Here’s why baby time equals playtime

Who invented work? Your baby doesn’t know. They don’t draw a line between toy time, bath time and food time. All these are playtime to your baby and every child has the right to play. But what about your time? Grown-ups work, kids play, right? Taking your baby’s lead can make everything you do with your baby feel a little more like playtime for you, too. From your first goofy smile at your baby, you’re playing. If you don’t let yourself forget it, that smile will stick around.

A father plays with his baby and a small soft toy as the baby stands in a white SUNDVIK cot holding on to the side.

Switching off your phone

Playing is easy. That’s the theory. But adults train to be masters of the to-do list. The art of play is harder than it looks. To get the most out of play with your baby, turn off your smartphone, forget about your next task (even if it’s only for five minutes) and let yourself be absorbed in the moment.

A man wearing yellow holds lemon slices over his eyes next to a yellow table with whole lemons and a white bowl on it.

Trust in storytime

Your baby loves the sound of your voice, so enjoy it while it lasts. Storytime acts as a reassuring rhythm, particularly before sleep. Picture books are perfect for telling babies pre-language stories. You can find books such as the DJUNGELSKOG picture book connected to soft toys in the IKEA range.

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A mother and three children lie in a bed with blue pillows and white duvets reading a DJUNGELSKOG picture book.

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Bright and bold

Babies love bling. It’s to do with their perception. A baby’s central nervous system is still developing and so they are more attracted by strong contrasts of colour, light and shade, and bold shapes. The more you put in your baby’s reach that wows them, the longer and happier playtime will be.

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A smiling baby sits in a highchair and holds on to a tower of brightly coloured MULA building beakers on a table.

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Play needs a pause button

An important part of the play that fills your baby’s waking hours is the recharging time. This isn’t a time when play vanishes, it just goes internal. Their brain processes the stimulation of play and sorts out what it all means. And psst! This is also your chance for your own playtime. Where was that smartphone…? (For the yoga video, of course.)

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A mother does yoga on a mat in a living room with a lot of pictures on the wall while her baby sits nearby and watches.

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What does your baby see?

The world looks different when you’re small. That’s why IKEA mobiles aren’t just pretty, or colourful, or made to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. They are, like all IKEA baby products, designed from a baby’s perspective, to be seen from the bottom up, rather than the top down.

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Two KLAPPA mobiles hang above a SOLGUL changing table with baby changing products and a KLAPPA musical toy caterpillar.

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Play safe

Play is all about interaction – with others or with objects. It’s your baby’s way of developing their senses, understanding their world and orientating in it. All IKEA baby products are designed and tested with baby’s safety in mind, with no sharp edges, small parts, loose cords or harmful chemicals.

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A child wearing a yellow hat and black and white spotty trousers pushes a green MULA toddle truck past a soft toy.

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Babyproofing your home

When baby begins to crawl, home gets smaller. Babyproof before they start exploring and you can relax and enjoy it with them. You can find safety products including corner bumpers, a bathtub mat, window catches, multi latches for drawers, fridges and doors, and door stops in the IKEA range.

A person works at a home office desk with a cup of coffee and a pen and paper while a baby crawls on the floor nearby.

Baby-led nursery storage

When children play, it can often feel like chaos to adults. Bringing storage, like the SMÅGÖRA shelf unit, into their play space can help a child’s creativity. One of the earliest forms of play is to organise toys into different storage items. Lead the way and your baby will soon follow with the tidy-up.

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