At each stage of the growth of the baby, it is necessary to pay great attention to its development. Eight months of age is just the period when you can begin to develop a child creatively, engage in the development of new speech skills, and pay attention to physical and motor activity. What games to play with a child at this age? What toys should I buy for an 8 month old baby?
How does a baby develop at 8 months
Motion
At this age, children become very active and inquisitive. Most already know how to crawl, and some even stand on their feet. The kid is interested! He gladly explores the new spaces of the apartment, tries to crawl out of the cozy nursery into the corridor, get into the living room or bedroom of his parents. The child loves outdoor games, claps his hands. Standing at the support, the child stamps his foot, loves music, tries to dance while sitting or standing.
Vision
The vision of an 8-month-old baby becomes clear and meaningful. He already finds familiar objects with his eyes and rejoices in 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 be frightened by loud noises. This is easy to determine by how the baby reacts to screams, a roar or a siren. He cries and tries to snuggle up to his mother. But on the other hand, the kid 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 in the age of the baby. You should not overload the baby with too complex tasks, but you also don’t need to play with him, like with a three-month-old baby.
Speech
At the age of 8 months, speech begins to form. Of course, the child does not yet speak, but begins to actively use different sounds with which he tries to tell his parents something or accompanies their game. Speech skills must be encouraged and developed.
emotional development
Emotions at the age of 8 months become more diverse. Of course, most of all the emotional activity of the child is connected with the mother. The kid is happy and calm when she is around and cries and worries when she is not in sight. Also, new emotional outbursts can be associated with the appearance of new people, toys, a change of scenery. It is very important to make sure that the general emotional background in the family is calm and friendly, and no negative impact can be exerted on the baby.
How to learn to understand a child
In the selection of games and activities, it is also very important that they be a joy to the child. The kid should not get tired and overstrain from excessive loads. Parents, working with a child, should control the degree of load and understand in time when the baby starts to get tired.
If the baby throws toys on the floor, this does not mean that he is naughty and misbehaves. In most cases, this behavior is an invitation for adults to play together.
It is necessary to observe 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 facial expressions and motor skills of the child. If he is tired, then it will be clearly visible. Uncertainty and lethargy appear in movements, the face becomes dissatisfied, the child does not smile, whimpers or crying begin.
When a child enjoys classes, this 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 regimen is formed, which mother and baby adhere to. Even if there are no clear time frames, it is still possible to trace a certain order in the course of the day. Getting up and down, feeding, daytime sleep - all this happens at about the same time.
The time for play and activities should be chosen so that it does not have to be in the evening before putting the baby to bed. Active activities can make it difficult for the baby to lay down. It is best to choose daytime or morning hours when the child is cheerful, cheerful, full and healthy. It is in this state that new knowledge is best absorbed and skills are formed.
Training sessions should not be made too long. Enough 10-15 minutes several times a day. 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, he is not tired and laughs merrily, then you can continue as much as you like.
How to create a good working environment
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 music for the background (it can 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 light in the room).
- If there is 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 lesson should be carried out in an easy game form. There is no need to lecture the child, treat him harshly, or demand that he sit and listen still. It is worth remembering that this is only an 8-month-old baby!
What to do with an 8 month old baby?
Children at this age are very fond of tactile games - "patties", massage "Riding the train" and many others. You can also learn parts of the body with a child, naming them and accompanying the words with stroking, kissing or light tickling. Kids love these 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”, “bye”. You can teach your child to wave a hand in greeting and farewell or to shake hands, just like dad.
Walkers help develop motor activity. Not all pediatricians recommend their use. But, nevertheless, a child who has the experience of walking in a walker begins to walk on his own much faster and is not afraid to let go of his mother's hand when walking. Before buying a walker, parents should consult a doctor and weigh all the pros and cons of this device.
Never leave your baby alone while using the walker.
Also, to stimulate motor skills, it is useful to use large large toys, such as a bright ball. You can show it to the baby, put it on the other side of the room, and the baby will crawl to get it. This can be done as many times as the child is interested.
Creative development can start with drawing. To do this, you can purchase an album and wax crayons. Regular colored pencils will not work. They are thin and difficult for an 8-month-old baby to hold in their hand, so pencils or crayons should be chosen as thick as possible. Do not try to control the child's hand, let him draw himself.
You can perfectly diversify the bathing of the child with all kinds of games. There are many toys for sale that can be used in the bathroom. These are rubber animals, bright waterproof books, special felt-tip pens 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. Pictures are well accompanied by poems or songs. Be sure to show the baby a picture and say several times what is shown on it.
With the help of such games, the child learns to distinguish color, shape, to distinguish a large object from a small one, develops the accuracy of movements and motor skills.
It is good to use educational toys - a pyramid, a sorter, cubes. You need to be patient. Not immediately the crumbs will be able to play such toys. Perhaps he will not be very interested in them, but he must offer them every day, patiently show how to build a tower of cubes and a pyramid.
What toys to 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, 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 the baby can hold it in his hands.
- Pyramid.
- Sorter toy.
- Drum.
- Yula or spinning top is large enough.
- Inflatable and rubber bath toys.
- Children's cardboard books of large size with bright illustrations.
- Big bright cubes.
- Album and crayons for drawing.
Don't buy too many toys. This scatters attention, and it is more difficult for the child to learn something. For an eight-month-old baby, this set will be enough. After all, the main thing in games and activities at this age is not toys, but constant communication with mom. Talk to children, communicate, play, try to teach something, and the result will not be long in coming.
