What to play while developing a child up to one year old? Educational games for children under 1 year old by month

A child's early development influences his ability to communicate and learn in the future. What games and toys should I choose for my baby? What skills should you focus on developing as you grow? This article will help you understand these issues.

With the arrival of a child in the family, parents are faced with a huge number of questions related to the baby’s health, proper care and development. Intuitively, every mother feels that the little person most of all needs love and constant emotional and physical contact with adults. While playing, the baby explores the world, learns to communicate and develops harmoniously.

What toys should a child choose?

The choice of toys for a child of the first year of life plays a big role. With the help of simple objects, the baby gets his first ideas about the world around him and experiences positive emotions from playing.

Simple forms . To begin, offer your child objects of simple shapes - cubes, rings, balls. This is how the baby learns to hold various things in his hands.
Safety and environmental friendliness . Toys must be safe and durable. Be prepared for people to throw them, try to bite them, suck them, so pay special attention to the material they are made of
Bright colors . All toys must have clear shapes and bright colors. If this is a figurine of an animal, then it must be made with all the features inherent in this animal. For example, if this toy is a cat, it must have the outline of a muzzle, definitely eyes, paws, and a tail. Toys in bright colors will help your baby learn to distinguish colors
Variety of textures . Choose toys made from different materials: wood, fabric, plastic, silicone can have a smooth or textured surface. This is important for the development of tactile sensations

Educational toys for children up to one year old

What to do with a 5 year old child at home

As a task for children 5-6 years old, you can suggest making crafts, Christmas tree decorations, New Year's decorations, soap, candles and other simple, but at the same time interesting things. Of course, first an adult must show how to do this. If your child already reads, you can make him a memo that describes the whole technology step by step.

A five-year-old child will not be interested in pyramids. He needs more intelligent toys that will help teach him to count, understand the calendar and understand time:

Calendar. Thanks to this game guide, the child learns about the seasons and days of the week.
Watch. This is a watch dial, where the numbers are located on figures of different shapes and colors. The hands rotate and can be rearranged to determine the time.
Counting material. Bright clothespins, sticks, and transfer structures will help your child master the basics of counting. You might find the article “How to teach your child to count” useful.

Games for children 6 years old should already be conscious, have their own plot and direction. Invite your daughter to play with dolls, but not as daughters and mothers, but organize a fashion show. You can organize a hairdressing salon with a real client, who, of course, will be your mother. Buy a hoop, a set of threads and teach the girl how to embroider. Who knows, maybe she will become a real needlewoman. The boy will be delighted if he is offered to play a game of table football or hockey, or glue together a model of an airplane, tank, or ship.

There are two children in the family: what to do with them?

Parents often ask how they can engage two children of different ages at the same time. What activities will be of interest to a preschooler attending a junior group in kindergarten, and will not let a 1st or 2nd grade student get bored?

A fully grown and independent child can become your assistant and generator of ideas. If he has younger brothers or sisters, the parents have no problem with what to do with a 7-year-old child at home. Primary school students love to play role-playing games: family, school, kindergarten and will gladly accept preschool children into their activities. There is no need to interfere with them, you can only guide them by offering new ideas. For example, engage in joint creativity:

By drawing. Allow children of different ages to paint the tiled wall in the bathroom together with finger paints. This is a pleasure not only for kids, because the older child will be able to guide the younger one, teach him to do everything neatly and beautifully.
Modeled. Set the children a task, for example, to make a forest clearing and distribute responsibilities: the more experienced one will sculpt a fly agaric, and the younger one will decorate the hat with white balls.
There are a lot of home activities in which children of different ages can participate simultaneously: creating crafts from natural materials, dancing, singing, playing toy musical instruments, theatrical performances, creating grandiose structures from cubes. Even helping mom with housework together can captivate not only a schoolchild, but also a 4-6 year old child.

The task of parents is to plan time, create a daily routine as they do in the junior, senior or preparatory groups of kindergarten. In this case, the children will not be bored, and you will definitely find time to play, work or relax.

You can read more information about the role of toys in children's development on our blog.

How to play while developing a one-month-old baby?

