We have all experienced that feeling of being torn between entertaining our infant or spending the quick 10 minutes to do the dishes. Our baby seems to be uninterested in the spatulas and silicon teethers all of a sudden and that goal we had set to clean the kitchen before noon might not actually get accomplished.

Like adults and older children, sometimes babies just need something new. Here are 4 play invitations for infants that we think your little one may enjoy!

But first, let’s define play invitation. Invitations for play in childcare are an absolute necessity for teachers and once implemented into your routine, say before breakfast is served, a play invitation might save you some sanity as well. A play invitation, or invitation to play, is something that is set up in the environment and arranged in a way to “invite” a child to play with it. These invitations to play should allow for as much independent play as possible. Easy examples would be blocks already stacked and set up to start building or art materials arranged and ready to be turned into a masterpiece.

Infants can have play invitations as well! See below for 4 examples of play invitations.

Sensory activities

Infants love things that are colorful and textured. Using clear bags or bottles, (tightly sealed) place different items inside like pom poms, buttons, or beads so that your baby can explore the colors, sounds, and texture of their sensory activity.

Water play

Now we all know that water play is often a huge hit and often pretty messy, but hear us out! Using cookie sheets and cake pans allow for minimal water. We like to use bath toys and toys that have a suction cup so that babies can practice grabbing things at different depths and pulling on things that are suctioned to the bottom. Your baby will get wet but if you place a towel down clean up can be as quick as putting the dishes/toys in the sink, the towel in the laundry, and a change of clothes on the baby. A 5 minute clean up could buy you much more time especially if your little one loves water play!

Art

That is right, babies can do art too! Placing paper and paint into a plastic bag that is taped to the table (or not) allows your baby to move the paint around, mess free. The mixing of colors will be a fun experiment and great sensory activity.

Playing with boxes

We all know that kids like the box almost, if not more, than the toy it came in right? Well, take it a step further and put toys in an empty Kleenex box. Your baby will spend some time shaking the box and reaching in to get whatever you hid away inside. Eventually your baby will learn how to put the items back inside and have fun experimenting with this new skill. Not to mention what a great fine motor activity!

Have any go to activities that your baby just loves? We would love for you to share them with us!

“Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.” Maria Montessori