How to Play With an 11-Month-Old Baby

Video Transcript

"You have an 11 month old, and you want to know how to play with them to promote their development. Hi, I'm Dr. Donna with some advice on how to do that. One thing children love, is they love to begin to use dolls and puppets to promote interactive play. Use this doll not only to work on fine motor skills, dressing and snapping, and buttoning, you name it, but also to create some emotion with this baby, pretend this baby is hungry, or tired, or sleepy, or crying, or happy, or mad, and your child will really enjoy playing with the baby in that way. Also, telephones are a great way to promote your child's interaction with the phone, and to have a conversation, even if they're babbling, with grandma, or grandpa, or mommy, or daddy, and you can have a little conversation and play with them. Also, stacking toys of any type, children love to build things and stack them. If you have blocks of any type, stack them and knock them down. You can also use blocks as a way to create an obstacle course, where children can begin to step over them, create obstacle courses with pillows and cushions to, your child will love to play with that. Instruments of all kinds. I highly recommend you always keep a basket of instruments, drums and shakers and rattles, and let them just play and create music. Books, always keep books close at hand for your child not only to look at maybe, if they're sitting at their highchair, bring out some books, let them look at picture books that show animals and colors and all kinds of things. Also, walking toys. Encourage your child to stand behind this if they're not a walker, these toys are great,where you can put them behind, and they can begin to walk and cruise. This toy, also has some interactive components to it. And beach balls, I love beach balls. Get yourself a 99 cent beach ball, you can work on having your child chase after it and kick it, if they're a walker. If they're not, and they're crawling, you can roll the ball, and they can chase after it. Balls are great, all types of balls, they'll enjoy. And last, but not least, love bubbles, get your bubbles out bath time, any time, bubbles are a lot of fun to play with your child, big bubbles; I'm pretty talented. I'm Dr. Donna, have some fun."