Magic Sack (for one or more players)

Take a non-transparent sack and several big objects that are well-known to the baby. The objects should be of a clearly defined shape and texture (e.g. clew of wool, keys). When the baby dives his/her hand in the sack, he/she defines by touch what object has he touched (at the first stage you can help by prompting). If several kids are playing, they puts their hands in the sack by turn – and pulls a “prize”. Babies like this game, where magic element is so strong. The only difficulty here is to select really different objects and not to forget about safety – the things mustn’t be sharp or prickly.

In the course of time the game is made more complicated. You can add smaller objects or toys that have slightly different texture. Or you can follow an easier variant and offer the baby to find definite objects in the sack (e.g. find a button or a key).

The game trains memory, imagination, develops tactile sensation.

Mini-Puzzle

Cut one or two big pictures from a magazine. When the baby remembered a picture, cut it by two pieces. The task for your baby is to gather the picture together. As time goes by the game becomes more complicated: there are two or more pictures that are cut by two and are mixed. Thanks to this puzzle-game the baby trains memory, attention and diligence.

The Ring

You’ll need teeth rings for this game. These rings can be bought in the chemistry store.

Pull several rings on a stick. Turn them round, thus attracting the baby’s attention. Pull one ring off and hand it to the kid above breast, so that the baby stretches one or two hands to take the ring.

When the baby takes the ring, let him/her play with it, touch it, taste it. And again twirl the rest of the rings around the stick.

Play this game time and again, changing items and toys. This will help the baby to build up his/her visual coordination.

Games with Paper and Sand

Put a paper sheet in front of the baby, it will hide all the room from it, and if you take the sheet off, the kid will see your face again.

And some more useful exercises:

Let the child touch different by touch things: cloth, carpet, grass, wood, etc. Name these things.

Put the kid in a sand-box, let him/her touch everything, cover feet with sand and find them together.

Day After Day

Accompany games with different regime moments. The best games for washing and clothing are based on imitation: “hands up like a soldier, leg up like a stork, stay still like a stone…”

In the mornings play wolf and hare: the kid, imitating a hare, is hiding under the blanket, and you are imitating a wolf that wants to eat the hare J. This game trains memory.

Find The Toy

Take three transparent glasses and cover a toy with one of them. Look if the child is able to find the toy.

Another variant of this game: hide a toy before the kid’s eyes under one of three cups. If it’s difficult for the child to find the toy, cover it partially.

When the baby will surely find his toy under transparent glasses, hide it under an opaque cup (before the kid’s eyes). The game contributes to the development of notions about detached existence of things.

Through Tunnel

Make a small tunnel form several boxes. Take your seat on the far end of the tunnel and call the baby, so that it crawls to you. Perception is developed in this game.

My Box

A box or a case fill with different things, not necessarily with toys. The kid will throw things out of this box and you’ll have to put them back. Later on you can use cases and boxes with lids, covers sections, and slits for figures of different shape.

Learning to throw

Find a bucket or a box, choose toys that sound attractively when they’re thrown into a bucket.

Place the box so that the child can easily throw toys in there. Put the box on the other kid’s hand some time later. The kid will have to stretch itself to reach the box or put toys in another hand. Give the child a bigger toy so that he starts operating with both hands.

Toys manipulation is developed in this game.

Parcel with Surprise

Wrap a rattle/toy/tiny box in several paper layers. Give the baby the possibility to unwrap it. If he/she hesitates, show on your example how the paper can be unwrapped. Be sure that the baby will find this game very exciting and will be taken with the game for at least 10 minutes!

You can also play another variant of this game. Take a plastic bag and put a toy in it. Now give the bag to the baby and let it reach the toy. You can also take your beautician and let the kid open it and throw things away.
This game when the child throws things out of boxes, parcels, bags, etc. can be played anywhere and at any time. It can occupy the baby up to 30 - 40 minutes! Just give the game a try!

For your note: baby's visual and touching perception is developed. The baby learns about the consistency of things, learns to manipulate the movements of hands and fingers.

Grasp it

Hold out to the baby a rattle and hold it vertically. Before giving it, look if the child prepared its hand to take it. Repeat this movement several times and help the kid to prepare its palm to catch it. Repeat the movements and hold the rattle horizontally, and then in other directions.

Important manipulation skills are developed.

Air balloons on a string

Bind air balloons of different colors in different corners of the kid’s bed.

Together with the baby push balloons out of bed and pull them back with the string they are tied.

By playing with toys or things tied with strings, tapes, or laces, pushing them and pulling them back, the baby learns the connection between cause and effect.

Blow-blew

Puff up your cheeks and blow in the kid’s face. In return it must blow in you. If the kid doesn’t do this, blow again. Sometimes it’s hard to understand the process of blowing – show the baby how this can be done.

Later on you can show the kid how to blow a feather from the palm, soapy foam in bath. When the child is one year old and a half it can blow in water through a straw, blow in the plate with flour. When blowing, a child learns to control his breath, and this trains the muscles needed for speech.

Word Parts and Syllables

These exercises help the baby to understand that words consist of parts. By playing games, the kid becomes ready to spell words and read by syllables.

• When talking to your child expressly spell words. For instance, “Mar-tin, we-w-ill-g-o-t-o-the-co-un-try-to-day”.
• While reading a book, spell some words, e.g. “Once upon a t-i-m-e there was a s-m-a-l-l girl called Little R-e-d R-i-d-ing H-o-o-d…”.
• Start a phrase and let the baby finish it, e.g. “We will go to the count…”
• Tell the first letter or the first syllable and then all the word. “H-hedgehog”, “C-car”. The child first just listens and then continues the word itself.

Colorful World

• We take several balloons of different colors and look through them. Everything seems to be in red, blue, green, brown color. Let the child tell you what he/she sees. Especially it is interesting to look through balloons at a bright lamp.
• Paint with water-color a windowpane as if it is vitrage. Your child will be very happy to participate in such an activity!
• If you have any colored glass or tape, look through it.

Magic Box

This game can be played with kids from 1 year old.

• Take a plastic or paperboard box and cut with scissors several shapes of different types, e.g. round, rectangle, oval, square, cross, etc.
• Now cover the shapes’ edges with colorful paper or scotch tape so that they are distinctly visible.
• Drop the shapes you’ve cut from the box into the appropriate holes.

It is also very useful when a child has his own box or a bucket where he can drop his toys or other things. When he/she grows, he’ll be able to clean the play room by himself.

You can also let the baby sit in a box and that will make it feel happy :)