[Childcare] Play and games for 0-year-old babies: Fun developmental and educational activities
Just looking at tiny, adorable babies makes you feel happy, doesn’t it?
We tend to think that newborns spend most of their time sleeping, but it’s also a period of remarkable growth.
Interacting closely and playing together with familiar people provides babies with plenty of stimulation and has very positive effects on their physical and mental development, as well as on attachment formation.
Let’s actively incorporate lots of play not only at daycare but at home, too.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of activities you can enjoy together with your baby.
From bonding games and sensory play to activities using educational toys, a wide variety of play ideas are gathered here!
Find the perfect activities that match your baby’s age in months and developmental stage.
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[Childcare] Play and games for 0-year-old babies: Fun developmental and educational activities (11–20)
Interactive play: “Row the Boat”
Once your baby can hold their head up, a recommended bonding game is “Row the Boat.” While your baby lies on their back, gently hold both of their feet and, as you sing, move them up, down, left, and right—like the leg motion in the breaststroke.
Active play like this helps develop your baby’s motor skills, and the stimulation also supports emotional growth.
You might rotate with other play songs, such as ones where you touch both hands or gently touch the whole body.
Another idea is to keep the movements the same but change the song.
Interactive play “Head, Shoulders, Knees – Pon”
Gently touch your baby’s body in time with the lyrics in “Head, Shoulder, Knee—Tap.” It’s like a simplified version of the English song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” where you touch your own body in time with the words.
You touch the same body parts mentioned in the lyrics.
Besides the three spots in the title, it’s also great to sing about various other parts to the melody and touch your baby there as you go.
There’s also a part where you clap your hands, so your baby can feel the rhythm while you interact.
Interactive Play: “The Cucumbers Are Ready”
Play the parent-and-child game “We’ve Got a Cucumber,” pretending the baby is a cucumber.
First, gently sway the baby’s legs to show a cucumber growing on the vine.
Then get ready to harvest and eat the cucumber.
Do the preparation steps using motions on the baby’s body: sprinkle “salt” by moving your hands over the baby’s tummy, and “slice” the cucumber with pretend knife motions.
When it’s ready, say “Let’s eat!” and show munching by giving little tickly touches.
The slightly ticklish movements are sure to make your baby happy!
Hand play ‘Musunde Hiraite’
Let’s have fun with babies using the classic hand-play song “Musunde Hiraite” (“Close Them, Open Them”)! Follow the lyrics with the matching motions to the rhythm—clenching little fists tight, then opening hands wide.
At the end, place both hands on top of the head or on the knees.
There’s also a clapping part; babies will be captivated by the way hands roll and move to the rhythm and melody.
For the final hand placement, it’s also recommended to deliberately place them on the baby’s head or tummy.
It’s exciting to think about the day they’ll sing it themselves and do the hand play on their own.
Fingerplay ‘Mickey Mouse March’
Some children are exposed to lots of Disney works and characters from the time they’re tiny babies! Among them, Mickey Mouse is of course a star.
To the melody of Mickey’s theme song, “Mickey Mouse March,” let’s have lots of Disney characters make an appearance! This game also works like a counting song: match the numbers with your fingers—one means holding up one finger on each hand, five means spreading all five fingers on both hands.
Characters that can be expressed with those finger shapes will appear.
Pinocchio and Donald show up, and of course, Mickey himself takes the spotlight at the end! It’s a playful activity that makes babies excited to see what will come next.
Crawling race
A “crawling race” that only babies can do right now.
These races, held at supermarkets and baby specialty stores, are designed just for babies who crawl.
At first glance it seems simple—crawl from the start to the goal—but the race often turns chaotic: some babies cry when Mom or Dad steps away, others stop in place because they don’t understand what’s going on.
From the finish line, parents show their baby’s favorite things to coax them forward, or call out their name… Even if the babies don’t know what’s happening, the moms and dads get surprisingly serious about it! Why not join this adorable, once-in-a-babyhood race while you still can?
[Childcare] Play and games for 0-year-old babies: Fun developmental and educational activities (21–30)
Sparkle-pop
Bursting into smiles! Here are some sparkling ideas from Kirakira-pon.
Many teachers may be unsure about parent–child events for infants under one year old.
How about making “parent–child bonding” the theme this time? Swaying gently to music and rhythms, and spending time in close contact can create a sense of comfort for both caregivers and children.
Since this will be the first sports day for these zero-year-old children, set the goal to encourage cheerful participation in a bright, enjoyable atmosphere.