How to play with an 8 month old baby. Crisis period: what your child should be able to do at eight months

Practical advice

Now the child has learned to move independently, and he wants to explore the whole house. Try to make his world interesting (and safe!). It would be good if you set up a separate “office” for your baby in the kitchen with different jars, saucepans and spoons. And a “personal” box in the bathroom cabinet will occupy the attention of the “owner” when adults need to go out for a minute. In such a box you can put all sorts of tubes, boxes, books or toys. In the rooms where the child is, it makes sense to put small baskets with toys, so that the child can find something new and exciting for his games everywhere.

When communicating with your child, try to speak in short but familiar phrases. When you feed your child, change his clothes, wash him or play with him, try to comment on what is happening all the time.

Your baby should have his own “library”. Surprisingly, at eight months, children are already showing interest in books. They especially like books like "Pet the Bunny" or "Telephone", but it is good if there is variety in the children's "library". There are books where only one character or object is depicted on the entire page; Such pictures will help you teach your baby new words. The pictures of other books are replete with details, numerous “heroes”, and here your child has the opportunity to choose who he likes best. There are also books where each picture is accompanied by a short poem.

Game time

New discoveries

Guests! Guests! Guests! Eight-month-old babies react differently to unfamiliar faces. There are kids who want to socialize, “talk” with both adults and children. But at this same age, some children begin to be afraid of strangers. If you want to help such a child, try to get him into the company of different people more often.

Phone games: Invite your child to “talk” on the phone. You can give him a toy device, or better yet a real one, unplugging it. The child will be happy to hold the receiver and “talk” into it.

Attention to different sounds Draw your child's attention to different sounds, always naming their source: telephone, doorbell, daddy's steps, rain, water flowing from a tap, dog barking, etc. By reacting to sounds, a little person learns to listen, and this is very important for development speech.

Sounds that the baby hears while walking: Take your child for a walk, placing him in a regular or light summer stroller. If along the way you see a bird, hear the sound of a flying plane or the barking of a running dog, rejoice at these encounters with your child. Show your baby the “object” and name it. "It's a plane. A plane. Come on, look, where is the plane?" The child will learn to look where you are pointing, and words will gradually begin to be associated with these delightful objects that can fly and run.

Play with the hat: Give your child your hat and let him try to put it on himself. By searching for his own head, the child learns more about himself. Play this way with different hats or even a round plastic vase. Let this fashionista admire himself in the mirror - his own reflection will delight him.

Different languages": An eight-year-old child develops an interest in animals. Let him look at different plastic animals, tell him who they are, and demonstrate what sounds they make: “The dog says: “woof, woof”! Where is our dog?”

Oatmeal pie pan: Pour oatmeal into a pie dish and give it to your baby sitting on the grass. He will enjoy stirring the cereal with his hand or spilling the cereal through his fingers.

How to improve coordination of movements: Sit down with your child while humming a song:
A bunny was jumping on the lawn.
The badger played with him.
Tiger, basking on the lawn,
Didn't offend anyone.
Sing quickly, then slowly, loudly, then quietly. Rock the baby from side to side, up and down.

Trolley walk: When your baby is lying on his stomach, take him by the legs from behind and lift him 5-10 centimeters from the floor (or from the ground). Let the child try to walk a little in his arms.

Peekaboo": Kids love games that involve hiding and searching. Hide behind a chair and let the child crawl up and try to find you. Then let the baby try to hide himself, while you look for him.

How to get over, under and through: Moving around the house, crawling or already on his feet, the child discovers that his body and all surrounding objects have a certain size. He wants to know what he can crawl under, what he can climb over, what he can reach. The more experiences a child has, the more he learns about the size of his body and about space. Help your child's experiments by asking him to crawl through a narrow passage and under the table, over a mountain of pillows.

Rocking baby: Swing your child in your arms, on a swing, or sit him on your knee and let him ride up and down. Such games develop a sense of balance, and the baby begins to control his movements.

Climb and get the toy: If your apartment has stairs or steps, use them to exercise your child. If your baby is near the stairs or on a step, then place a bright toy on the step above. Most children love to climb stairs, so it is easier to teach them how to climb than to try to stop them from doing so. Having worked hard, the baby will be especially happy with the toy, but do not forget that on the steps the child must be under the constant supervision of adults.

Problem solving

"Do as I do": Play "do as I do" with your child. Beat the “drum”, clap your hands, wave your hand, blow, “conduct the orchestra”, let the baby repeat your movements.

Spoon - tool: Give your child a wooden spoon and various objects that can be beaten: a flat pie pan, a folded paper napkin, a magazine. Show your baby how to beat the surface with a spoon. The child will really enjoy this activity, and he will feel the difference in sound and sensations depending on the object.

