Looking for a fun game to play with your newborn at home?
Take a pillowcase and fill it with ordinary items - your child will love the surprise of what you pull out and name for them.
Watch the video below to find out how to play the 'what's in the bag?' game with your newborn.
I'm Ella, I'm twenty-five and this is my baby Shirani and she's just turned four months.
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, what's in the bag?
We've got your bowl. Bowl!
Shake, shake, shake, what's in the bag?
And we've got鈥 your bottle!
Shake, shake, shake, what's in the bag?
Sock. Oooh.
How did that get in there?
Yaaay, pink sock!
How to play the 'What's in the bag?' game with baby
- Fill a pillowcase, tote bag or other bag or box with a variety of everyday items. It could be some of baby's toys, clothing like socks, a hairbrush - whatever takes your fancy, as long as it's safe for baby to touch and explore.
- Build their excitement for what you might pull out, by saying 'shake, shake, shake - what's in the bag?!'
- As you pull an item out, name it for baby and hold it close to them - 'it's your bowl'
- You could hand it to them to feel its texture and shape
- Repeat the name before moving on to the next turn
Why play 'What's in the bag?' with baby?
- It allows them to hear lots of new words
- It interests them in your voice
- It lets them explore new objects, building their motor skills and engaging their senses
Can I play 'What's in the bag?' with older children?
'What's in the bag?' is a great game to play at various stages of your child's development as they grow, though you might adapt how you play as they learn.
'What's in the bag?' with 6-9 month olds
As your child gets a little older and their motor skills develop, the game might become a lot more interactive with the objects as you demonstrate how they can play with them. You could also go beyond naming items to describe them more, e.g. 'blue car'.
'What's in the bag? with 12-18 month olds
As they reach toddler stage, you might want to add more detail about each object again. For example, 'a welly - it goes on your foot!'.
'What's in the bag? with 2-3 year olds
When they get that bit older again, you can age up the vocabulary further.
'What's in the bag with 3-4 year olds
When they're reaching pre-school age, you can start asking lots of questions about what they think is in the bag, encouraging them to guess and use their imagination.
Image caption, If you've got a pillowcase and a collection of random items, you can play a fun game with your little one.
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