in front of them and encourage them to reach out and grab them, be it a rattle, a bottle or a dummy.