Children & Adolescents Clinic

 Home Parent's Guide

Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0

Infant Play: Overview

Children need few toys during babyhood. Parents' ample love and attention is far more critical for infants' healthy development and well-being. In fact, newborns are more captivated by human faces than by inanimate playthings, and infants continue to prefer people over toys. Being gently and playfully cuddled, touched, and talked to contribute to children's earliest impressions that the world is wonderful and safe and can be explored without fear.

Infants need extremely close, almost constant, supervision. They are engaged in the vigorous process of self-discovery, and are becoming acquainted with their new world by looking, listening, chewing, smelling, and grasping. Most of their learning comes through play. Thus, they require safe toys that appeal to all of their senses and stimulate their interest and curiosity.

Babies have extremely short attention spans, so simple, repetitive play and sensitive, appropriate responses from you are best. Play only while your infant seems to enjoy it. Look to your baby for clues for changing a game. For example, if your baby begins to look bored after mastering a game of batting at a dangling toy, vary the play by moving the toy farther away or off to one side.

Your infant needs to feel some control over the new environment. Play experiences that encourage your child to make things happen lead to a solid base of confidence and trust. Your baby learns what to expect when he or she drops a ball or squeezes a squeak toy. Your little one also delights in causing you to do something over and over like picking up a toy that has been dropped again--and again.

By the end of your child's first birthday, a strong preference will probably develop for some toys over others.

For further information, see:

Teaching Independent Play Skills: Infant

Play Materials for Infants

Toys for Infants


Written by Donna Warner Manczak, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Copyright 1999 Clinical Reference Systems