Destroying the "tower": Build a “tower” of blocks and show your child how to push it. The “tower” will collapse, and you will sadly comment on its fall: “Oh, everything has collapsed!” Soon the child will begin to enjoy the knowledge that he is so strong and can produce such a wonderful effect.

Cup upside down: Place the cup upside down on the table. See if the child can take it by the handle and place it correctly. If the baby completes this task, it means he has an understanding of what position objects should be in.

Place the toy on a napkin: When your child is sitting in his high chair, place a small toy on a napkin in front of him, but so that he cannot reach it. When the child pulls the napkin towards him, the toy will be in his hands. If he copes with the task, this will indicate that the baby has a new understanding of object relationships. The child has learned that one object can be on top of another. If you hold the toy slightly above the napkin, and the child still drags it towards him, it is clear that he does not yet fully understand what is what.

Toy under the blanket: In front of your child, hide a toy under the blanket. Let the baby lift the blanket himself and find it there. The child is just beginning to understand that objects, if you cover them with something, do not disappear, but remain in their place, and for him in such a game there is an element of surprise, which will cause indescribable delight.

Pots and pans: Pots and pans are more fun for your baby than any store-bought toys, especially if those pots and pans are shiny. Show your child how to put a lid on the saucepan and let him try to do it himself. If he successfully copes with the task, give him two different saucepans and lids for them and see if the baby can figure out which lid is from which saucepan. You can also amuse an inquisitive little person by hiding some interesting objects in saucepans. Let him, opening the lids, look for his “surprise”. If you don't mind a little noise, show your child how to bang the lid against the lid.

Make a toy box: A large cardboard box can be used to store children's toys. It is convenient and, in addition, will bring great pleasure to the child. Cut large holes in the walls of the box and cover it with beautiful paper. Place the toys in the box and close it. Now let the baby try to get his toys through the holes. Toys have different shapes and in order to pull them out, the child will have to solve a new problem each time.

Toys in a vase: A large plastic vase with a round bottom will add variety to children's games. The baby can hold a vase with one hand and put small balls or balls into it with the other. If the vase is not too stable, the game becomes even more fun.

Cupcake tin: By playing with an object such as a cake pan, a child will be able to gain some understanding of counting for the first time. Take the mold and place a tennis ball in each cavity, let the baby take turns taking the balls out and putting them back.

Transparent and opaque barriers: When your child has learned to play a variety of hide-and-seek games, try another option. Place the toy behind some kind of transparent barrier. Watch what the child will do. Will he try to get the toy straight through the barrier, or will he go around the obstacle?

How to pour corn flakes: Place some corn flakes in a plastic bottle. See if your baby can turn the bottle over and eat something tasty.

How to find a picture: Glue a bright picture onto thick cardboard. Turn the cardboard upright so that your baby cannot see the image. See if he crawls around the cardboard to find the missing picture.

Easter egg game: Place plastic Easter eggs in an egg carton. By moving the eggs, the baby will get his early lesson in arithmetic.

Daily routine

Feeding time

For a baby whose teeth are growing: Make juice candy for your child. (There are special molds with plastic sticks for this.) The child will happily lick and bite the lollipop while helping you hold the sticks. Some children like frozen bananas.

You can also ride the car in the restaurant: If you had to take your baby to a restaurant, sit him there on a high chair with a table and show him how to play with the car and roll it back and forth on the surface of the children's table.

Bathing and drying time

Sing this song while bathing: When your baby is sitting in the bath and you are washing him, sing him a simple song.

Place a boat in the bath: Turn an oil box into a bath toy - the box will become a boat, and, putting a small rubber ball in it, lower it into the water. At first, the baby will look at the ball “in the boat” with pleasure, and then he will try to grab it.

Hunting for your finger: Tie a bright ribbon around your child's toe. The baby will fiddle with enthusiasm, trying to remove the ribbon.

Self-service: Give your child a bath cloth or sponge. Soon he will begin to make attempts to wash his arms, tummy or legs on his own.

Time relax

"Tactile" pictures: Make “tactile” pictures from various materials and fabrics. You can take pieces of plush, satin, rubber mat - all this is interesting to touch and feel. Let your baby “read” his tactile “book” before going to bed.

Body parts: Draw the outline of a child's figure on a piece of cardboard. Carefully glue or sew pieces of fabric over different parts of this figure (arms, head, shoulders, feet, knees or tummy). Now you can play a new game like "hide and seek". When the baby lifts one or another curtain, call the opened “body part.” Over time, the child will begin to recognize where the head is and where the legs are, and then he will play independently.

Marilyn Segal "A child plays from birth to one year"

The baby, who is 8 months old, is incredibly active and curious.

