Healthy teen years

Healthy teen years

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There are many changes taking place for teenagers, both physically and emotionally. New sets of expectations and demands are made from their friends, school, and the world around them.  

Media, advertising and social networks can also put pressure on teenagers.  

It is a time when young people start questioning values and beliefs as they learn more about the world outside their family and local community. But they still need the care and guidance of their parents – although it may not seem this way! 

Supporting your teen’s health and wellbeing

During this time, parents need to adjust boundaries by providing space for young people to take on more responsibility. Creating a plan for how you might do this, while still maintaining your teenagers safety, can be very helpful.   

Keep communication lines open and take opportunities to discussing issues as they arise.  

Most pressures are managed with the odd rocky patch here and there. However, there are some issues parents might find useful to keep up to date on, including:  

  • Body image and related eating disorders; 
  • Depression and anxiety and other mental health concerns; and 
  • Drugs including illegal drugs, over the counter medications, and alcohol and binge drinking.  

Suggested ways you can make a difference

  • Encourage your teen to join in with social events with family and friends 
  • Support your teen’s hobbies and interests, including volunteering, sporting clubs or community groups  
  • Offer suggestions in setting realistic goals for school and study  
  • Model positive attitudes and encourage a positive self-image 
  • Show your appreciation of their positive behaviour, skills and strengths  
  • Encourage physical activity and support their sporting or other outdoor pursuits  
  • Introduce relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga to help them with stress  
  • Model being kind and helping others  
  • Encourage them to get enough sleep but try to be tolerant of sleeping late (this is normal)
  • Provide good healthy food and encourage adequate hydration  
  • Play, laugh and learn with your teen
  • Help them seek help outside the family when you are concerned but can’t provide the help they need  
  • Give them access to contacts for helplines, websites and apps where they can access good information  

Want to know more? 

Kids Helpline (parent section) – or call 1800 551 800   

Lifeline (facts and information) –  or call 13 11 14 

Reach Out (for parents section) – reachout.com 

The Raising Children Network – Happy teenagers and teenager wellbeing 

Nutrition Australia – Nutrition for teens 

Kids Matter – Website and resources for mental health and wellbeing 

Headspace – Understanding and dealing with depression 

Headspace – Sleep and young people 

Supporting and guiding your pre-teen

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Before entering the teen years, children are beginning to test boundaries and are becoming more social. Peer influence starts to play a bigger role in their lives and they can be influenced in both positive and negative ways.  

Supporting and guiding your child

Children may be starting to gain a sense of independence; they need support and guidance through this time to assist developing positive behaviours. Parents have a role in ensuring that there are clear boundaries and rules in place to follow. 

During the final years of primary school, preparation will be needed in transitioning schools and peer groups, and entering the teen years.  

Children will be starting to develop their own point of view as an individual but will be influenced by teachers, parents, peers and extended family. They will look for guidance in developing their identity, especially from parents.  

Family communication, rules and consequences

Having clear communication and rules in the family home will assist children to develop appropriate behaviours and relationships with people and the world around them.  

Some themes that may help with this age group include: 

  • Having clear rules and limits with appropriate (and consistent) consequences. 
  • Having clear and open communication.  
  • Providing praise and positive reinforcement for appropriate decisions and behaviour. 
  • Having realistic expectations of the young person. 
  • Be a positive role model. 
  • Choosing your battles i.e. “Does it really matter? Is it really worth it?” 
  • Be firm and consistent in enforcing house and family rules. 
  • Be available to connect with them. 

Want to know more?

Reachout.com 

Headspace 

The Raising Children Network – Pre-teens behaviour 

Transition to school – tips for a smooth ride

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Starting school can be a very exciting time for you and your child. It is a big change for the family and everyone reacts differently.

It’s normal to feel worried or sad, but important to encourage being excited and positive too. 

The transition to school needs to start well before the first day and continues during the early days, weeks and even months. 

Getting to school

The journey to school can be long, short, in the car, by foot or bicycle – this in itself is a transition. Some children will get tearful or fearful, others so excited they are ready hours before!

