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Playing with Baby from 4 Months

After three months the reflexes that you'll have seen in baby up to now begin to go and are replaced by movements which are intentional.

Playing with Baby from 4 Months - Tummy Time Play

It's at this stage that you should really encourage baby to play on her tummy as she will be learning to lift her head. Initially she will rest on her forearms but gradually as her body strengthens, she will rest on the palms of her hands.

Galt makes a crawl mat that rewards baby for moving along it. The Galt crawl mat provides a good base for baby to play on her tummy as it has interesting things to explore.

A large Taggie crib blanket placed on the floor will be loved by baby. Its soft texture will feel very good if baby only has a nappy on and is placed on her tummy.

There's a debate going on at the moment about why some babies miss out the crawling stage. Experts are suggesting that this is due to the highly successful campaign to make sure babies don't go to sleep on their tummies. It has resulted in parents being unsure if babies should ever be put on their tummies. Do speak to your doctor or health visitor if you are concerned about tummy time play.

Playing with Baby from 4 Months - Practicing Grasping Movements

Objects that can be grasped in baby's hands will be of most benefit to her as she learns about spatial awareness and builds confidence. Something as simple as a plastic ball can be handed to baby to hold. And you can roll the ball in front of her too.

You can buy huge bags of plastic, colourful balls from the Early Learning Centre to create a ball pit when baby is able to sit up. She'll bring the colourful balls immediately to her mouth so pre-check that any object you intend to give to her is safe for her to bite.

Don't be surprised if baby drops an object to take another one from you. Until she is around six months old, she can only hold one object at a time so she's not being fickle.

“Mind Shapes” from Manhattan Toy and Whoozit, consist of three soft blocks that are four inches in diameter. Baby will enjoy grasping them and looking at their contrasting colours and patterns. As she reaches her seventh month she will be able to bang the blocks together as her grasp now allows her to grip objects more securely.

Babies are also learning to chew at this stage as a precursor to eating solid food, so she is practicing her biting reflex. Just try and make sure you are not on the receiving end of a baby who is teething badly and wants to use a human shoulder as her teether. It hurts!

Playing with Baby from 4 Months – Swimming

Check with your health visitor or doctor but some babies start going to the swimming pool around four months so you can introduce a completely new experience to baby. Once you're comfortable with the idea of taking baby swimming check to see if there are special swimming classes for babies and toddlers. Generally the lessons show you how to play safely with baby in the water and introduce you to water games and songs. Going swimming can be a welcome addition to the family routine.

To find out more about what to look out for when choosing and buying nursery toys visit our How to Choose and Buy a Baby Toy for Different Ages section and our Brands section.

To find out more about the different types of nursery toy that are available for each age group visit our Types of Nursery Toy section.

To find out more about the different online baby and nursery toy shops and stores visit our Top Sites section.

You can also find out more in our How to Choose and Buy a Baby Toy for Helping to Develop Different Skills section.