He tries to explore the interesting world around him in all possible ways - crawls on the floor on all fours or on his belly, pulls his fingers in all sorts of places, grabs, throws objects, shows interest in everything new and unknown.

The task of parents is to competently organize the child’s comprehensive development, teach the fundamental points, simple basics of drawing, and occupy his leisure time with interesting games.

Taking into account the developmental norms of the baby, at this stage he can easily master the space around him, begins to learn to control his own body and subordinate his movements, as well as interact with various household items and other family members.

In addition, a small person can cope with the following options:

• He can dance to the music, holding onto a support, sing in a peculiar way, and at the same time he can clap his hands, raise his arms and legs.
• Sits confidently on the surface and can roll over from side to side without assistance.
• He takes small toys and objects in his hand, studies and examines them for a long time.
• He can play hide and seek with his mother. If she covers herself with a blanket, she will begin to pull it off and be happy when she finds her.
• When feeding, he tries to hold a spoon on his own, tries to drink from a mug himself, holds cookies in his hands and knows how to bite and chew them.
• He babbles syllables in his own language, repeating after adults, and can say his first word.
• He understands prohibitions when he is told the word “impossible”, but does not always fulfill them.

Each baby develops individually, so don’t worry too much if something on the list isn’t working out for him yet. If you study and maintain interest in the environment, then the baby will definitely succeed in everything over time.

What can you teach an eight-month-old baby: general recommendations

When doing housework, mom should definitely comment on her actions, talk about what is happening, hold different things in her hand and pronounce their names. This way you learn to adapt and understand the world around you faster, and establish connections with each other.

In addition, you can teach the following things:

• Show how to hold the phone, put it to your ear, imitate a conversation, say the word “hello.” For these purposes, a toy phone is suitable, on which you can press buttons and repeat words after adults.
• Use all objects according to their intended purpose, for example, roll a gurney and a car on the floor, beat a drum, press keys on a toy piano, stir a saucepan with a spoon, close and open the lid.
• In the bathtub, you can show how to clap your hands in the water, lower a rubber duck under the water, which will emerge, and pour liquid from one container to another.
• Teach to wave a hand when saying “bye” and “hello”, when saying “give”, teach to give away a toy, if something falls, say “boo-boo”.
• Study pictures in books, learn to turn pages, show animals and voice the names of animals, as well as the sounds they make - meow, muuu, woof-woof, etc.

How to develop your baby through games

The process is the most accessible and understandable for small researchers of all other options. Even if you don’t have enough time, you should set aside 10-15 minutes 2 times a day to pay attention to your child. There are several popular games that a child will definitely like and will be delighted with them.

Rolling the ball

For this game you should choose a ball about 10 cm in diameter.

It is desirable that it be bright and attract attention, arousing keen interest.

The adult sits on the floor opposite the child, at an accessible distance.

If your baby can’t push the ball, you should show him how to do it, and he will happily imitate your movements.

This game helps to establish emotional contact, develop motor and visual coordination of movements, and improves social adaptation.

Game with string

To carry it out, you will need a small cord or rope, onto which you can tie toys and small objects on one side.

It is suitable for those children who have an interest in throwing toys out of their playpen. Place the free end in your hands, and place the other end with the object on the floor.

Show how you can attract objects to you in this way, and this activity will captivate your baby for a while.

Game with cubes and pyramids

Simple toys, the very first helpers in development - a pyramid and colored cubes.

Sit together on the floor, lay out the pyramid and show how to assemble it, starting with a large circle and ending with a small one.

The baby will learn to distinguish the sizes of objects and navigate the construction of a simple system.

Using cubes, you can teach how to build a turret, first from two elements, then from three or more.

Here you give an understanding of the balance of objects and their stability, teach an understanding of the construction of a series. You can also play with a sorter toy, in the recesses of which you need to select the appropriate shape of the object.

Entertaining finger gymnastics for eight-month-old children

The development of motor coordination must begin from a very early age.

At 8 months, babies will be interested in repeating simple arm swings, slams, and finger movements after adults.

Such activities should be accompanied by counting rhymes, favorite rhymes and sayings, for example, playing “magpie-white-sided”, “okay-okay”, “there was a horned goat”, etc.

Regular finger games will have a positive effect on intelligence and help in development.

Gymnastics and wellness massage for children

at this age it is a complex of massage actions and simple gymnastic exercises.

To do this, cross your arms on the baby's chest, alternately raise your straightened legs with your help, and roll over from one side to the other using your favorite toys.

To stimulate crawling, you can place an interesting thing at a distance of 40-50 cm, the baby will have to crawl to it.

An excellent option would be moving toys that will be interesting to follow.

