Activity and toy ideas for 3-6mths

[Grace's Mom]

I can't believe it's been two months since I posted. DD is now almost 5 months and activity time has changed just a bit.  She now is on a 4 hour EASY and stays up for about 2 hours.  She practices trying to roll, loves tummy time now (most of the time), dances in her Johnny Jump Up, sit in bumbo and watches Mommy work, etc.  We can go do errands now, not that we go out too much.

-Melissa

[Mum2Connor]

I'm still new on this site and thought this thread was fantastic! It's great to learn what other mums are doing to play with their bubs.  As funny as it sounds, I don't know what made me sing this but ... I discovered that singing the theme song to the Adams Family TV series (I'm probably showing my age here LOL) makes my DS laugh and giggle, he just loves it!  He also loves a book called 'That's not my car ...' there's a whole series of them.

Blowing bubbles is also fun from a bubble-blower that is ... He is fascinated watching the bubbles floating buy, landing and magically disappearing!

[Ryan&HollysMom]

ryan is 4 1/2 months old now. ever since he was about 2 months old we've been reading books, lots of them. but i noticed that when he sits on my lap he'll look everywhere except at the book. so we read lying side by side and he'll look at the book and bat at it, and will be cool for sometimes 6-7 books. i love lying by his side and we look at each other and grin. 

[Ireps]

some great ideas! how long is A time for most 3 month olds? I am still pushing an hour...

[mommyOFtwins]

My daughters love the following:

  Bouncer chair

  Exercise Saucer

  Tummy time where they are surrounded by toys that they can grab, reach, and chew on

  Story time which is part of the wind down b4 nap/bedtime

  Baby Einstein which they watch or is at least playing on TV while they do other stuff

  Mirror time

  And the best is us, and my family where we talk to them, try to make them laugh, describe stuff, prop them up, help them sit/stand, etc...

I think in about a month i'll be pulling out the Little Touch system by leapfrog.
We also have flash cards but we don't use that much.  So my girls rotate among the activities above everyday and at least do it all.

[Lockie & Sam's Mummy]

my ds is 5.5mo & loves the following:

• practising crawling/rolling on his tummy
• playing with & banging blocks together
• bouncing on his legs (with support)
• different shaped plastic containers
• toys which make rattling or crinkly noises
• reading books with lots of rhyming
• reading/eating board books like "rob the robot"
• going for walks in his pram or sling
• lying under a tree - he loves the filtered light
• action songs like "if you're happy & you know it"
• watching the "your baby can read" dvds
• bath-time & massage - he loves being naked!

[Elizabeth410]

Wow, thanks for all the good ideas! I have just started playing 'Mommy will steal kisses from you'. I start off close to him, and tease him that I will come and steal kisses, then I cover him with smootches all over the head and cheeks. Then I start a little further, and say the same thing while coming toward him. Then from a little bit further. Sometimes after a few times, I sort of half hide behind the couch and just poke my head out and say 'Uh oh, Mommy will come and steal some kisses', that always makes him smile or giggle. I think he likes the anticipation, and he cracks up when I reach him and kiss him!

[fluffycabbage]

Jaden is 6 months now, and he likes all sorts of things - he needs constant stimulation! He likes:
~ Upturned saucepan, holding a wooden spoon and banging it!
~ Watching Baby Einstein DVDs
~ Tummy time with toys/ rolling time (he wont stop rolling til he reaches the walls lol)
~ Playing in his Graco Entertainer
~ Hurting everyones ankles walking in his Chicco UFO walker
~ Playing with various electronic noisy/light up toys
~ Bouncing on mummys knee
~ Mummy blowing raspberrys all over him
~ Being bounced on the bed while on his back
~ Playing with crinkly books, looking at the pictures while I read (and no doubt mummy blowing a few raspberrys on his cheeks along the way lol)
~ Making the noises he makes back at him, makes him giggle
~ Watching the cat (and following if possible lol)
~ Mummy dancing holding him
~ Mummy singing (though Im not sure why, poor little man lol)
~ Walking in the garden/ in the park with mummy, looking at all the plants, trees etc

(hhmmmm Ive just noticed there is no daddy time, though there is a daddy here... )

Gotta start changing things now though, as he's getting a little older 

[OnyxRayne]

I have to say, my son LOVES looking at himself in the mirror. I wonder if he knows that it's him in the mirror and not another baby. He's 4 months now.
[/quote]

Scientists did studies about this and determined that a baby doesn't know that's it's their reflection until about 15 months. So he probably thinks that his reflection is another baby! My BG becomes shy when she looks at her reflection! 

[EllenS]

I'm not too sure about that.  I think my lo knows it's herself in the mirror because we always look in the mirror together, and I often will "beep" her nose - she can make eye contact with me through the reflection and laugh.  She is 5.5 months and has been doing that for at least a month.

[prridolfi]

Some great things are:

Place a large sheet of celophane on the floor and place your LO on top of it (dependin on the age sitting or on his back/tummy) he/she will love the wrinkly sound and it will give him/her hours of joy!! Of course NEVER EVER leave hime alone with the celphane. There has to be adult supervision at all times!!!
Another great toy is to use the roll of paper towels as a "microphone" and make funy sounds with it, then your LO will take the paper towel roll and start making with it sounds of its own!! They love it!!
Another great one is to dance with your baby....

[NoSleepBaby]

My LO will be 5 months next week

Anyway, for A time we:

*Go for a stoll around the neighborhood
*Now that it is fall, play outside in the leaves- he loves picking them up and shaking them
*Sit near a tree and watch the branches move in the wind- he loves the breeze on his face
*Read.. have been reading to him since he was born
*He can watch our dogs play all day
*Do "Head Shoulders Knees & Toes" and kiss each part as you sing it
*Play with his crinkle books- he loves anything that crinkles
*While mommy is doing dishes, he plays with plastic measuring spoons and cups
*Discovering what paper is.. he loves to grab a piece and throw it on the ground and waits for me to give it back so he can throw it again
*Talking to him about what we did for the day.. he loves to just listen to anyone talk directly to him
*I try not to sit him in front of the tv.. I think it is a bad habit to start so young, but he has caught a glimpse of Max & Ruby here and there while I needed to use the restroom or grab something to eat
*Loves the exersaucer and Johhny Jump Up

*If I need a break and it isn't his nap time turn place it in real close in front of our big window.  Now that it is getting colder out, he can still see outside without having to get bundled up
*car drives to the park or zoo. 
*Walking around house and telling him about the rooms and what is in them
*Bath time.. he is really into splashing now
*Laying on my back and playing airplane by placing him on my legs and lifting him over my chest

Finally.. we play superman a lot.  I pick him up and hold him in the air by the legs and stomach and fly him around the house like superman.  He loves flying over the dogs

[kohnheads]

My 5 month old boys love to sit in their BebePod seats (or Bumbo's) right up next to their Gymini - it gives them a totally different perspective on the same toy!  And they also love lying under the Christmas tree and looking at the lights and sparkly ornaments (with all branches, lights and ornaments out of reach, of course!).

Lindsay

[citawoman]

I got this tip from a friend of my mom.  Get two helium balloons and tie them loosly to my son's feet.  He loves kicking and seeing how they move. 

[sanaya]

the helium balloons idea is fantastic!!!!
my lo is 3 days shy of 3 mo. all i do for A time is put him in his little rocking chair, talk to him, let him see the plants and i can barely push till 1 hour. cannot go beyond an hour without getting ot. any suggestions. (he hates being on his tummy).
tia
sanaya