Playing games as your baby grows is crucial for social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. 
From day one, your baby is interested in what's happening in the environment. There's a lot going on inside his or her developing brain: connections are being made and information is being sorted and categorized.
Playing games as your baby grows is crucial for social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Play also brings you and your baby closer and makes your time together that much more enjoyable.
A helpful tip for the novice baby-entertainer: Repetition is important. Many games won't work the first time you play them, but if you keep up your efforts your child will eventually start cracking up the minute you reach for a particular toy.
Your baby's attention span will vary a lot, depending on his or her age, temperament, and mood. Sometimes your baby will enjoy a game for as long as 20 minutes, but more often you'll need to modify the game every five minutes or so. You'll know your baby loves your antics when he or she is turning toward you, smiling, or laughing. But if he or she squirms away from you, looks away, or cries, it's time to change the activity.
Some babies are easily over stimulated. If yours starts to cry during playtime, don't despair. Switch to calmer activities like cuddling, looking at picture books, singing soft songs, or nursing.
Some simple games you can play with your baby Let's Look at StuffMost of your early playtime will be spent showing your baby stuff. Any object in the house that won't poison, electrocute, or otherwise hurt your baby is fair game. Babies love egg beaters, spoons, wire whisks, spatulas, books and magazines with pictures, bottles of shampoo or conditioner (don't leave your baby alone with these!), record albums, colorful fabrics or clothes, fruits and vegetables, and so on.
Hey! What's Over My Head?You'll be amazed at how much fun you can have with the simplest stuff around your house. Here are three ideas to start you off:
Tie or tape some ribbons, fabric, or other interesting streamers onto a wooden spoon and dangle them gently over and in front of your baby's face.
Take a sheer scarf and fling it into the air, letting it settle on your baby's head.
Tie a toy to an elastic string (like the kind used for cat toys) and bounce it up and down in front of your baby's face, saying "Boing! Boing!" every time it descends.
Smell the Spice RackYou're in the kitchen, trying to throw some kind of dinner together when your baby starts wailing. Take him or her over to the spice rack and introduce the intoxicating scent of cinnamon. Rub some on your hand and put it up to your baby's nose. (Avoid accidentally getting it into the eyes or mouth.)
If your baby likes it, try others: Vanilla, peppermint, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and many other herbs and spices have intriguing fragrances that your baby might love.
Tummy TimeBy now, your doctor's probably encouraging you to get started with tummy time, and your baby may be protesting.
To help get your baby into the mood, get down on the floor, and look him or her in the eye as you lie on your own belly. Lay your baby down on a towel and use it to gently roll him or her from side to side. Try saying, "Oops-a-daisy, Oops-a-daisy" as you roll.
