Bounty feature

Staying at Home

Days in
Try these activities if you’re having a day indoors with your baby.

Reading It’s never too early to read to your baby! Choose from soft books, board books, liftthe- flap books, and short story books… It needn’t be an expensive business as many bookshops, supermarkets and other large shops have very low priced books to choose from. You can also use your local library and borrow books for free

Singing and action games
Most babies love the sound of their mother’s voice (even if you can’t sing!) and enjoy nursery rhymes and bouncing and action songs. Try ‘This is the way the farmer rides’ or ‘Round and round the garden’. If you don’t know any action songs, ask your friends and relatives or buy books or tapes and sing along.

Water play Have a daytime bath with your baby and let her play with cups and strainers. Perfect for rainy afternoons, and you both end up clean!

<><>Organised activities
As your baby gets older, there are more and more activities to enjoy. Depending on your budget, you may want to take your baby to:

• the swimming pool there may be special parent-andbaby sessions at your local pool; babies this age, and often younger, can start to learn to swim
• play classes there are organisations which run active physical play classes for older babies and toddlers
• music for babies there may be music groups for babies and toddlers in your area, some are run by an individual and some are run by charities.

Low-cost outings
Most babies like to get out and about. A walk with the buggy or with the baby in a backpack will blow the cobwebs away.

Go to the playground. She may be too young for the swings and roundabouts yet, but she will love watching older children play.

A trip to the library for the next baby book makes a good outing and some libraries offer story reading or activities for young children.

A rainy day picnic in the local shopping centre will give you space out of the wet. There’s plenty to see and do, even if you just window shop.

Visit friends. Babies need company as well as mums. If you already have friends with babies, why not take it in turns to meet at each other’s houses.

For the next You and your growing baby guide Chapter, Your 11 month old, Click here