4 Ways to Boost Baby's Development Through Play

Engaging with your baby during playtime is the best way for baby to learn and boost their development. Different ways of playing will stimulate their senses so they can build skills while having fun with mom or dad. Teach them to explore their surroundings and touch different objects. Talk to them and don't be afraid to act silly – babies love seeing their parents acting silly and you'll get some great reactions from them! Try out these four ways of playing with baby to boost baby's development.

1. Make a baby obstacle course

You can take pillows, sofa cushions, toys, and other soft objects to create an obstacle course for babies where you will guide baby and show her how to crawl over and around the different items. You can even become part of the playground yourself by having baby crawl and climb on top of you so she can boost her coordination and problem-solving skills.

2. Play follow the leader

Make some funny faces, silly noises, crawl around, laugh, point, etc. all while baby is watching you and encourage him to follow your lead. Rub your stomach and then take baby's hand and make him rub his own tummy. When baby starts doing actions of his own, mimic everything that he does and when he realizes that you are copying his actions he will try to come up with more creative movements.

3. Play with texture

Go into your closet and pull out clothes, towels and blankets with several different textures. Try to find some silk, wool, fleece, terrycloth, cashmere, etc. and gently rub the fabrics on baby's tummy, hands, feet, and cheeks and have baby lie down on the soft blankets. Describe the way that each piece of fabric feels as you run it over baby's skin. She will love feeling the soft textures and show curiosity at the way each piece feels.

4. Narrate everything

When you're busy changing baby's diaper or getting him dressed, point out each part of the body to baby and teach him what piece of clothing goes on which part of the body. Talk about the different colors of the clothing or food that you're giving baby or the colors of the toys baby plays with. Count baby's blocks and his fingers and toes and when he's old enough he will try to join you.

Written by Stephanie Parker from Sleepingbaby.com, inventors of the Zipadee-Zip

The motto for Sleeping Baby, makers of the Zipadee-Zip, is: "Inspiring Dreams One Night at A time," and that, in a nutshell, is how it all started…with one little dream that has since become the Parker family's reality. When Brett and Stephanie Parker's daughter, Charlotte, was born, the feeling that welled up inside of them was indescribable; they never realized until first looking into those baby blues of hers that they were even capable of that kind of love.

When it was time to transition baby from swaddling, the Parkers tried every sleep sack on the market and every swaddle weaning trick they could find for nearly two weeks and nothing worked to get baby Charlotte to fall and stay asleep.

Stephanie became determined to restore sleep and sanity to their household and set out to find a solution that would soothe Charlotte's startle reflex and provide her the cozy womb-like environment she loved so much but still give her the freedom to roll over and wiggle around in her crib safely. Out of sheer desperation and exhaustion, the Zipadee-Zip was born. The first Zipadee-Zip(R) Stephanie put together on her little sewing machine worked like magic!

To date tens of thousands of Zipadee-Zips have been sold and all from word-of-mouth marketing. It is so rewarding for the Parkers to see other parents and babies getting the sleep they both need and deserve!

For more information, visit sleepingbaby.com.

Interested in writing a guest blog for Sleeping Baby? Send your topic idea to pr@sleepingbaby.com.

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Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography / FreeDigitalPhotos.net