Talk to your baby . Even if at first it seems to you that the child is too small and cannot understand you, constantly talk to him - while feeding, changing clothes, bathing, resting
Observation . Take a fairly bright object or toy, hold it in front of the child at a distance of 30-40 cm. When the baby concentrates, slowly move it in a circle, from side to side, making sure that the child watches the movement. After each type of movement, leave a little time to rest
Mom's face . Help your baby focus his eyes on your face. Move slowly - the baby will turn his head after you.
Mom's voice . If you move around the room where your baby is, call your baby by name to get his attention. When moving to another place, raise your voice again. This develops the child's hearing and helps orientation in space
Massage . Since the time for outdoor games has not yet come, do massage and gymnastics. Start by stroking with light movements, stretch your feet, and straighten your arms and legs. The more tactile contact the baby feels, the calmer and more comfortable he feels.

Massage and gymnastics for infants

Educational books

The first book that you can offer your baby is a set of bright pictures on a ring that develops tactile and visual perception. A good option is musical books that imitate sounds characteristic of animals and pronounce letters. They will captivate children up to three years old. The price is no more than 500 rubles.

From 3 to 5 years old, it’s time for fairy tales with pictures and simple poems. It will be useful to purchase a magnetic alphabet and focus your baby’s attention on how the letters look and sound. Simple cardboard books cost no more than 100 rubles.

It's time for a preschooler to buy his first primer. The book is edited by Zhukova N.S. will cost about 300 rubles.

Make sure that your child reads (set a personal example) correct, informative literature and is not limited to the school curriculum.

How to play with a 2 month old baby?

Smile . Don't forget to show your baby emotions. Every time you lean towards the crib, smile at the baby before holding it in your hand. Ask: “How does mom smile?” “And how does Sasha, Masha, Dasha smile...?” after a while the baby will smile back
Bell . A two-month-old baby can turn his head while lying on his back. If you hang a bell or rattle near the crib and let the child listen to the sound several times, then he will turn his head towards this sound.
Soft palms . While resting, take different pieces of fabric (wool, cotton, silk, fluffy fur) and rub it over your palms. This will allow the sense of touch to develop
Short poems . Accompany your actions with funny nursery rhymes. The child pays attention to repeated sounds and the rhythm of the voice

Emotional development of the baby through communication with mother

What games are for a 3 month old baby?

Exercises on the ball . At the age of 3 months, the child can already lie on his tummy for a long time. Place your baby on a gymnastic ball and rock it a little - this develops spatial orientation and evokes positive emotions
Take a toy . Invite your child to reach the toy while lying on his stomach. Don't offer many items at once, place 2-3 within reach. If you see that the baby is trying to reach with his hand, place your palms under his feet. Feeling support, the child will begin to push off. Let the child take a good look at the object, hold it in his hands and use it for its intended purpose - rattle, knock
Let's listen to music . Play different music for your baby at a moderate volume - classical music, rhythmic melodies, children's songs. Try to make movements to the beat of the music - clap your hands, rock the child. Buy a musical toy - children especially like carousels and mobiles, when along with the music it becomes possible to follow rotating objects

Exercises on a gymnastic ball to develop coordination

How to develop a child at 4 months?

Let's exchange toys . Place a toy in your child’s hands that is interesting to him, making sure that he grips the object correctly—the position of his thumb. After a while, offer him to exchange for another thing, do not forget to smile and ask kindly. The baby will hold out the toy and take another. This exercise is aimed at developing fine motor skills, tension and relaxation of hand muscles, as well as social behavior skills.
Hide and seek . A game of hide and seek with a child looks like this: the mother covers her face with her hands or a scarf, you can hide behind the side of the bed, and then appear with the exclamation “Peek-a-boo.” You can also “hide” a pet or toy. Don’t forget to accompany your actions with words and correct intonation: “Where is the dog hiding?” - “That’s where the dog is”
Who's there? When dad, grandma, brother or sister enter the room, pay attention to this. “Who came to us?” The baby, being in an upright position, can distinguish people from a distance of 2-3 meters and react emotionally to them

Carousels and modules for the development of a child’s hearing, vision and attention

Developmental techniques

Information about various development methods is more important when choosing for a preschool institution or early development group, so that parents can evaluate ways of working with children.