The massage is done carefully, with smooth movements directed along the flow of blood vessels. When massaging the back, do light pats, rubbing, and stroking. Next, you can stretch your arms and legs.

Make sure that your actions bring pleasure and a smile, not discomfort. If the baby is capricious or resists your manipulations, it is better to postpone the procedure for a while.

conclusions

Watching children grow and develop is very interesting. It is important to definitely find time to work with your child in order to open up the world to him, teach him the simplest things that will be useful to him in the future, and you also need to communicate and conduct a dialogue using simple phrases so that the little person feels needed and loved.

Daily games and activities bring parents and their children closer, make the family stronger, and make childhood, which happens once in a lifetime, happier and more joyful.

Video on the topic

Good afternoon, dear parents and teachers. Today we will prepare with you.

We already have a good mood and a desire to engage with our baby, all that remains is to prepare the games. So, let's see what game options we have in stock

It is important to decide what qualities we want to instill in our child and what abilities to develop in the baby. Based on this belief, all games are divided into development zones: practical development, sensory development, mathematical development, speech development, natural science development, spiritual development.

Read more about development zones in the following two articles:

I would like to immediately note that the distribution of games by development zones is largely arbitrary. Since, most often, one game affects several areas of the baby’s development. For example, by doing a massage to good music with nursery rhymes, pestles and finger exercises, you not only physically develop the baby, but these activities also affect the child’s musical development zone and the child’s speech development zone.

And this is correct, and the more qualities one game develops in a child, the better. The main thing is to feel in moderation :)

Developmental activities for a child of 8 months Let's start with the area of ​​practical development of the baby.

Practical development

1. Repeat after me

Show your child different actions, according to his strengths, and let him repeat after you, doing it himself or doing it with your help:

- stack the saucepans on top of each other and then take them out;

- pour and pour water from cup to cup or other containers;

— open and close the lids;

— teach your child to eat with a spoon and drink from a cup;

- open and close the water tap;

- open and close doors that he can;

- put and take out various things from boxes;

- you can take a muffin tin and put balls in each cavity and take them out. You can also play with eggs and egg trays. It is better to take toy or wooden eggs.

Play with one thing first, and then take another, different shape and size.

Even at this age, your baby can do a lot with you. Teach him what is safe, but also point out what is dangerous if the child shows interest in such things. Don't leave your baby unattended! Hide everything that is unsafe “out of harm’s way”, lock shelves with “adult” things, etc.

2. Games with hats

Let the child try to put on a hat, hat, cap, etc. in front of the mirror. If he can’t do it at all, help him and put something on yourself. He should definitely be able to take off his hat :)

And thus, have fun in front of the mirror; the child will like to see a variety of images.

3. Interaction of objects and cause-and-effect relationship

The child must slowly understand that different objects interact with each other, and during certain manipulations with one object, something happens with the second. And there is a certain result of actions with an object.

For example, a toy lies on a diaper, and if you pull the diaper, the toy will become closer; similarly with a toy on a string; we press buttons and hear different sounds, etc. Offer him such options for games so that he can be aware of this dependence (pulling something, pressing something, unfastening, etc.).

Developmental activities for a child of 8 months.Sensory development

In this zone, the child develops vision (eyes), touch (through the skin of the whole body), taste (mouth), smell (nose), hearing (ears).

The baby learns to distinguish between temperature, weight of objects, height and length, color, sound, smell, shape of various objects, can get acquainted with the properties of fabrics, etc.

During games, give your baby the opportunity to use his senses: consider; touch yourself or by touching the child; where you can try; smell; listen.

Communication through touch is very important for a child. After all, he doesn’t know how to speak yet, hearing gives him little information, but with the help of touches he understands better, including the fact that you are nearby and love him.

Separately, you can add games with warm pebbles on the street, or warm sand; You can let your child touch the ice or turn on water at different temperatures.

Let's smell flowers on the street for the child if he doesn't have allergies, spices, teas, etc.

We can play with pieces of different fabrics or ribbons of different textures - this is also good for developing fine motor skills.

In addition to the fact that the child puts many things into his mouth, we develop taste by introducing varied and healthy complementary foods.

These are not all games for sensory development. But they are not given here, but in the following zones, for example, in the zone of mathematical development and the zone of speech development. I have already said that the distribution of games by development zones is quite arbitrary.

Developmental activities for a child of 8 months.Mathematical development

4. We create and destroy

Play with cubes, inserts, pyramids and sorter.

Build shapes with your child from cubes(towers, for example). Help him put the cubes on top of each other. Start with 3-4 cubes.

If he prefers to destroy, let him do it. And you create :)

Play with the pyramid. To begin with, it is better to use a low one.

Let your baby learn to remove the rings by first placing the pyramid in a horizontal position, and then gradually move it to a vertical position.

