What to do with this activity?

From the beginning, babies love physical play. Newborns love it when you gently tickle their face or count their fingers and toes. The simplest repeated activities can please a growing baby. Here are a couple of suggestions for indoor games.

Pretend games

From around 18 months old your child might want to play pretend games. Pretend your baby's favourite teddy or doll is real - make the teddy or doll walk, or sit at dinner, or go to bed. Talking about what you are doing will help your child understand language. Act out happy and sad times so that they can learn about feelings and emotions, as well as developing their imagination.

Let's dance

Hold your baby and gently move around to music. Toddlers can dance around themselves. 
Play favourite bits of music that lend themselves to particular actions. For instance, something with a big, loud beat lets your child stamp around like an elephant, or if the music is quiet they can pretend they are tiptoeing past a sleeping lion, trying not to wake it up. These games will stretch your child's imagination and develop their sense of rhythm.