Maria Montessori Method

Classes for children include simple physical exercises that use all muscles and fine motor skills, and also help develop the child's speech. When teaching using this method, teachers organize fairly spacious rooms in which objects of different textures and special toys are located. These exercises are great for babies over 4 months old.

Methodology of Nikolai Zaitsev

This method, which is based on the study of warehouses and number series, will help a child begin to develop speech at the age of 1 year.

Glen Doman Method

Educational cards that depict objects of the surrounding world perfectly help the baby get acquainted with ordinary objects (pencil, pen, tree, sky, sea, and so on). All you need to do is show the cards to your baby and describe out loud what is drawn on them. Development cards also help improve children's memory.

How to develop a child with play at 5 months?

Let's jump . At the age of five months, the child loves to stand on his legs if he is held. Holding your baby by the arms, let him squat and jump, be sure to say a rhyme or nursery rhyme
Offer your baby the first books with large, bright pictures. Show objects, animals, plants, talk about what he sees. If there are people or some animals in the picture, name parts of the face and body - “These are the eyes,” “These are the nose,” “These are the ears.” Show the same thing on the child’s face at the same time - this will arouse the baby’s interest and smile
Develop tactile perception - let's hold objects with different shapes and surfaces - smooth and pimply balls, cubes, soft toys with different fillings - rice, rustling. Very tightly sew various buttons, beads, laces to dense fabric and let your child study

A button rug helps develop the sense of touch.

How to play with a 6 month old baby?

By 6 months, the child begins to distinguish individual words. When you walk around the apartment with your baby in your arms, show and name objects . Start with those in which the child has shown interest, then gradually expand the list of familiar words. Bring the child to the window, show trees, clouds, birds. Pronounce each name separately and clearly
Let's talk to mom . When the baby pronounces the syllables: ga, gu, ma, ba, etc., repeat them after the baby in a chant manner. Children immediately react to such communication - they begin to actively walk, extend their arms and smile. Such games develop hearing and initial conversational functions.
The child becomes interested in play mats and functional toys - with buttons, sounds, pockets, and opening windows.
From 6 months, regularly perform finger exercises . Start by massaging your fingers and palms, then use rhymes and nursery rhymes. Over time, the child himself will repeat the movements with his fingers.

Finger exercises to stimulate the development of fine motor skills

Games for a 7 month old baby

Show me . Ask the child to show an object or toy that is nearby - “Show the ball.” First, take a short break and show yourself. Gradually, the pauses need to be increased; soon the baby himself will stretch out his hand to the named thing. Using the same principle, you should train your child’s ability to perform simple actions.
Pay attention to the development of fine motor skills - prepare bags for your baby filled with different cereals and seeds - rice, buckwheat, peas, beans, sunflower seeds, which can be touched, shaken, thrown. Make sure the bags are strong and tightly tied
Give your child soft books or wooden toys in the shape of a book that he can look at independently while turning the pages. Often such books contain inserts made of different materials that are pleasant to touch

Soft books develop tactile and color perception

How to play with an 8 month old baby?

At 8 months of age, babies enjoy putting things in and out of boxes . Place rattles, balls, cubes, small soft toys, toy vegetables and fruits in a box or basket and invite the baby to take them out one by one. Be sure to name the objects out loud: “Yellow ball”, “Green car”, “Red apple”, etc. Ask your child to get a certain object, be sure to praise his work
The baby will also be interested in playing with dishes - folding pots, spoons, plastic glasses, cups. Prepare colorful lids for the game - from jars of baby food, jam, juices. Folding and rearranging such objects can keep a child occupied for a long time, and also develops fine motor skills.
Fill plastic bottles (volume 0.3 -0.5 l) with various cereals, pebbles, sand, water so that 2/3 of the empty space remains. While turning the bottles over, the child will watch the rolling grains and gurgling water. This is good for stimulating the development of vision and concentration.
Do not leave your baby alone during games - study with him, talk, praise him for his success. Communication with adults is very important for the formation of social skills and psycho-emotional development of children

Playing with objects helps to distinguish colors, shapes, sizes

Not early, but on time. When and how to start developing a child

For every parent, their baby is unique and inimitable. Caring mothers and fathers are ready almost from birth to teach their child to read, count, and distinguish colors and shapes. And some even include compositions by great musicians to “shape musical taste.” But whether this is for the benefit of the baby or, on the contrary, can discourage the thirst for knowledge, we looked into it with experts.