Help the baby, praise him. Explain, name colors and shapes.

We play with cups-liners, from which you can build a tower, and also stack them on top of each other. Pour water from one glass to another while bathing.

The baby will also enjoy watching water flow out of a plastic cup with a hole.

Sorter. You can buy such a toy. Or you can do it yourself. At this age, it seems to me that it’s even better to do it yourself.

You must take any box. Cover it with colored paper and paint it. Cut two holes in it - for a cube and a ball. Seal the edges of the holes with tape. Let your baby try to insert the toys himself. If he doesn't succeed for a long time, help him and praise him :)

When the baby learns to cope with this task, the sorter can be made more complex.

Teach your child to sort objects by size, color, shape.

The game develops spatial thinking.

Comment on your actions and praise your baby for his achievements.

5. Games with geometric shapes

Try playing with different boxes or other containers with your child. Let the child try to transfer various objects from one container to another: balls, pencils, small cubes, etc.

Play with geometric shapes made of cardboard and wood (circle, square, oval, triangle).

Name and guess how many objects you are playing with (up to 3 objects).

Count objects: one, one more or one, two, three (up to 3 objects).

Mathematical materials are closely related to sensory materials.

6. Play hide and seek

Children love this game very much. The game promotes the development of the child’s thinking and imagination, stimulates the child’s search activity and logic.

You hide from the baby, hide the toys from him, and the baby will look for the loss with interest and greet you with a smile when he finds it.

Hide the toy under the blanket and let him lift it and find it. You can then hide the baby under the blanket, he will throw it off himself and look out to meet you with a smile.

Hide the toy behind some kind of transparent barrier and watch the child to see if he tries to get it and is interested in the barrier.

Developmental activities for a child of 8 months.Speech development

7. Fascinating conversations

We continue to actively talk with the child, show him everything around and at the same time explain what we are doing.

Phrases should be short and simple.

Let the baby watch how his mother speaks, let him touch your mouth.

In addition to mother and baby, let toys also talk: bears, bunnies, dolls.

When performing any actions with toys, also explain to the baby what you are doing. For example, when rolling a car on a table or on the floor, explain that the car goes forward, backward, turns its wheels, etc. You can take a train, etc.

While swimming, you can play with a boat, which can be an ordinary plastic box. Place animals on it and transport them from one bank to the other.

8. Fun reading

We read books with the baby. We read, point at the characters, explain who, what and where, and give the child the opportunity to flip through and touch the pages.

Books can be different: paper, soft-educational, rubber for baths and those that change color when in contact with water. It will be easier for the baby to perceive thematic books with large pictures. Choose those that your baby likes.

Let the characters in the books be as real as possible. Kids take everything literally.

We act out skits and fairy tales.

9. We will find friends while walking

At this age, children are already good at distinguishing between friends and strangers, they can be afraid of people and shy, actively showing their emotions.

Our baby, when he is shy, puts two fists in his mouth, presses his head to his shoulders or turns away :).

We lay the foundations of communication at such a young age. And the future of our child depends on the ability to communicate correctly. Soon it will be kindergarten, then school, etc. The child should not be afraid of people, on the one hand, and on the other, be able to communicate correctly with strangers. Introduce your child to children, adults, go to public places and explain to him at the child’s level of understanding how to behave and communicate. For example, this is our grandmother; this is our friend Katya; This is Andryusha: he wants to play with your rattle, share it with him; It hurts Masha when you pull her hair, don’t do that (preferably stopping the handle before the baby does it), etc.

Our little one loves watching the kids play on the playground :)

10. Phone games

You can play with a landline phone: try to pick up the receiver and speak into it, press buttons or turn the dial. This is useful for developing fine motor skills.

Our son loves to play with the old telephone in the kitchen: turn the dial, pick up and hang up :)

As for mobile phones, I'm not so sure. After all, firstly, they are dirty, and the baby will want to try it on the tooth. Secondly, radiation. Here you can disconnect from the network or there is such a useful function as airplane mode.

My child constantly looks at his mobile phone :)

11. Finger gymnastics

In the following developmental activities for an 8 month old baby working with fine motor skills

12. Home sandbox

Pour different grains into a wide bowl one at a time.

The baby will enjoy pouring it with his hands, feeling the grains between his fingers, and pouring it out of the sandbox.

He will put everything in his mouth, so keep a close eye on your baby.

You can roll cereals in your hand - this will be a micro-massage for your hands.

13. Games with stickers

You can also play while bathing with different stickers on the bathtub, and on dry land with refrigerator magnets or toys with suction cups.

The baby should like to remove hanging toys, and you attach them back or try to do this together with the baby.

You can buy bathroom stickers or make your own from porous rubber, cellulose kitchen napkins, or plastic bags. Cut out various figures from these materials at your discretion.

