The Importance Of Play

Your baby is 38 weeks old today and time really flies by especially when you are having fun!  Your baby is about that age when play becomes fun for the both of you.  She is mobile and interactive. She laughs a lot. When you sit her down to play with toys she explores them and probably bangs them around – the noisier the better!  My son loved a little remote controlled rabbit that peeped when I pressed the right button and hopped when I pressed the left button.  Whenever the rabbit peeped, my son stopped whatever he was doing and regardless of the toy he was playing with. He  would crawl over to the rabbit and grab it, then throw it with nothing but the biggest smile on his face!  

The kind of play your baby is engaging in is called independent play, so she is not exactly playing with you or with other babies when you have play dates.  Rather, she plays with a toy or explores a toy by herself in the same room as other babies.  This is appropriate for her age and will continue throughout her first two years of life, as it is the first stage of your baby’s development in play.  When you initiate play with her, however, she loves the interaction and will not avoid it.  Have you started to play peek-a-boo with your baby?  This is a game that she will learn easily. Observe your baby’s reaction when you start playing the peek-a-boo game. She will certainly be  filled with laughter, excitement and anticipation each time you play! 

We have stressed the importance of play in the earlier months in relation to your baby’s physical development.  It does have a profound impact, but as you can see play also has a vital role in her cognitive development and social-emotional development during infancy and years to come.