When do we start?

“What, your child doesn’t go to developmental classes yet?” is a terrible phrase from experienced mothers for new recruits in the army of parents. But experts believe that every child has his own time, and there is no need to rush him.

— You can do “developmental activities” from birth, but at home. It’s not worth sending your child to classes every year, says Elena Kozlova, music director of MBDOU No. 6.

The psychologist at the children's regional clinical hospital named after Yu.F. also agrees with the opinion of the teacher. Goryacheva Irina Loginova:

— It is best to begin the emotional and psychological development of the baby in utero. The expectant mother should sing him lullabies and read fairy tales. It’s good if mom learns a foreign language during this period and is engaged in her own development. This will have a positive effect on the development of the child after birth. After birth, you need to continue talking with the baby, using nursery rhymes, songs, and fairy tales. Don't think that the baby doesn't understand anything. It is until the baby is one year old that he absorbs all the information around him. Until the age of three, a child cannot yet function in the company of peers. He needs his mother most of all, so during this period the mother, focusing on the characteristics of her child, herself selects the necessary methods for development. But from the age of three, the child strives to communicate with peers. Early childhood development schools, kindergartens, and individually selected classes will come to help mom.

And at home it’s no worse!

In fact, all children from birth do nothing but develop. Get acquainted with the world around you, new sensations and emotions. Every child discovers something new every day. And it is not always the case that children who attended educational centers from an early age will become more developed and more diligent at school.

“None of my boys attended developmental classes at an early age. Firstly, our dad really likes to work with the children himself after work. Letters, reading, counting, physical exercises and exercises are his specialty, children are happy to study with him, and he is happy too. Secondly, we, as a large family, got a place in kindergarten very quickly, and from about the age of two our boys attended it, gaining knowledge there too,” a mother of six sons, winner of the main prize of the “Birth of a Patriot on Russia Day” campaign, shared her experience » Veronica Potapova.

Don't force it, but have fun!

It is under this motto that Deputy Governor of the Ulyanovsk Region Natalya Martynova is raising her youngest daughter Alisa, who revealed to us her secrets of upbringing:

— We didn’t take Aliska to developmental classes at an early age. As soon as she grew up a little, she took her to dance, she really loves it. And then they turned on English, she liked it, and I don’t mind. I love roller skating, skiing and swimming and I attract my daughter so that we can spend time together, and not because I’m raising a champion. Since birth, we have been reading a lot - the first books were read when Alice was not even a month old.

Do we fill the schedule to the maximum or choose one thing?

Despite the fact that professionals advise not to rush to run to development centers, some parents choose a different path, and the day of their children aged 3-5 years is scheduled by the hour. Dancing, gymnastics, swimming pool, drawing, English - everything for a broad outlook. It’s not easy for an adult to live in such a rhythm. Maybe you should focus on one thing? But how to understand what exactly a child likes?

— The best way to find out what classes to enroll your child in is to talk to him about this topic and find out what classes he likes and what club he would like to enroll in. Watch your child. Take a closer look at the talent he has. Some children concentrate well in classes and quickly remember information, others can sit and draw for hours, while others require constant movement. Don't limit your child. Offer him different activities. Let him try sports, playing an instrument, drawing, and theater. Take him to a family master class or ask him how his first football lesson went. This way you can easily understand whether the child is interested and whether he is worth enrolling in a club or section. At the stage of searching and determining the child’s interests, there is nothing wrong with the fact that he will leave the circle after two classes,” Oksana Efimova, teacher of the junior group of MBDOU No. 6, shares her opinion.

Who is to blame and what to do?

A friend of mine took her nine-month-old son to one of the Ulyanovsk developmental centers, but they only lasted for a week.

“Mine is walking on the ceiling, but the teacher is not trying to make him sit down,” my mother complained.

Such situations are not uncommon. Some children are diligent and thoughtful from birth, while others have a motor in a certain place, and it is impossible to sit such a fidget even for a couple of minutes. So what to do in this case?