Since we are already talking about the bathroom, you can also play with a bathing sponge there. Let the baby squeeze it with his fingers, rub his back. This develops fine motor skills, makes your fingers stronger and strengthens your wrist joint.

And if the sponge is in the shape of an animal, which is put on the hand, it will be even more interesting for the child. In this case, you can play out an interesting plot.

14. Fun clothespins

Place clothespins on various objects, colored cards, ribbons, laces, fabrics, etc., and let the baby take them off.

Developmental activities for a child of 8 months.Natural science development

Physical development

So you can try drawing with pastel crayons or wax pencils.

All this, of course, with the help of parents - a “hand in hand” technique. Immediately try to teach your child how to properly grip drawing instruments. To make it easier for your child to draw, you can, for example, break crayons or wax pencils in half.

Draw lines and geometric shapes with your baby's pen. Tell him about color, shape. See if your child can draw something himself.

You can also play with the feeding puree: draw or mash it in your hand. You have probably already noticed how your baby likes it when, by chance, during feeding, puree gets into his hands - the child enjoys watching the puree move along the handle and flow between his fingers.

But it’s better to play fully after feeding and not in the place where the baby eats.

Dancing

20. Dancing

We dance next to mom or in mom’s arms.

Spiritual development

Teach your child moral principles during games and in everyday life: what is good, what is bad, what is the best way to act, how to treat people, teach the difference between good and evil, etc.

Read books and short educational stories to your child that tell about the importance of moral principles, love for God and people.

Buy your child a children's Bible with bright pictures and simple text.

Play educational scenes and performances with toys with your baby.

Yes, all this will still be at a primitive level, but with age, for the child, all these things will become clearer and clearer. If your child shows absolutely no interest in something, don't do it!

Now we've finished looking at

Successful and fun games for you and your baby! Develop to your health!

Prepared materials: Akopdzhanyan Alena (Mom Alena:))

Books to help:

1. Marilyn Segal “A child plays - from birth to one year.”

2. Maria Montessori “Help me do it myself.”

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At this time, the second quarter of infancy ends. The child strives with interest to recognize the objects and faces around him. He can already move independently in the surrounding space: roll over, crawl, reach for objects and take them in his hand. The baby can sit up from a lying position on his own, without mother’s help.

The child has already learned to manipulate his toys and move them from hand to hand and from one place to another. Thanks to more developed finger motor skills, he learned to independently unscrew and tighten lids, open boxes and take items he liked. The baby begins to understand the speech of mom and dad. The child quickly responds to requests “pull out your hand”, “give me a doll” and others and tries to fulfill them. Already at this time, parents begin to think about organizing the child’s play activities. And the first question that arises before them is: “How and what to play with an 8-month-old child?” We'll talk about this in more detail in the article.

How to play with an 8 month old baby?

At this age, a child, like a sponge, absorbs everything new and unfamiliar: the croaking of a frog, the noise of the wheels of a passing truck, a drop of water on the palm and many other objects and phenomena. That is why at such a young age it is already necessary to begin the development of speech and mental activity.

Firstly, now the baby already knows how to move independently, and he is eager to explore the world around him. The task of parents is to make this study as safe as possible and make it educational and interesting. For example, in the kitchen you can build a small personal office for your baby with different spoons, jars, cereals and saucepans. Here he will be able to tighten lids and sort through cereals, thereby training coordination of movements and developing fine motor skills. In such a “personal office” you can even organize a concert, take wooden spoons and hit objects with them. This way the child becomes aware of the difference in sounds from different objects and learns to perceive rhythm.

In your child's bedroom, you can hang an inflatable ball on the ceiling so that he can reach it. The baby will be happy to reach for the toy and watch how it swings, training coordination of movement and muscles.

Secondly, when communicating with a baby speak to him in short but familiar and understandable sentences. When you change clothes, feed or bathe your child, try to constantly comment on what is happening around you, naming actions (eating, washing hands), singing short songs or nursery rhymes.

Third, already at 8 months in a child must have its own library. Surprisingly, at this age the baby is already showing interest in the book. Particularly popular among children are the books “Pet the Dog” or “Telephone”, which you can not only watch, but also pet. Visual and tactile perception of the story taking place in the book will make this fairy tale most accessible and interesting for the baby, while simultaneously developing sensory perception of objects.

Don't forget that a children's library should be diverse. There should also be books in which the main character or object is depicted on the entire page; This picture will help you teach your child new words and phrases. In other books you will find images with a lot of detail, many characters and characters. In this case, the child can choose the book that he likes best. There are also books for 8 month old babies with colorful pictures and short rhymes.