To help prepare your child for this transition, spend some days prior to the start of term having a dry run of this journey. Talk along the way about the places you pass, road safety and crossings and who will pick them up and when.  

Talk about what you will be doing when they are at school and what is planned on the way home, like a trip to the shops or park and what is for tea. This will give them something to focus on if they are nervous and anxious about what is happening next.  

After a few trips along the route, the first day at school will feel more familiar when they are used to how they get there. 

The practical stuff

Dressing and undressing

Kindy and pre-primary teachers spend a lot of time helping children with clothing and footwear! Has your child practiced getting dressed and undressed? Putting shoes on and off – zipping up bags and tying their hats? All these things we often do to ‘hurry’ them up but when they are on their own these skills may not be practised enough for them to do by themselves.  

Dress your child for success, ensuring pants are easy to pull up and down and don’t have difficult zips and buttons. It would be worth doing some practice days of wearing the school uniform to iron out any issues – and label everything! 

Toileting 

It can be off-putting or scary for a child to use unfamiliar toilets. They are going to be different from ones at home: low seats, low doors, different toilet paper and noisy if someone is in the next cubicle.

Some children will hold on until they get home – or worse hold on until it is too late. If possible, make sure your child has used the school toilet facilities before they start, so they are used to them. 

Meal times and snacks

The school day is broken up by break time and lunch time. Find out when these times are so that you can practice at home with your pre-schooler to have morning tea and lunch at the same times and help them open and close their lunch box. Get to know which foods are going to travel well and sit in the classroom. 

Common issues
  • Too much food being sent in the lunch box or unable to finish it all in time. 
  • The food needs a spoon to eat it and it’s not in the lunchbox.
  • Children find it hard to open the packaging or their drink bottle and has to wait for a teacher to help them. 
  • The food goes soggy or gets hot and unappetising by lunchtime.
  • Children might lose their appetite when embarking on a new experience like starting school, so they may not eat at all during the day. 
  • Children find the ‘sweet treat’ the most attractive thing in the lunch box and fail to eat the rest! If that happens every day, save the treat for after school. 
Helpful tips and suggestions
  • Make time in the morning routine for a good breakfast, such as egg on toast, or porridge and fruit. If time is tight, make a smoothie with blended milk and wheat biscuits; sneak in some fruit, like banana, if you can. 
  • Prepare the lunch box the night before. If possible, encourage your child to help you so they know what’s in there.  
  • Sandwiches are the norm but may become soggy and fall apart by lunch. Try putting an assortment of items in a compartment box (a small tackle box is good), things like cooked pasta, grapes, cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, or olives. Children often like food that is not all mixed together so they can see what they are eating.  
  • If your child is overwhelmed with the new routine and lose their appetite at school, but are hungry afterwards, have a healthy snack box in the car or for the walk home to keep them going.  
  • This may already be your pattern, but you may need to move dinner time forward to 4.30pm or 5.00pm to accommodate hungry children. 

New routines 

Even if your child has been to an early learning service (childcare), do not assume that the transition to school will be easy for them. More independence will be expected of them, there will be more ‘rules’ to remember, the teacher to child ratio is different, and the environment is all new.  

A good, predictable morning routine will help your child to predict the day, recall what they need to do and sets the day off to strong positive start. 

Being prepared and taking into account new routines for meal times and bed times is an important step to managing a smooth transition.

Changes in behaviour

It is normal for behaviour to change during this time of transition. Even as parents, we are adjusting to our child moving to a new milestone – we might feel more anxious than them! However, if parents show their own anxiety and worry, it can rub off onto the child and make them feel more panicked.  

When children are worried or anxious they sometimes act out by a change in behaviour rather than verbally explaining how they feel.  Angry outbursts, going backwards with skills you thought they had mastered, or sleep disturbance are all common ways children express hesitancy or anxiety about change in their life.  

Think back to other circumstances, like a new baby coming into the family, loss of a pet, or moving house. Your child may have specific coping strategies, which may not include telling you verbally what is worrying them.  

