Babies see the world with bright eyes and open hearts; it’s one of the reasons we love them so very much. They remind us that the world is filled with opportunities for laughter and play. We’ve all seen the little one that is more excited about a barren box over an actual toy. While that may make the adults in the room pause, we want to encourage you to use these opportunities for what they are: Moments of teachable fun! In this article, we wanted to explore how to transform a baby blanket into an instrument of the imagination through unusual play with 3 ways to play with a blanket. Sometimes you forget to bring any entertainment with you. If this is one of those times, read on to see how you can use our blankets as a toy.
Come with us into a beautiful blanket wonderland and play with your little ones with the following fun activities:
Take your favorite Mini Scout blanket and enjoy a timeless classic the way your parents did when you were just a wee babe. We recommend muslin blankets for peek-a-book shenanigans. The lightweight and somewhat transparent nature of this design allows you to maintain eye contact with your little while making faces. Try mixing it up by making funny faces and sounds and enjoy the symphony of silly giggles that abound. Before playing peek-a-book with your kiddo, fold the muslin blanket a few times and place it over your own head to see how you feel underneath it. It should never feel hot or stuffy and never cover a child’s face with anything that does not allow easy and effortless air exchange.
Challenge your curious kid with the next level of peek-a-boo! Hide different toys and brightly colored objects under the blanket and encourage your growing explorer to pull the blanket off to reveal the treasures. They will giggle with glee and you’ll be treating them to sensory stimulation while encouraging frontal lobe development. Childhood Developmental Specialists have long praised various versions of peek-a-boo as an excellent way to demonstrate Object Permanence and is linked to cause-and-effect reasoning later in life. This game can evolve as your little grows; start saying the words for colors, numbers, and items and watch the connections develop in real time.
Perhaps the best use of a blanket (outside of snuggles) is to create a terrific tent! Our swaddles are big enough to drape over a few chairs for a near-instant installation. The lightweight fabric construction is ideal for indirect light to stream through. Throw a few pillows under the blanket canopy and pair it with a sound and light machine to bring the Great Outdoors inside. Alternatively, carry a few favorite coloring books and fairy tales into your newfound palace so you can enjoy story time in a magical new land. This activity is fun even for a 0-3 month old baby. Your newborn will enjoy looking at the pretty patterns with you.
As with any childhood activity, the magic is in getting creative with your children. These activities are as sweet as they are simple, which means more time playing with your kids and less time planning diversions. After a long day of playing with your baby, they can use their swaddle to snuggle up to as they drift off to dreamland. We’d love to know how you use your baby blankets in unusual ways to keep those kiddos smiling. So sound off in the comments below and don’t forget to tag us with our blankets.
