Awake Time Activities

9 Awake Time Activities Your Little One Will Love

Do you ever feel like it’s a struggle to fill your awake time with your little one? Don’t worry, you’re not alone and the good news is that you don’t have to make elaborate plans for each day! Instead, focus on the interaction between you and your little one, mix it up, and have some fun together.

Here’s a few of my favorite ways to spend awake time with my children:

• Sing, chat, tickle, cuddle, count toes, blow raspberries…

Nursery Rhymes that involve touch like ‘round and round the garden’ are sure winners.

• Be silly

Make faces, smile, laugh, roll your eyes or poke out your tongue. Your baby loves watching your face and playing peekaboo games. Diaper change is a great time for face-to-face interaction/play. 

• Let them feel

Give your little one different objects to feel such as soft toys, rattles or cloth books with pages of different texture. Feeling different things helps your baby learn about the world and it’s fun for them!

• New sights

Show them a new world by giving them different things to look at. This may include taking them outside into a garden, or into a different room in the house they’re not normally in. Meeting new people is also fun for them. 

• Tummy Time

Using a play mat or blanket on the ground/floor, tummy time can encourage your baby to move and roll, gives your baby practice holding up their head, and lets them see things from a different perspective. 

• Have a chat with them

Talk or make sounds with your baby (make sure they can see your face when you do this) and wait for them to respond. This shows your baby that conversations are about taking turns, listening and responding to social cues. You might be surprised at how much your baby has to ‘say’.

• Read to them

It’s never too early to start reading to your little one. They love hearing your voice! It can also be a really sweet experience to read the stories that you loved as a child to your little one.

• Narrate your day. 

Even though they don’t understand what you’re saying, they will love hearing you narrate your day. And the more you talk to them, the more they learn through your variety of words. 

Most importantly: remember to enjoy yourself! It’s play only if it’s fun.