Playing with Infants and Toddlers - Suggested Websites for Adults to Promote Physical Activity and Engagement

By: Carrie Portrie, EC-SEAT Project Coordinator

Play is an important activity in children's (and adults' lives). Through play, we often make sense of the world around us and find connections to others. Adults and children play together to find understanding and to learn. The first moments of play can begin when babies are born. Babies can benefit from feeling different fabrics on their feet, seeing their reflection in a mirror, hearing books which label objects in their world, and watching their caregiver's face while they coo and talk with animated loving. Toddlers will enjoy crawling through bought or constructed tunnels, dumping loud and soft items out of containers and beginnings of pretend play with baby dolls and stuffed animals.

The ZERO TO THREE National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families provides a practical and simple lists of ways to play with children from birth to three years old. A few of the resources provide clear and simple ways to initiate play:

1. A Year of Play provides suggestions for parents to interact with their babies and toddlers throughout the year with prompts for "talking together," "reading together," and "playing together." The themes for each month could be switched around, but this is a great resource for parents and those working with families caring for infants and toddlers to increase their engagement and playtime. 
2. Baby and Toddler Play Ideas provides suggestions for play between adult and child by age - Birth to 12 mos, 12-24 mos, and 24-36 mos. Mirror peek-a-boo, dump and fill play and teddy bear tea parties speak to simple developmentally appropriate play which children and parents can do together along with siblings and home visitors (if and when present). 
3. Development of Play provides four 2 page handouts describing children's play from birth to 36 months. These tip sheets suggest toys and what adults can do to help support children's engagement and exploration. These sheets can help get both adults and children moving, thinking and connecting. 

ZERO to THREE is not the only site encouraging adults to focus on playing with their children, the following is a list provides some additional resources for parents, home visitors, teachers and caring adults. Playing early on with children develops meaningful connections for growth - physically, mentally and emotionally! 

Vroom - A fun and interactive suggestions to interact with young children throughout the day. Interaction is key. You can download the app and start increasing interactions with your little ones each day and learn about what brain activity is related to babbling together, dancing and more. Free of cost and advertising and compatible with android and Apple products.

Two Way Play - A simple and easy to navigate website describing adults' roles in playing with their children by assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Kim Foehl. 

Sensory Play: Early Exploration through the Senses by Rachel Doorley of Tinkerlab - Some wonderfully simple examples for sensory play from tearing paper to water exploration. 

Building a Health Start Online Modules from Alabama Public Health - The Promoting Physical Activity for Infants and Toddlers in Early Childhood Settings module provides a straightforward and comprehensive guide for caregivers. The materials provide suggestions of physical play throughout the infant and toddler years, while reminding about developmental stages.