Talking about school

Talk regularly to your child about school, though perhaps not straight after school when they are likely to be tired or hungry. When you are aware of your child’s feelings it will help you to spot problems before they get too big.  

Try asking to ask specific or open questions that encourage more than a “yes” or “no” answer. They might start with ‘who’ , or ‘what’, rather than ‘did you’.

Sometimes parents are eager to hear about their child’s day and become frustrated when they ask “What did you do today?” or “How was your day?”, only to be given one word answers.  

A way of starting a conversation might be to ask your child to tell you about the best thing and worst thing that happened to them in the day. This can be part of the dinner routine, with the whole family sharing their day’s best and worst things, and is a nice way to hear about your child’s day. 

If you are concerned

Time and reassurance are often the keys, along with patience and trust that it will eventually work out.

If you feel your child is expressing concerns or having difficulties at school, arrange a time to talk with their teacher.  

Want to know more?

Kidsmatter – Starting school: further resources 

Raising Children Network – School age play and learning: school 

Early Childhood Australia – First year at school resource 

WA Department of Education – School life 

Screen time

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Screens are all around us. From phones to the TV, tablets to computers, modern children are exposed to screens from a very young age.

Although children are often entertained by programs they see on these devices, screen time for very young children does not help them learn. 

Babies

Babies are wired from birth to seek out their caregivers face. It is your face that your baby will respond to and learn the most from – emotions, self-regulation and their place in the world.

Research shows that children under two years of age do not get any benefit from screen time, even from programs that are made for kids. The brains of children under two years of age have not developed enough to interpret abstract images they see on screen.

Babies learn best through real-life interactions with you and other people in their environment. 

Toddlers

Research is now showing that the more screen time a child experiences, the more likely they are to have a delay in language development. Children over two years of age can learn from watching the TV and interactive technology; however, the greatest benefits happen when the screen time is shared with an adult.  

The amount of screen time your toddler watches with you should be very limited. The content should be high-quality and appropriate for their age. 

Sit with your child if they are looking at a video or playing a game on a device. Talk about what they are doing and what they can see. Relate their learning to experiences they have had in real-life. For example, if your child is watching dogs running around on the TV, talk about your own dog or a dog you have seen at the park recently. Talk about the sound a dog makes, what they look and feel like and how they act. 

Older children

It is important that screen time for older children is also limited. This gives them time for other types of play which will allow them to use their imagination and be creative. It also gives them time to be active and play outside. 

Children can often be frightened or confused by what they see on TV, so they will benefit most if you watch with them. Always make sure that your child is watching programs that are made for children and appropriate for their age. 

How much screen time should my child have?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following: 

  • No screen time for children under two years of age (except for video-chatting with people they know well). 
  • Screen time should always be shared with an adult. 
  • Children two to five years of age should watch a maximum of one hour per day. Screen time should be high-quality children’s programming and shared with an adult. 
  • Children over five years of age should have strict limits on the amount of screen time they watch. Content should always be age appropriate. 

Other ways to play and learn 

If you are stuck for ways to keep your child busy and away from the screen then check out the following articles for better ways to help your child learn: 

Key points to remember

  • Children under two years of age do not learn from screen time. 
  • Children should only watch small amounts of quality children’s programs. 
  • Always watch with your child and share the experience. 
  • Always make sure that what your child is viewing is appropriate for their age. 
  • Balance screen time with green time (outdoor play). 

Want to know more?

The Raising Children Network – Screen time 

The Hanen Centre – Creating safe(r) screen time for your child 

Talkable – Screen time and language development 

Nutrition and brain development 6 to 12 months

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the introduction of solids for your baby between five and seven months of age.

At this age your baby is interested in their surroundings and what people around them are doing. They may look at food going to your mouth and may drool or grab for it. These are signs of being ready for solid food.  

Your baby’s brain is constantly evaluating the information it receives through the senses. This is a great opportunity to expose your baby to new foods, even ones you don’t like! 

