GAMES TO PLAY WITH BABIES
NEWBORN - 3 MONTHS
Lullaby, Lullaby (lullaby)
Shoe a Little Horse (touch game)
(find tune by borrowing a CD with this song, or
make up your own tune)
Lullaby, lullaby, baby fuss and baby cry,
You'll be sleeping by and by, sleepy little baby.
Things go right and things go wrong,
Hearts may break but not for long,
You will grow up big and strong, sleepy little
baby,
Lullaby, lullaby, baby fuss and baby cry,
You'll be sleeping by and by, sleepy little baby.
Shoe a little horse (gently tap one foot)
Shoe a little mare (gently tap the other foot)
But let the little colt run bare bare bare! (wiggle
both feet)
Tummy Button (touch game)
– touch each body part as you chant this rhyme
These are baby's fingers, these are baby's toes
This is baby's tummy button, round and round it
goes.
These are baby's eyes, this is baby's nose
This is baby's tummy button, right where
mommy* blows!
(*or daddy, grandma etc. gently blow or kiss
baby's bellybutton)
Two Little Eyes (touch game)
– touch each body part as you chant this rhyme
Two little eyes to look around,
Two little ears to hear each sound.
One little nose to smell what's sweet,
One little mouth that likes to eat.
Slowly Slowly/Quickly Quickly (tickle
game)
Slowly, slowly, very slowly creeps the garden
snail
(gently trace finger up an arm or leg)
Slowly, slowly, very slowly up the garden rail
(keep gently tickling)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly like a little mouse
(tickle quickly with all five fingers)
Quickly, quickly, very quickly, all around the
house!
(keep tickling quickly, arms, legs, tummy, under
chin etc.!)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Twinkle twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
(try slowly beaming a flashlight around the
room and let your baby track the movements)
3-6 MONTHS
This Little Pig (Finger Play)
Snip Snap Moonslivers (Finger Play)
This little pig went to market (wiggle baby's
thumb)
This little pig stayed home (wiggle pointer
finger)
This little pig had roast beef (wiggle middle
finger)
This little pig had none (wiggle ring finger)
This little pig (wiggle pinkie finger) cried, “wee
wee wee wee wee”
All the way home! (tickle up arm and into
armpit)
(try this on baby's toes too! Start with the big
toe and end with the pinkie toe)
(this rhyme is perfect while clipping fingernails
or toenails)
Snip snap moonslivers, one by one
Thumbkin (thumb), Peter-Pointer (pointer
finger),
Long and Lanky (middle finger), Hanky-Panky
(ring finger),
Pinky-Pinky-Pirlie-Winky (pinkie finger), all
done!
Mama's Little Baby Loves Dancing
(dance)
(Tune: Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortnin'
Bread)
(Dance around with your baby! Try it in front of
a mirror.)
Mama's little baby loves dancing, dancing
Mama's little baby loves turning 'round.
Mama's little baby loves dancing, dancing
Mama's little baby loves to boogie on down.
Lean to the left, lean to the right,
Hug that baby nice and tight!
Lean to the left, lean to the right,
Hug that baby nice and tight!
Smooth Road (bounce)
A smooth road, a smooth road, a smooth road, a
smooth road
(gently sway baby side to side)
A bumpy road, a bumpy road, a bumpy road, a
bumpy road
(gently bounce baby up and down)
A rough road, a rough road, a rough road, a
rough road
(bounce harder but watch to be sure your baby
is enjoying it!)
A rough road, a rough road, A HOLE!!!!
(Open your knees and dip baby between them)
Here We Go Up Up Up (flying game)
(Tune: Here We Go Looby Loo)
Here we go up, up, up (lift baby high)
Here we go down, down, down (dip baby down)
Here we go backwards and forwards, (swing
baby side to side)
And here we go round and round! (spin around)
If You're Happy and You Know It (clapping
game)
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands,
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands,
If you're happy and you know it and you really
want to show it,
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands.
(Take your baby's hands in yours and guide
them through a gentle clapping motion as you
sing this song)
6-9 MONTHS
There Was a Little Man (diaper
changing game)
There was a little man and he had a little crumb,
(gently tap baby's nose)
And over the mountain he did run, (run fingers
up over baby's hair)
With a belly full of fat and a big tall hat (rub
baby's belly, pat baby's head)
And a pancake stuck to his bum, bum, bum! (pat
baby's bottom, or lift and put diaper on)
1, 2, 3, What Do We See?
1, 2, 3, What do we see?
We see a teddy!
A teddy, teddy, teddy!
(name whatever object you are looking at)
1, 2, What should we do?
We should clap!
Clap, clap, clap!
There is a Cobbler (rhythm game)
There is a cobbler on our street,
Mending shoes for little feet,
With a bang, with a bang, with a bang bang
bang
Mending shoes the whole day long,
Mending shoes to make them strong
With a bang, with a bang, with a bang bang
bang
(tap along to the rhythm of the rhyme using a
drum, plastic food containers, or pat your legs –
anything that makes noise!)
Popcorn Popcorn (rhythm game)
Popcorn, popcorn, put it in a pan,
Shake it up, shake it up,
BAM! BAM! BAM!
(tap along to the rhythm of the rhyme using a
drum, plastic food containers, or pat your legs –
anything that makes noise!)
Open, Shut Them (hand game)
Where's Teddy (peek-a-boo game)
Open, shut them, open, shut them,
Give a little clap clap clap!
Open, shut them, open, shut them,
Put them in your lap, lap, lap!
Clap-a-clap-a handies, Teddy's come to play
(put baby's hands in yours and clap together)
Cover up your little eyes while he hides away.
(bring hands to eyes and hide a teddy bear)
Where's Teddy? Where's Teddy?
Boo! There he is! (bring teddy back out!)
Pat-a-cake (hand game)
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Roll it and prick it and mark it with a “B”
And put it the oven for baby and me!
(substitute the letter of your baby's first name,
and use the name in the last line)
9-12 MONTHS
Two Little Bluebirds (peek-a-boo game)
Baby Put Your Shirt On
Two little bluebirds sitting on a hill, (dance both
index fingers in front)
One named Jack (wiggle one index finger)
And the other named Jill (wiggle the other index
finger)
Fly away Jack, (one finger flies behind your
back)
Fly away Jill, (the other fingers flies behind your
back)
Come back Jack! (bring one finger back out
front)
Come back Jill! (bring the other finger back out
front)
(Tune Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortnin' Bread)
Baby put your shirt on, shirt on, shirt on,
Baby put your shirt on, 1, 2, 3.
Baby put your pants on, pants on, pants on,
Baby put your pants on, 1, 2, 3.
-repeat with various articles of clothing, like
socks, shoes, hat etc. then end with:
Now that you're all dressed, all dressed, all
dressed
Now that you're all dressed, let's go play!
Baby Can You Do This?
(Tune: Mary Wore Her Red Dress)
Baby* can you do this, do this, do this,
Baby can you do this, just like me?
*Use your child's name instead of the word
“baby”
Try different actions, such as patting, clapping,
waving, or touching your nose as you sing.
Burnaby Public Library
www.bpl.bc.ca
Children’s Services