Stage 1: 6+ months

The pleasure of playing together. Your little one loves to play. Each day, he finds so much that’s exciting and new as he explores the world around him. Play is a wonderful way for you and your child to share discoveries!

At 6 months, mixing with others and peek-a-boo games are some of his favourite things as he begins to understand himself as his own person. In fact, play is an integral part of his development. By stimulating play – from clapping games to any game that involves mimicking actions – you’re helping him develop motor, thinking and social skills.

Stage 2: 6+ months

Tummy-time play! What does tummy-time do for a child? It develops upper body strength and head control, and strengthens muscles in the arms and neck. Begin with a few minutes at a time, allowing your child to get used to this new position.

Lie on your back and put your child, tummy side down, on your stomach. Then, face-to-face, talk, sing or make funny faces.

Move a toy in front of your child, starting at eye level and slowly moving it upward, to help strengthen neck muscles.

To stimulate the muscles used to hold the head up and to push up with the arms, you can also gently rub your child’s back in a circular motion between the shoulder blades, and up and down the back.

Stage 3: 8 to 12 months

The pleasure of playing together. Playing with your child can be the highlight of the day. As a daily routine, it’s one of the best ways to encourage his development while nurturing the bond you share. When you play peek-a-boo or choose toys with hidden surprises, you’re helping your child understand the presence of unseen objects while you stimulate his memory. Another game, called “What’s Different?” trains him to notice when something is missing or added.

To play, show your child one stuffed animal, then hide it behind your back.

Then, show two or three. Put the animals behind you again and bring out only one.

Your child will likely notice the difference if one toy isn’t there, almost as if he is counting.

By arousing your child’s natural thinking skills, you’re preparing him to make sense of the world and work through little challenges.

By 10 months, as his physical abilities develop even more, involve him in group play. This is a good way to help him learn about his social and physical environment, and how he fits in.

Get your family to play a “sport”, like rolling a large ball to each other while seated on the floor with legs apart. For something more challenging, try child-friendly games based on the real action of baseball, basketball, bowling and other sports. He’ll enjoy the interaction and cheering support.

One-on-one play will help him feel that he has achieved something special. This will go a long way towards building confidence and independence, as well as laying the groundwork for the rewards of being part of a team.

Stage 4: 12+ months

The pleasure of playing together. After a year, your growing child has gone through many great developmental milestones. At this stage, he’s likely to explore his growing independence that accompanies his increasing mobility and coordination.

As his physical skills continue to improve, your child will want to move around more and will enjoy having better control of this actions. Let him play with toys that have sound and light features so he can experiment with “action-reaction”.

By 15 months, his better coordination and balance means he could be ready for a ride-on toy. Actions like climbing on and off, and pushing forward and back, strengthen leg muscles and refine motor skills.
The thrill of getting from one place to another also fosters a spirit of independence.

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