Exploring and experiencing food

Food does not just provide sensation through taste and smell. Babies need to touch, squash, poke and smear the food to get a better idea of what to expect from this new stuff before it gets to their mouth.

Try not to worry about the mess. Babies experiment with pieces of food as they manipulate items from their hands to their mouth. Examples of this could be gripping a piece of bread, squeezing a banana, and grasping a grain of rice between finger and thumb.

All of these experiences teach babies about texture, hardness, slipperiness, softness, stickiness, and dryness. 

Breast and formula milk

Even though solid food is an exciting new experience, brain and body growth is still dependent on breast or formula milk.

Breast milk contains a relatively large proportion of cholesterol and saturated fat. This is fantastic ‘brain food’. Connections made between brain cells, and indeed all cell membranes of the body, depend on cholesterol to ‘insulate’ the nerve fibres so they send messages efficiently. The relatively high amount of fat in breast milk reflects the importance of brain growth in the human baby compared to other mammals. 

What you can do to help

  • Let your baby explore their food, as well as you feeding them. 
  • Look out for foods that are rich in iron after the first few weeks of introducing solids, especially if your baby was premature. 
  • Continue to breastfeed for as long as possible to reap the benefit of the brain building properties of breast milk (WHO recommends breast feeding until about two years of age). 
  • Offer breast or formula feed first then solids. This starts to change at around seven to eight months of age. 
  • Avoid giving your baby ‘low fat’ foods, as all natural fats are great for brain growth. 
  • Monitor your baby’s environment for toxic hazards. Wash all fruit and vegetable skins or remove peel. Avoid toxic cleaning agents, sprays or even air fresheners and stay away from fumes like heavy traffic, smokes, garden sprays. These chemicals can affect your baby more than a fully grown adult. 
  • Watch out for what your baby licks, eats or sucks. Some paint can still contain lead and many plastic baby items contain BPA (Bisphenol A). This is a type of chemical which can disrupt hormones. Buy toys made of natural substances and use chinaware over plastic bowls, spoons and cups. 

Want to know more?

Pregnancy, birth and baby – Baby development 

Pregnancy, birth and baby – Moving on to solids 

Raising Children Network – Babies development 

The importance of play

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Playing with your baby helps them learn. And guess what? Their favourite thing to play with is you!   

Play gives your baby the opportunity to use their senses to explore their world in a safe and fun way. Through play your baby’s brain and body develop and learn new skills.

Your baby is learning through ordinary moments with you throughout the day. These are opportunities to help your baby learn about themselves and the world in which they live.

Check out our baby play ideas and find out more about how your baby learns through their senses.  

How do babies play?

Babies play in many ways. Making eye contact, smiling, touching different objects, feeling textures and making exciting sounds all count as play. As your baby starts using their hands and they become more mobile, they will begin to explore the world around them more independently.   

Remember that play time is a great opportunity for your baby to experience a variety of positions and to move freely within a safe play space. This can include lying on their tummy or sitting on a play mat.

As your baby gets older they will want to move. They will enjoy crawling under chairs and will begin to pull themselves up to stand at low tables or the couch. Check out Ngala’s tips for creating a safe play space for your baby.

How do I play with my baby?

Playing with your baby is all about spending time face to face and talking together. When your baby is engaged and having fun, they are learning. As you talk about what they are doing, they are learning what words mean, which lays the foundation for their first spoken words.  

You don’t need expensive toys to help your baby learn about the world, just look around your house for safe objects for your baby to explore. This could be a scarf to play peek-a-boo or a well-sealed home-made shaker made from a bottle filled with rice.

As your baby becomes more mobile, they will love exploring items in the kitchen like plastic containers and safe utensils (spatula or wooden spoon). Discover other homemade toys ideas that you can enjoy with your baby.  

Sharing books with your baby is another great way to play. Check out our article all about the best way to share books with your baby. Remember, your baby learns through repetition, so they will enjoy the same objects, toys, books and activities over and over again.  

