Your Child’s Development Milestone: Games to Improve Your Baby’s Development
by Elaine Yong
Lecturer/Developmental Psychologist
M.Soc.Sc. Human Development (UKM) & B.A. (Hons) Psychology (UKM)
Sunway University, Department of Psychology
What games are suitable for me to play with my one-year-old child?
A one-year-old toddler is able to speak his first word, gesture his needs and walk with support or even take one to two steps independently. He is able to start paying attention to you for short periods of time. As such, your child is learning to express his needs and discover the world around him. As a parent, you can encourage and stimulate the child’s development through play. Here are some games that you can play with your child:
a) Peek-a-boo
This is an easy game that can be played any time of the day. Use any opportunity to encourage your toddler to play peek-a-boo indoors or outdoors. For example, hide a favourite toy under the blanket or towel and encourage your child to find it; or you can hide behind a car seat and peek out again. This game teaches your little one that even though he can’t see you or the object, it doesn’t mean that it’s not there or has disappeared. You may also try different variations to the game by hiding different objects or body parts under the blanket (i.e., hand, feet, head). This will increase your child’s vocabulary and attention.
b) Sing-along Actions
Sing favourite nursery songs like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; Wheels On The Bus; If You’re Happy and You Know It! while demonstrating the accompanying actions. Gently encourage your toddler to imitate the actions. You may have to help by initially holding his little hands to demonstrate the actions. Through constant and frequent practice, your little one will learn join in on his own. Do try to vary your tone of voice and speed of the songs. To encourage more giggles, put on your funny face! These games help to develop your child’s attention, encourage better eye-hand coordination and facilitate language development. Remember to capture these treasured moments on video too!
c) Bath Time Games
Bath time need not be a chore but can be turned into a fun and creative way to teach your toddler concepts (i.e., fast-slow, wet-dry, sink-float). You’ll need to provide cups or little toy boats for your little one. Demonstrate the use of the toys and provide the corresponding word/concept. Encourage your child to imitate the actions and remember to vary your tone of voice often. Then, sit back and watch the joy and laughter on your child’s face.
What games can I play with my two- to three-year-old child?
Between two to three years old, your child will be speaking an average of three- to four- word sentences, is able to follow simple instructions and may even begin to ask “what” and “where” questions. He is able to walk fast or even run. At this age, it may be difficult for some parents to watch over their children at the playground! What games are interesting and fun for these active children?
a) Pretend Play
You may use old and unused household items, clothes and large boxes as props to encourage pretend play. Allow your child to take the lead and facilitate where necessary. Your role is to encourage more creative and interactive play. Play is the business of children and pretend play enables children to try out different roles in a safe and secure environment. Accompanying pretend play with storytelling also facilitates better language expression, abstract thinking (mental representation) and a sense of perspective.
b) Musical Concert
If you are interested in developing musical talents in your child, you may want to think about having a mini musical concert at home. Use old pots and pans, chopsticks, and plastic or paper containers as homemade instruments. This activity is not only relaxing but also serves as a healthy physical activity. It encourages the child to develop better musical rhythm.
c) Cloud Dreamer
While stuck in a traffic jam or travelling on long distances, you and your little one can play this game. Challenge each other to find interesting figures or shapes among the clouds. It encourages better mental representation and expressive language.
What games can I play with my four- to five-year-old child?
At this age, your child will be ready for school. He will be asking a range of “what”, “where”, “when”, “who” and “why” questions. He is ever more curious and is the master of playground equipment. What games can be fun and beneficial to these young school goers?
a) Simon Says
This classic game encourages the child to have active listening skills and good sportsmanship. Parents can use this game to educate their child about valid and invalid commands with the phase “Simon says…”. Children will learn that listening attentively is important for future success. For maximum benefit, the game should be attempted with at least three or more players so that a winner can be established.
d) Memory
This is a card game which uses learning cards (i.e., numbers, colours, alphabets, animals or any other characters of your child’s interest). Shuffle and spread all the cards face down on the table. Each player takes turns turning over two cards. The aim is to find matching pairs. The winner is the person with the most number of matching cards. Parents can vary the game by including pictures of matching snacks or sweets among the pile. The person who locates them gets to eat what’s on the cards! This game teaches your child to take turns and is a fun way to boost concentration and memory. It also increases your child’s ability to classify objects more carefully.
e) Online Games
The internet is another good alternative. There are many good and free online websites that make learning simple concepts fun. Just be mindful to limit the time your child spends online.
