Free & Easy Games to Help You Teach & Bond with Your Little Ones

Playing is the most important thing for little ones before they go to school. It helps them develop physical, social, and learning skills. More importantly, playing with your child is a great way to bond, helps you enjoy the parenting experience, and allows you to be positively active in their journey exploring the world. Experts recommend parents spend even just ve to ten minutes playing with their child each day. eir enthusiasm is contagious, and they have unlimited curiosity. It bene ts them, you, and your relationship.

Peek-a-Boo is, of course, a classic for babies. Who doesn’t love Peek-a-Boo? It teaches language and motor skills, and cause-and-e ect. Not only that, but it also teaches what’s known as “object permanence.” ey learn that, even when they can’t see you, you’re still there. It’s a reassurance to your little one that they are never truly alone.

Another fun way to bond with your infant is dancing. If they are old enough to sit up, you can put on music (it doesn’t have to be lullabies) and guide their hands to make dancing motions while sitting on the oor or helping them stand. is encourages muscle development, coordination, and all areas of brain development.

Games like Roll the Ball or blowing bubbles are fun for a one-year-old. Rolling a ball back and forth between you helps them develop teamwork skills, hand-eye coordination, and gross motor skills. If you praise them enthusiastically when they catch it, this builds con dence and shows you are proud of their achievements. Also, blow some bubbles for them and demonstrate poking the bubbles to pop them. Say

“POP!” when you get one, and they will mimic you, learning a new word. Get excited with them! is enjoyable little interaction teaches cause-and-e ect and hand-eye coordination. As adults we take for granted the sensory element, but children can quickly gure out it doesn’t look like water, but it makes my nger wet!

Two-year-old’s love to mimic. Use this to your advantage when playing with them. ey will learn Follow the Leader or Simon Says very quickly and enjoy copying your motions, developing muscle and motor skills. Simon Says is great because it helps them put words to movements and body parts. It’s okay (and fun) to be silly. Another fun repetition game is 1-23. All you need is three of something, even rocks work for this game. Hide them and put them out one at a time, counting as you do. ey can learn the concept of counting quickly, and practice ne motor skills at the same time.

At three years old, naps might be getting shorter. A great way to nd extra quiet time is building a blanket fort together and snuggling up for story time. Or you could pretend it’s a castle! is activity encourages problem solving skills, teamwork, and creativity, as well as gross motor skills. When they’re more energetic, playing catch develops hand-eye coordination and motor skills, like Roll the Ball. Again, praise them with enthusiasm when they catch it, and encourage them even when they don’t. Language and social skills are important to four-yearolds. ey’re really starting to gure the world out. An awesome way to encourage this is role-playing-games, like playing House, or having a teddy bear tea party. ey will show you their understanding of the world

in such interesting ways. Giving them control of the scenario you play out together can help you see the world through their eyes and lets them practice whatever they feel like practicing.

Problem solving and language skills are great areas to work on with your ve-year-old. A favorite of mine is treasure hunts. You can just draw a map of the living room or yard and hide spare change in a few locations, leading up to a favorite snack where X marks the spot. is game encourages independence but go along with them to show your support! Kids this age can learn rhyming, so try a rapid- re rhyme game to get them thinking quickly and using a variety of words. ese games are all free and easy. Most of them can be done in as little as ve minutes. e bene ts will be lasting to both of you. Even if they’re too little to remember, letting out your own inner child has lifelong impacts on your little one. Laugh, learn, and play together every day!

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