Fun with food

As your baby begins to eat solid foods, this is a great time for fun and exploration. Mealtimes are all about letting your baby explore through touch, taste and smell in a relaxed and fun way. Remember, initially they will only get a little bit in their mouth, but the important thing is that they’re having fun! 

Great ideas for fun with food are: 

  • Yoghurt finger painting 
  • Stewed fruit and steamed vegie finger foods 
  • Allowing your baby to suck food from their own fingers 
  • Putting food in a fresh food feeder 
  • Offering foods with a variety of flavours and textures

Crawling and exploring

Once your baby starts to move they won’t want to stop! Playtime for older babies is all about being active and learning to sit, roll, crawl and discover the world around them.

Giving your baby the freedom to move helps them develop their physical skills, learn how to use their hands together to manipulate objects, and explore a variety of textures in a safe way.

Here are some great ways you can encourage your child to move and explore: 

  • Put your baby’s favourite toys slightly out of reach to encourage them to move 
  • Use large cardboard boxes to make tunnels for your crawling baby 
  • Pile cushions on top of one another to make a simple obstacle course 
  • Hide interesting objects such as scarves, shakers and textured balls inside tissue boxes 
  • Let your baby explore their reflection in the mirror

Remember that play time is all about getting down on the floor with your baby and having fun together!  

Want to know more? 

The Raising Children Network – Babies play and learning 

Talkable – Play with your baby today 

Guiding toddler behaviour

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As your toddler is learning life skills, they need to explore and interact with their environment, both mentally and physically. This can result in frequent testing of boundaries.  

At the same time, this boundary testing coincides with a short concentration span and limited language to express needs and emotions. Your toddler may become frustrated and there can be lots of emotional outbursts. In short, they simply ‘act out’ emotionally.  

Common toddler behaviours

While toddlers are learning, they often display these common behaviours: 

  • Tantrums 
  • Bed time resistance 
  • Biting  
  • Kicking 
  • Swearing  
  • Power struggles (with parents, siblings or other children) 

Guiding behaviour

Toddlers learn how to behave with other people by watching those around them. Through observation, they learn how to get on with others and how to treat other people.

Showing and teaching appropriate caring and loving behaviours is one of the most important things you can do to help your toddler to fit in with others. This means teaching children to:  

  • calm themselves down;  
  • share and get on with others; 
  • take turns and wait; and
  • work out problems alone and with others. 

Needing to be more independent is a normal part of development for toddlers. Encourage your toddler to explore and to do things for themselves, while being the ‘safe place’ for them to return to or check in with. 

Tantrums

Tantrums or ‘meltdowns’ are very common in children aged 18 months to three years. They are a normal part of growing up!

Tantrums are usually a lot fewer by four years of age, as children get better at handling big feelings and using words to say what they want and need. 

How can you help?

When it comes to tantrums, prevention is best! A tantrum is your toddler’s way of expressing and coping with a feeling that is too big for them to control on their own. While stressful for you, tantrums can actually be quite scary for your toddler. 

  • Think about when or where your toddler has tantrums. Is it usually when they are tired, hungry, scared, unwell or just frustrated? You can’t always avoid these situations but you can offer extra support when you can see your toddler needs it.  
  • When toddlers get overwhelmed, stressed or unable to cope in a situation, for whatever reason, their brains are flooded with a stress hormone called cortisol. At that moment, toddlers need someone to help them calm down and feel more in control again.  
  • Naming your child’s feelings, staying calm and being there to offer support will help your child feel safe when their feelings get too big for them. 
  • Be consistent. If you sometimes ‘give in’ when your child has a tantrum because they want something you have said ‘no’ to, or they don’t want to do something you have asked, it is more likely your child will behave that way again to try to get the same thing next time.   

Want to know more?

The Raising Children Network – Toddler behaviour: common concerns and Encouraging good behaviour: 15 tips 

The Raising Children Network – The toddler behaviour toolkit 

Zero to Three – Challenging behaviours 

Out and about with your toddler

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Toddlers are creatures of habit. They do best in places that are familiar, on schedules that are routine, and in situations where they aren’t expected to behave well for very long. However, there will be days when you do have to go out and about. 

