Support Your Baby's Development With The Perfect Play Space

It doesn’t have to be the perfect, colourful, wooden toy filled play space that you see on Instagram. It doesn’t have to look ‘stylish’ but there are some tips to keep in mind when setting up your child’s play space that can really support their development to help them thrive!

1. Make space for independent play

Try to make everything within the play space safe for your baby or toddler to play with independently. Constantly saying 'no' and removing things from your baby disrupts their play (and is frustrating for you). The whole house does not have to be safe for independent exploration but having a small area that is safe can help your baby develop some independent play skills without you hovering. 

2. Allow for some toys to be set up out of their reach

When we talk about keeping a toy out of reach, for a younger baby, this means keeping it low, but slightly out of their arms reach. For a mobile baby the toys might be in sight but out of physical reach. 

This works for two reasons:

• It provides an opportunity for your child to request the toy 
• It provides a reason to motivate your baby to MOVE to reach that toy. 

Think your baby is too young to make requests? Did you know you can support your baby to make request through choices right from birth. This is one of the best ways to support their language development by teaching them that they have the power to communicate their desires. So much more on this in our Walky Talky Baby Membership!

3. Less is more!

You don’t need to fill your play space with heaps of toys. For a young baby in particular, this can be very overwhelming. Rotate the toys your baby is playing with, keep some tucked away and only a small number out at a time. 

If you are also feeling overwhelmed with the number of toys and things your baby has our membership can help you keep it simple. We send fortnightly emails with specific tips about which toys will enrich your baby’s play, which skill they are supporting and which positions to play with them in to get the most out of them. Simple play is what we are ALL about!

4. Provide a space for your baby to just *be*

Remember for your young baby, the world is so exciting for them and they don’t need to have toys in front of them all the time to learn and develop. 

Provide a young baby time in a comfortable position on the mat (for example on their side or in a baby nest) and let them watch the world around them. This can be a good time for them to notice sounds, hear your voice as you’re walking around them and to discover their hands! Older babies will enjoy feeling their bodies move and often use toy free time to roll, creep or just chill and suck on their toes!

5. Change it up

What is your baby currently working on?

Think about the skills they are mastering and just keep changing the space to match those skills.

For example if you’re working on tummy time, have your mat, wedge, roll etc set up on the floor, ready to quickly and easily access to add a couple of minutes of tummy time into that oh so short calm, alert awake window. Remember to check out our instagram page for inspiration on how to create a supportive tummy time setup for your baby. 

Want more??

If this information has been helpful, make sure you download our new FREE e-book Born to Play. This blog is an excerpt from the e-book. It's your ultimate guide to play time with your new baby. It includes:

❤️ Our top 5 tips for newborn play

❤️ 5 tips for creating a perfect play space (as seen in this blog!)

❤️ 5 tips for supporting development through play in the early years

❤️ 5 tips for making play baby led from day 1.

❤️ Milestones - what to expect as they grow

❤️ Your questions answered - baby equipment to babbling and beyond!

AND alongside this e-book, we also have a new FREE mini-course - Play the Week Away. When you sign up to receive the e-book, you'll also receive our mini course which includes 7 daily emails with a new tip each day to support your baby's movement and language through play! There's a competition inside to win a free 3 month Walky Talky Baby Membership so make sure you sign up. 

AND don't forget what else we have to offer you....

❤️  Join us Walky Talky Baby: The Membership

❤️ Buy our Tummy Time e-book No Tears Tummy Time

❤️  Join our FREE facebook group Walky Talky Baby Group 

❤️ Join our mailing list to receive more blogs like this!

❤️ Follow our instagram page walkytalky_baby