“The child’s body is very fragile and vulnerable. A 2-3 year old child can often “stand” a lesson lasting no more than 10 minutes. Then comes a period of fatigue. Under no circumstances force your child to do anything that does not bring him joy. Such an activity “through force” will not only not bring benefits and development for the child, but can also cause phobias. An activity without pleasure will not lead to progress. Also, you should not take your child to additional classes if at the moment the baby is tired or, conversely, overly excited, if the day before there was a rise in temperature or the child did not sleep well, says Elena Razinova, teacher of the MBDOU CRR - kindergarten No. 242 “Sadko”.

Well, based on the opinions of our experts, it turns out that developmental classes for children in specialized centers are good, but only if it is so comfortable for both the baby and the parents. And only if you use them in doses, without fanaticism. You shouldn't rush things too much. Sometimes the best thing you can do to bring out all of your child's talents is to simply stay out of his way, watch him and help him at home in the environment of a loving family.

Photo by Pavel Shalagin

How to play while developing a 9 month old baby?

Let's play in the water . At the age of 9 months, almost all babies sit confidently. Bathing can usually be turned into a fun game. Place boats, ducklings, and 2 small plastic cups in the bath. Show your child how boats float, how ducklings dive, pour water from one cup to another
Cubes and pyramids . First, stand in towers of cubes, praise the child for his efforts, and do not forget to name the colors of the objects. The first simple pyramids with a small set of rings are also quite suitable for children of this age; they well develop the ability to compare objects
Matryoshka dolls, sets of glasses folding one into the other. Show your baby how a small object is hidden inside a large one. Start with 3 items, when the child learns to arrange them, gradually increase the number of items
Box with holes in the shape of shapes . You can buy such a toy or make it yourself. Show your baby how the figure disappears in the box, open it together, and see where the toys are hidden. After some time, children learn to find a suitable hole themselves and then take out the figures

Educational toys for children after 6 months

What to do with a 2-3 year old child at home during quarantine

Starting from the age of 2, children show independence and interest in the world. He learns to speak, remembers new words and learns about the objects around him. Therefore, at this age, it is necessary to offer the child activities that can develop, teach, and instill the necessary skills.

Surely in your collection there are toys that your child was interested in at an earlier age. It's time to remember them and organize the game, including new elements:

Pyramids and sorters. Starting from the age of 3, you can diversify the game by showing a figure, clearly naming its shape and color, and then asking them to choose and put exactly such an object on a pin.
Laces. Multi-colored large lacing games arouse the baby's interest in the process of threading the lace into the hole and teach coordination of movements.
Labyrinth. A voluminous educational puzzle that will occupy a child's attention for a long time. He moves elements along the wire from one point to another, looks for a way out, and makes independent decisions.
Children can be quite diligent, but due to their age, they cannot play with toys for a long time. They will be interested in:
Reading books is one of the most useful activities. By reading a fairy tale to a 3-4 year old child and showing pictures, parents develop his attention and horizons.
Games with water. If you pour water into a basin or bathtub, launch boats in it, and give your baby plastic cups, he will get real pleasure.
Coloring pages. At 3 years old, the child already holds a pencil firmly in his hand. Let him try to color the drawing without going beyond the lines. While he tries, adults can rest.
By showing a little imagination, you can captivate young children for a long time and come up with activities that will be interesting and useful for the child’s development.

Teaching four-year-old children at home: recommendations for parents

Four-year-olds are inquisitive individuals with their own interests and needs. The question often arises of what to do with a 4-year-old child at home when he does not go to kindergarten. First of all, you should take care of maintaining your daily routine. The schedule must include both active games and activities that promote the child’s mental development, his outlook, speech, and social skills.

What to play with a 10 month old baby?

First puzzles . Most often you can find large wooden puzzles on sale, where you just need to insert a picture of the desired shape or assemble a picture of 4-6 parts
You can also buy kits that allow you to choose and customize the clothes and facial expressions of the depicted character. Such games are good for developing vision and the ability to compare sizes and colors.
The first designers using a small number of large parts perfectly develop spatial thinking, logic, and fine motor skills
Show parts of the face and body . Ask your child to point to the nose, eyes, hands, hair on the toy, and then on mom and herself. Help your baby first; very quickly he will learn to do it on his own.