Fourthly, while crawling, the child actively trains his muscles, thereby preparing them for a new stage - the transition from crawling to walking on their feet. Many babies can move independently and, by grabbing onto some support, gradually rise up. At 8 months, doctors do not recommend using walkers for play and development of the musculoskeletal system, since such a load on the child’s fragile muscular system is unacceptable.

What toys do 8 months need?

1. For an eight-month-old baby, you need to select toys aimed at developing the child's mental, physical and emotional abilities, i.e., the baby needs educational games for an 8-month-old baby. These can be wooden blocks, toy hammers, squeaky toys, dolls that walk and talk, balls and much more. Animal toys also help in the development of the baby: jumping clockwork frogs and clucking chickens. Your child will love soft toys that sing happy songs. It is important to remember that a small child at this age tends to take a toy, feel all its contents, taste and lick it. Therefore, buy children's toys made only from environmentally friendly materials that are safe for the child and easy to wash.
2. At this age, the baby can play independently for some time. Show him that a ball can be rolled, a car can be pushed, and a ball can be thrown. All these actions, simple at first glance, contribute to the development of children's thinking and the ability to perform simple actions without the help of parents and quite meaningfully.
3. Do not buy your child too expensive or complex entertainment that is not suitable for his age. It is much more useful for a child if he begins to use the same toy for different purposes. This develops children's imagination, skills and thinking. There should not be a lot of toys; they need to be updated from time to time (for example, remove the ball and show the new pyramid to the baby) to maintain interest in play activities. Never scold children for broken toys. This is his thing, and he can decide how to explore it and what to do with it.

Role-playing games

When you play with your child, draw his attention to the surrounding objects, things lying nearby, different sounds and shapes. Show the phone ringing, a puppy barking, a helicopter humming, or a cat meowing. Such entertainment affects the formation of speech. At 8 months, the baby can already play simple role-playing games and remember them. Here are some examples:

1. Game "In which hand?" Mom or dad hides a small toy in his hand, opens his palm, shows it to the child and quickly closes his palm. Let the child look for the hidden object. This type of entertainment shows children that just because things aren't visible doesn't mean they disappear. When the child finds what he was looking for, clap your hands.
2. Game "Do as I do." Teach your child to copy the actions of other people. Ask him to repeat after you. Clap your hands, conduct, move or dance, let your baby try to repeat your movements.

At each stage of a baby's growth, it is necessary to pay great attention to his development. Eight months of age is exactly the period when you can begin to develop a child creatively, develop new speech skills, and pay attention to physical and motor activity. What games should you play with your child at this age? What toys should an 8 month old baby buy?

How does a baby develop at 8 months?

Movement

At this age, children become very active and inquisitive. Most already know how to crawl, and some even stand on their feet. The baby is interested in everything! He enjoys mastering the new spaces of the apartment, trying to crawl out of the cozy nursery into the hallway, into the living room or parents' bedroom. The child loves active games and claps his hands. Standing at the support, the child stomps his foot, loves music, tries to dance while sitting or standing.

Vision

An 8-month-old baby's vision becomes clear and meaningful. He already finds familiar objects with his eyes and rejoices at the people he knows. The baby may be afraid of strangers and feel uncomfortable in their company.

Hearing

Most children at this age begin to get scared by loud noises. This can be easily determined by how the baby reacts to screams, noise or sirens. He cries and tries to cuddle up to his mother. But the baby perceives pleasant rhythmic music, children's songs, rhymes, jokes with pleasure and rejoices when he hears them.

Any games and activities should be selected based on the skills and abilities that are inherent to the child’s age. You shouldn’t overload your baby with too complex tasks, but you also don’t need to play with him like a three-month-old baby.

Speech

At the age of 8 months, speech begins to form. Of course, the child does not speak yet, but begins to actively use different sounds with which he tries to communicate something to his parents or accompanies the game with them. Speech skills must be encouraged and developed.

Emotional development

Emotions at the age of 8 months become more varied. Of course, most of all a child’s emotional activity is associated with his mother. The baby is happy and calm when she is nearby and cries and worries when she is not in sight. Also, new emotional outbursts may be associated with the appearance of new people, toys, or a change of environment. It is very important to ensure that the general emotional background in the family is calm and friendly, and that no negative impact can be had on the baby.

How to learn to understand a child

When selecting games and activities, it is very important that the child enjoys them. The baby should not get tired and overexerted from excessive loads. Parents, when working with their child, must control the degree of load and understand in time when the baby begins to get tired.

If a baby throws toys on the floor, this does not mean that he is capricious and misbehaves. In most cases, this behavior is an invitation to adults to play together.

It is necessary to monitor the child. At this age, the baby pronounces many sounds for a reason, but tries to designate some object or emotion with them.

