A game in the full sense of the word is a good and useful research activity for a child. They get acquainted with the surrounding world in the first place with their toys. However, it is better not to let the choice of toys for your child takes its course. If a one-year-old child everyday tinkles just a rattle and learns nothing about playing with bricks or other games and toys, it is suggested that this can easily develop his or her personality in a negative way, as they will probably be behind his or her peer group as varied play taxes the mind.
Let us understand together how better to organise a playing space for your child and in particular for a baby from 0-3 months old.
There is no great need for toys for a baby from 0 to one month as long as this period of life is determined by contacting and bonding with adults. In the period of 1-3 months visual and aural perception mechanisms are developing. Thus, a one-month-old baby in not just fixing attention upon an adult’s face but also tries to watch it closely. A two-month old baby is already interested in various things, contrasting drawings, patterns. Almost all his or her spare time from eating and sleeping is used examining something very closely; including keeping their ears open to different sounds. Now is the high time to provide the baby with the suitable source of contemplation and visual excitement. Let it be decorative “spots" of pure, bright colours (light-red, yellow, blue, bright-green against grey or cream coloured background). These “spots" may well be represented as geometrical figures or some drawings, pasted on the walls or ceiling. Also you may add to the ceiling with diverse multicoloured figures. Note for your interest that children at this age would seem to rather stare fixedly at objects of bright yellow colouring. However, do not place too many bright objects in the field of the child’s vision – as this would prevent them from focusing onto one spot such as a drawing and examine it properly.
Coordination of eye movement is another stage in the developing of the visual system of the baby. The special “oculomotorius" gymnastics is here to help. Take a bright rattle and place it 40 cm away from the baby’s eyes. When he or she focuses on it, move the rattle right, left, up and down…but you follow the baby’s eye. If they “lose “the rattle, repeat the exercise, but do not show excess of zeal, the exercise should last no more than about two minutes.
It is useful to give the rattle to the baby (of course, it must be light in weight and not too big). The baby still cannot play with it, but gradually, as for developing of its movement system, he or she will bring the rattle to their face in order to perceive it better. In this case the rattle begins to play a forming function, stimulating purposeful movements and developing “eye-arm" coordination.