The first puzzles for the development of thinking and logic

Kinetic sand and various modeling materials

These are wonderful toys for the development of fine motor skills, starting from the moment when the baby learns to sit and clench his fists. Of course, at first it is better to conduct classes under adult supervision.

Kinetic sand

The loose and at the same time plastic material is very different from ordinary sand. The kinetic sand set may include an indoor sandbox, molds for modeling and multi-colored sand. A complete set will cost about 3,000 rubles.

Squishy

Selection of squishy toys on Ozone

A stretchy, funny mass that, under adult supervision, can be entrusted to a child as young as one year old. A large set will cost about 1,500 rubles.

For development, it is useful to offer the child molding compounds of varying degrees of viscosity and texture. In nature, let your child play with clay and dig in the ground. Fine motor skills of the fingers are the key to the development of speech and mental abilities.

For joint creativity and just for your child's self-employment, it is easy to prepare salt dough in the kitchen - salt and flour are kneaded in equal proportions with a small amount of water. This kind of “plasticine” will definitely not be eaten even by the smallest children; it can be stored in the refrigerator, and the figures dried in the oven can be painted and used in games from 1 year to 7-10 years.

A special hardening mass will be a good material for making toys yourself, starting from 5 years old.

You can give a preschooler a set for casting souvenirs from plaster; it will cost no more than 500 rubles.

A child over 10 years old will be interested in a real pottery wheel, with the help of which he will be able to create real things from clay. This is not a cheap purchase, starting at 5,000 rubles.

Games for 11 month old baby

catch-up ” allows you to develop the ability to orient yourself in space If your baby is actively crawling, show that you want to catch up with him. “Who crawls so fast?” - “I’ll catch up, I’ll catch up!” You can walk or also get on all fours. Having caught up with the baby, hug and kiss, and then let him “run away” again.
At this age, many children take their first steps, so it is important to help your baby develop balance and coordination. Toys that you can sit on (rocking horse, rubber donkey, car) are good for this Such games should only be played under adult supervision
Rolling toys on wheels - cars, butterflies, caterpillars on a stick, which you can roll in front of you during a walk, well develop the concept of movement, support, and teach walking

Rolling toys help the baby take his first steps

Educational games for one-year-old children

It's time for creative activities - start drawing . It’s too early to give your child pencils and paints, so you can start with finger paints, a sponge dipped in watercolor paint (honey), and crayons. Take a large sheet of paper, guide your baby's hand, drawing simple shapes, name what he sees, change colors. Then let your imagination run wild
Modeling perfectly develops fine motor skills . Prepare salt dough - it is completely safe, even if the baby tries to put it in his mouth, or buy a special plastic mass of different colors. Make balls, plates, flagella together. Show your child how to roll out sausages and cut them with a plastic knife
Choose a color . One-year-old children can already distinguish colors quite well. Prepare toys of different colors and shapes, ask your child to separate toys of a certain color and put them, for example, in a box. A variant of the game could be “ show the same ”. Show your child a blue cube and ask him to find the same one among other toys. Be sure to praise your child and tell him if something is difficult

Drawing and modeling develop children's imagination, thinking and fine motor skills

Educational games for young children are not like school activities. They should not be carried out according to a schedule, but according to the mood and desire of the baby. You cannot force a child to do something if it does not arouse his interest.
Give up this activity, try to return to it later. Pay attention to emotional contact with your child. Playing with an irritated, tired mother will not bring joy and the desired effect
Smile at your baby, hug him, praise him, show him how important his success is to you. Even without understanding speech, children perfectly sense their mother’s mood and react sensitively to it.

Educational mats

You can begin to develop sensory organs and general motor skills as early as 1 month or even earlier.

Pay attention to such wonderful items that allow you to develop a child up to one year old, like baby rugs. There are a great many varieties of children's educational rugs, from budget to the most expensive. This useful accessory is easy to sew at home.

Some rugs are installed directly into the baby's crib, like soft bumpers, so that he can develop and entertain himself independently.

The mat consists of a soft base on which the baby is laid out, and various devices within his reach. For example, an arc for hanging rattles, sounding keys and bright toys. It is important that all elements are securely fastened. All this will attract the baby, stimulate activity, and develop both muscles so that he can begin to crawl, as well as vision. Price from 1000 to 6000 rubles.