I’m going to be really honest—I’m a toddler kind of mama. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing better than snuggling a little baby!

But other than that, the baby stage was not my favorite. I was ready for ball-chasing, hide-and-seek, pretend play, and the rough-and-tumble fun that comes with a toddler.

Yet, my little guy was in no rush to start walking. While I patiently waited for him to get to that next stage, I had to get creative and learn how to interact just as closely with a baby who was a little less mobile!

Fortunately, most babies in the crawling stage are in a really great developmental age. They are starting to learn how things work and are fascinated by everything!

Here are five games to play with your crawler!

Follow That Toy

The crawling age is really awesome because they are learning so much from the simplest games! One of the best ways to entertain a crawler is to have them follow toys. 

Balls, rolling cars, and pull toys are great ways to lead them around, practice those crawling skills, and let them learn about the world!

We set up Baby Azkaban with a giant padded alphabet floor puzzle and a Superyard gate and would send all kinds of toys from corner to corner, letting Baby R chase and follow. He loved catching up with the toys and trying to grab and roll them!

Music Time

Just because your little baby can’t walk yet doesn’t mean they can’t shake their groove thing! The crawler stage is a perfect time to develop musical interests!

From playing fun music to singing great songs to experimenting with musical instruments, the sky is the limit for musical fun!

I filled empty bottles with rice and cheerios (sealing the lids with hot glue just to be safe) and we’d shake and groove for hours on end!

I also started paying attention to what songs Baby R really liked on the radio and building a playlist of his favorites (Low Rider ruled for us in those days!) He’d pull himself up on the couch and shake his little booty until he tired out. 

Peek-And-Seek

Crawlers aren’t quite ready for hide-and-seek, but stationary peek-a-boo doesn’t really cut it either. 

I melded them together into a game I liked to call peek-and-seek. I’d crawl (slowly) away from Baby R, looking back behind me frequently to make sure he knew to follow me. Then I’d “disappear” behind the couch. 

He’d giggle and chase me. I’d always go out of sight just after he saw me, looking back and smiling so he knew it was a game. After a couple of rounds, I’d stop so that he would round the corner and catch me. 

That would lead to “You Found Me!” and lots of tickles!

We got hours of entertainment out of that game!

(Note: Baby R didn’t hit that separation anxiety stage until much later, but it’s pretty common around this time. If your kiddo has it bad you might not want to play this game, or you may need to adapt it a bit. You don’t want your baby thinking you abandoned them when you turn around the corner!)

Copycat

Babies in the crawling range LOVE to mimic. They’re taking in everything you do and trying to replicate it. When you combine mimicking with physical movement, you can challenge your little one (in all the right ways), help with physical development, and have a lot of fun.

Get down on all fours with your crawler and lift yourself up, then down, up, then down. Incorporate fun noises too! Watch your baby light up as they try to copy you. 

Next, turn slow circles. Crawl backwards. Wiggle on your belly…you can try all sorts of different movements. They won’t be able to replicate everything, but that’s ok! They’re learning and growing just by watching and trying. 

Fill And Dump

This is the age where most babies start to understand the concept of putting things inside other things.

Gather up materials like pom poms, soft balls, and blocks (avoid anything too small that could be a choking hazard of course), and a container (little buckets with handles work well!) Show your baby how to pick up and put objects in the bucket.

Your little one is likely still working on the pincer group, so they might not be able to grasp the objects themselves yet. But they can probably scoop them into their hands with a little bit of help, or you can just hand them the objects! 

Fill up the container, then pour it out. Your little one’s brain will be working as they watch the objects go from outside to inside a container and then back out again. They will likely fall in love with the dumping part! 

Those are my five favorite games I played with Baby R in the crawling stage. What games and activities are you doing with your crawler? Comment below with your ideas!

Posted on: December 13, 2019, by : admin