Toddlers can take only so much “behaving” in a stimulating environment before they have had enough. Going out with your toddler will be a lot easier if you understand exactly how much they can handle. Try and adjust your schedule accordingly. 

It’s all about preparation

If your toddler can’t deal with an hour-long trek through a crowded shopping centre, then get in, get what you need most, and leave.  

Don’t prolong the experience by trying to fit in too many things – it usually ends in tears. 

If you absolutely need to stay longer, find a quiet corner so that you all have a break from the noise and the crowd. Have a drink and a snack. 

Pack the essentials

  • Nappies and wipes 
  • Lightweight, spare clothing which you can easily roll up – think about whether you need a whole outfit change
  • Small toddler toys or books 
  • Disposable bibs for messy mealtimes 
  • Toddler snacks such as small tubs of cooked fruit, cheese sticks or raisins and water 
  • A cup with a non-spill lid 
  • Hat and sunscreen 
  • Toddler-friendly cutlery if you’re planning on eating out (not all restaurants offer this) 
  • If you’re potty-training or newly toilet-trained, consider taking a pop-up travel potty – bring spare trousers and pants, along with plastic bags to store damp clothes 
  • Make sure you have your toddlers favourite music for the car journey in case you are stuck in a traffic jam. 

Want to know more?

Essential baby – Tips for going out with a baby and a toddler 

Sharing books with babies

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Sharing books together is the single most important thing that you can do to help your child learn to read. As you share books with your baby, they are listening to your voice and learning new words. They are also enjoying a cosy cuddle with you and learning that reading is fun.   

You and your baby are at the very beginning of your reading journey together. As you share books, your baby is watching and learning early reading skills like how to hold a book and turn the pages.

Remember it is never too early to start sharing books with your baby!  

How to share books with your baby

Sharing books is a great way to play together. Sit or lie so that you can see both your baby’s face and the book. This helps you talk about what they are focusing on.  

Try to choose a time when your baby is alert and interested. Don’t worry if you don’t finish the book. It’s okay if you only share a book for a few minutes at a time. As they get older your baby will want to reach out and hold the book themselves. This is all part of the learning process. Help them hold the book and turn the pages. Don’t worry about reading all the words, just talk about what you can see.  

Your baby will love exploring books by putting them in their mouth. Let your baby hold, feel and explore books in this way. This will make sharing books a fun experience for your baby. When they are having fun they are engaged and learning.  

It’s a great idea to make sharing books a part of your everyday routine. Pack books in your nappy bag, in the car and in the bottom of the pram. This means that whenever your child is looking for some fun, there is an opportunity to share a well-loved book. Did you know that you can even get water-proof books that you can share in the bath?  

Top books for babies 

Your baby will enjoy short books with simple pictures or photographs. They will enjoy stories about babies and real-life objects as well as books that have great rhythm and rhyme. It is also a great idea to choose ‘board’ books. These are made out of thick cardboard and are very durable. Your little one can hold the book and turn the pages without any fear of destruction!  

Choose books that: 

  • are about babies; 
  • have simple pictures or photographs; 
  • are durable – thick cardboard, cloth or plastic; and 
  • have interactive elements like textures, flaps, pop-ups and mirrors.  
Five great books for babies
  1. Baby Faces (DK Publishing) 
  2. Goodnight Moon (Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd) 
  3. Hello Baby (Mem Fox & Steve Jenkins) 
  4. Peepo (Janet and Allen Ahlberg) 
  5. Kissed by the Moon (Alison Lester)  

Explore more fantastic books to share with your baby.   

Top ten tips for sharing books with your baby

  1. Choose a time when your baby is happy and alert. 
  2. Find a quiet place to share books together. Turn off your phone, the TV and the radio so there are no distractions. 
  3. Let your child reach out and touch the book. 
  4. Help your older baby hold the book and turn the pages. 
  5. Sit so you can see your child’s face and the book. 
  6. Talk about what you can see. 
  7. Read the same books over and over. 
  8. Visit the library and enjoy story time with your baby. 
  9. Take books with you everywhere you go. 
  10. Remember it’s never too early to start sharing books with your baby!  