It is important to monitor the child’s facial expressions and motor skills. If he is tired, it will be clearly visible. Uncertainty and lethargy appear in movements, the face becomes dissatisfied, the child does not smile, whimpering or crying begins.

When a child enjoys activities, it is also easy to understand. He rejoices and very diligently performs certain actions.

When and how much to exercise with an 8-month-old baby

By the eighth month of life, a certain regime is formed that mother and baby adhere to. Even if there are no clear time frames, you can still trace some orderliness in the flow of the day. Getting up and going down, feeding, napping - all this happens at about the same time.

The time for play and activities should be selected so that it does not occur in the evening before the baby goes to bed. Active activities can make it difficult to put your baby to sleep. It is best to choose daytime or morning hours, when the child is cheerful, alert, well-fed and healthy. It is in this state that new knowledge is best absorbed and skills are formed.

Training sessions should not be too long. 10-15 minutes several times a day is enough. An exception can be made if the child really likes to study, and the mother sees that he is not tired.

Ordinary games with mom or dad can take longer, there are no restrictions, you need to look at the child’s behavior. If he likes to play, is not tired and laughs cheerfully, then you can continue as long as you like.

How to create a favorable atmosphere for studying

Activities and games should be fun. The atmosphere plays an important role. To create the right mood, you can use the following techniques:

• Turn on pleasant background music (this could be classics, children's songs, or just the child's favorite songs; perhaps he likes something from the adult repertoire).
• Provide good lighting (you can move the table for activities and games to the window or turn on the lights in the room).
• If you have a children's projector (for example, a “starry sky” or something like that), you can turn it on, making the game truly magical.
• Place your baby's favorite toys nearby.

Any activity should be carried out in a light playful way. There is no need to lecture your child, treat him strictly, or demand that he sit and listen motionless. It is worth remembering that this is just an 8 month old baby!

What to do with an 8 month old baby?

Children at this age are very fond of tactile games - “okay”, massage “The train was traveling” and many others. You can also teach your child body parts by naming them and accompanying the words with stroking, kissing or light tickling. The kids are delighted with such activities. In addition, such games with mom contribute to the formation of a healthy psyche and sustainable emotional development.

Also, tactile activities include learning the greetings “hello” and “bye”. You can teach your child to wave hello and goodbye or shake hands, just like dad.

Walkers help develop motor activity. Not all pediatricians recommend their use. But, nevertheless, a child who has experience walking in a walker begins to walk on his own much faster and is not afraid to let go of his mother’s palm when walking. Before purchasing a walker, parents should consult a doctor and weigh all the pros and cons of this device.

Under no circumstances should you leave your baby alone while using a walker.

It is also helpful to use large, large toys, such as a brightly colored ball, to stimulate motor skills. You can show it to the baby, put it at the other end of the room, and the baby will crawl to get it. This can be done as many times as the child finds interesting.

Creative development can begin with drawing. To do this, you can purchase an album and wax crayons. Plain colored pencils will not work. They are thin, and it is difficult for a child aged 8 months to hold them in his hand, so pencils or crayons should be chosen as thick as possible. Don't try to control your child's hand; let him draw on his own.

It’s a great way to diversify your child’s bathing time with all sorts of games. There are many toys on sale now that can be used in the bath. These are rubber animals, bright waterproof books, special markers for drawing on the bathroom and body, which are easy to wash off. All this can be actively used while swimming. You can accompany the game with songs and rhymes.

Children of this age love to look at bright books. It is good to accompany the pictures with poems or songs. Be sure to show the child the picture and say several times what is depicted on it.

With the help of such games, the child learns to distinguish color, shape, distinguish a large object from a small one, and develops precision of movements and motor skills.

It is good to use educational toys - a pyramid, a sorter, cubes. You need to be patient. The baby will not be able to play with such toys right away. He may not be very interested in them, but you need to offer them every day, patiently showing him how to assemble a tower of cubes and a pyramid.

What toys should I buy for an 8 month old baby?

When buying toys for children of this age, you should give preference to high-quality non-toxic materials, durability, bright colors, and large parts that cannot be swallowed.

The following toys will be useful in games and development:

• A bright ball, large, but of such a size that a child can hold it in his hands.
• Pyramid.
• Sorter toy.
• Drum.
• A spinning top or top is quite large.
• Inflatable and rubber bath toys.
• Large size children's cardboard books with bright illustrations.
• Big bright cubes.
• Album and crayons for drawing.

You should not buy a large number of toys. This distracts attention, and it is more difficult for the child to learn something. For an eight-month-old baby, this set will be quite enough. After all, the main thing in games and activities at this age is not toys, but constant communication with mom. Talk to your children, communicate, play, try to teach something, and the result will not keep you waiting.