Games to be played with 5 month old!

[Ekta Saxena]

Hello,

I assume that the average activity time for a 5 month old baby should be 1.5 to 2 hrs. Correct me if wrong..what games can be played with my DD who is 5 months when she is awake..

Pls suggest.

Thanks
Ekta

[Mama2boys]

you could do a row row, row your boat
sing to the baby and mention stuff like heads shoulder knees and toes. Baby cant bend but baby will feel your touch on the body part
I would do some tummy time for sure
other nursery rhymes and some touch and feel kind of toys

[deb]

Talk and sing to her. Make eye contact when you speak, and use a really expressive voice. (Most mothers do this instinctively - heck, most PEOPLE do this naturally with babies! LOL)

Some time on tummy - again, interact with her there - and on back. Touching and tickling (not more than she can handle - and she'll let you know!). Lots of touches and textures - different fabrics, for example.

Carry her - bounce her. If her neck is strong enough (and this will improve as she has more tummy time), you can lay on your back and put her tummy-down on YOUR tummy and lift her up and down. Dance with her - bounce to the beat, turn around while holding her, tap your fingers on different parts of her body to the beat. Take her for walks and show her things, "narrate" what she sees, let her look and touch and hear and smell and taste whatever she can safely.

Bathtime/water play, indoors and out when possible - the feel of water is wonderful for babies and they begin to see different ways to interact with it on their own and from watching what you do.

Peekaboo is a good one too; babies of different ages will react to this differently as they mature and they see the world differently.

As little screen time as possible - NONE is the best amount of TV/tablet/phone at this age and will be for the first couple years. Real world whenever possible. Basically, ANYTHING that helps her connect with you and other people and her world counts - it doesn't have to be (and really isn't) "games" at this point in time. Get to know your baby and let her get to know you!

Also, remember that you and she don't have to be full-on engaged every moment she's awake. She can be laying on the bed watching while you sort socks or some such, or sitting/laying nearby watching you eat breakfast or grab a drink of water; it's actually good for babies to have some "down time" as well.

A caution: whenever possible, let her initiate new things to do or learn from watching you. As a Music Together teacher I see parents all the time who are trying to "make" their babies keep a beat like the big kids when the babies are in fact watching and working out what to do, and the interruption keeps them from fully processing and starting things on their own.

Have fun!

[We Three]

 Oh Lord I loved that age!!!!  Still tiny enough for newborn snuggles, but yet really responsive and expressive.     A stroll in the yard was a wonder at that age...."Oooohhhh....loook! The flowers are blooming! Let's feel what this flower feels like! So pretty isn't it? It's pink!"  I'd always point out clouds and sounds of birds....the feel of the grass.....I basically narrated everything! Lots of eye contact, lots of kisses. I still remember her looking at ME for MY reaction to something.....*sigh* so sweet....beautiful times.
 I'd sing to her all the time, wheels on the bus, and a silly song about her name that I made up. We'd put on the CD player and dance.  If a song had hand movements I'd do them for her....she liked that.  I'd lay her on the bed and just chat with her, names all her body parts..."I love this baby's arms, I love this baby's legs...." and kiss each part.
 She always liked her excersaucer for "solo play"....that's how I showered each day!
 Books, books, and more books.   

 A simple walk is stimulating for them.....the grocery store, a park, just keep talking and connecting with her. Nothing is better for her than that.   

[creations]

At that age mine loved being read to and looking at the pictures. he liked board books and around this time or a little older he began to look at the pics and turn the pages himself. He also liked picture cards (flash cards) which we did not use as 'flash' cards but as a sort of loose leaf book, just looking at the pictures together and talking about what was on there.

He liked things which made noise and responded to his or someone's action. A toy on his play gym could be kicked and it set of a short beat/music, he liked books with sound buttons too.

[*Liz*]

My DS is 5.5 months and just this week got the hang of peepo with a muslin cloth over him  . So cute!!

He is starting to get frustrated by a play gym,  but is enjoying an activity centre thing I got off ebay.

I also run errands in his A time now - so we pop to the shop in the buggy or carrier.

[Ekta Saxena]

Wow...thats a great input from all of u!Thank u so much.

I am mostly doing what you all mentioned except for the books which I will be getting very soon. I believe they mostly have to be pic books ...right?

Thanks again and any other new thoughts please keep them coming. Also yes keeping her completely away from TV/tab ...

Ekta

[creations]

There are so so many books out there, all sorts, soft plastic ones for in the bath (a bit like arm bands in a way), board books which don't tear easily and are easier for LO to grip as their grip develops that is, hard plastic books often with some sort of electronic aspect like buttons for noises or nursery rhymes.  I love the tactile books, different textures on each page, "That's no my..." series is lovely for that but really any of these sort of baby/toddler books are fine. Watch to see if your LO is a paper eater and if so make sure she has suitable books which are harder to chew.
Books with nursery rhymes or short stories are lovely, we had a set of mini board books with one word per page (plus picture) which were super simple things but were like little treasures to DS.  There's no harm having text in the books, you can read it to her or talk about the pictures.  It's great having a variety.