Want to know more?

Zero to Three – How to introduce toddlers and babies to books 

The Raising Children Network – Reading with babies from birth 

The little big book club – Books for babies 

Top ten play ideas for babies

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Your baby loves to play and spend time with you. The best thing about play time is that babies learn through their senses, so try to choose toys and activities that engage them in different ways.

The best playthings… 

  • are interesting to look at 
  • make noises, move or vibrate when your baby touches them 
  • have interesting textures  
  • are safe for them to put in their mouth to taste and explore 
  • have interesting and different smells 

Remember that your baby is learning to explore their world by putting most objects in their mouth. So don’t worry if toys get a little wet and soggy, you can always wipe them down after your baby has finished exploring. Most toys are suitable for cleaning, just check the instructions. 

Always make sure toys are safe for your baby before they start to play – this avoids them getting upset if halfway through playtime the object has to be removed.  

Top ten types of baby toys and games

We’ve created a list of ten types of toys or games that your baby will love. They will help them to develop their coordination, feed their curious nature and teach them about the world around them. 

Noise-making and texture toys

Baby toys that make noises and have different textures are great for your baby to explore. They will learn to use their hands together to grip and squeeze. They will also enjoy putting these toys in their mouth to explore by chewing.

Mirrors

Your baby will love looking at themselves (and you) in the mirror. Choose a child-safe mirror that they can safely handle. This is also a great toy to use when your child is having tummy time.

Peek-a-boo

Babies love playing peek-a-boo with soft scarves, tea-towels and other pieces of material. Initially you may like to start playing this game with a see-through scarf so that you don’t disappear from sight!

Household items

There are so many items from around the house that your baby will like to hold and explore. Initially they will like to play with plastic spoons and containers. As they become more mobile and start to use their hands they may like to bang the pots and pans with a wooden spoon. Utensils such as a potato masher, whisk and pastry brush make great toys to explore too.

Boxes

Head down to your local green grocer or hardware store and pick up some free cardboard boxes. Your baby will love to learn how to open and shut the boxes and will be delighted as you hide other objects inside.  An empty tissue box also makes a great toy as your baby can put items inside and then shake the box. Eventually they will learn how to put items in and out themselves.

Balls

Balls are a great toy for babies as they can be used in many ways. They help your baby learn to use their hands and eyes together, helping coordination. Your young baby will enjoy holding, rolling, touching and hitting soft balls that make noises. As your baby grows they will enjoy playing with bigger balls with different textures (such as spikey, furry or smooth balls). Play turn-taking games with your baby like rolling the ball to each other. You could also build a tower out of blocks and roll a ball to knock it over.

Cause and effect toys

There are many toys that encourage your baby to learn about cause and effect. This means that your baby does something and it has an effect on the toy. Some great examples include pop-up toys or toys that open or play music when your baby hits them.

Sensory play

Your baby learns through exploring with all their senses. Babies love to play with objects that feel, taste and smell interesting. Younger babies will enjoy sensory play with you. For example, splashing in the water at bath time. When your baby is able to sit in their highchair put yogurt on the tray for them to touch and explore. Older babies will love crawling through the sandpit and feeling the sand on their toes, feet and legs.

Books

Books are a fantastic ‘toy’ to share with your baby. Thick board books are the best for this age as they are very durable. Let your baby explore books by holding and turning the pages. Try not to worry if your baby puts books in their mouth. This is how they learn about the world around them. Take books with you everywhere and always have them available to your baby at playtime. Head to your local library to find these great books for babies.

Musical instruments

Babies love music and the only thing better than listening to it, is making it. Toy drums, xylophones, shakers and bells are all great instruments for your baby to play with. You can also make your own instruments such as a bottle with rice in it or a pot and a wooden spoon.

Want to know more?

The Raising Children Network – Babies play and learning 

Zero to Three – Play