Baby Games: The Joyful Guide to Child's Play from Birth to Three Years [Paperback]

Elaine Martin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1988

Baby Games provides hundreds of rhymes, songs, finger plays, and games to create magical playtime as a baby grows from infant to toddler to preschooler.

Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Running Press Book Publishers (May 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0894716174
• ISBN-13: 978-0894716171
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,295,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wheeeeeeeeee!, January 2, 1999

By 

Eve Poludniak ([e-mail]) (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baby Games: The Joyful Guide to Child's Play from Birth to Three Years (Paperback)

This book is a cracker - what fantastic fun!

There are pages of songs and nursery rhymes you thought you'd forgotten...

creative and original ideas to stimulate your child's imagination...

games that will bring the spirit of youth back!

AND BEST OF ALL, GAMES YOU CAN PLAY WITH YOUR NEWBORN BABY, not just the older kids...

ENJOY!

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is a family favorite!, February 12, 2001

By 

Julie (Lindenhurst, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baby Games: The Joyful Guide to Child's Play from Birth to Three Years (Paperback)

I have three sons, ages 6, 4, and 2. We have all enjoyed the ideas and games in this book so well that I've started giving this book as a gift to new mothers. We've used all the recipes in here countless times, especially those for the various forms of play doh, bubble soap, and paint. I still turn to this book for inspiration on rainy, and sunny, days. I do think an improvement would be a spiral binding, as one reviewer suggested, so that the book would lay flat while in use, and I also agree with several of the reviewers who suggested that many of the song lyrics aren't very helpful without music. Having said that, the reason why I love this book best is that it helps me to foster the kind of homelife I envision for our family. My personal philosophy is that, as a society, we place too much emphasis on doing rather than being. Our young children are often signed up for multiple activities, from baby gymnastics to music class and swimming lessons, from the time they're 12 months old or even younger. Sometimes, for me, the tendency to "sign 'em up" comes from a feeling that they'll be "behind" all the other kids if they don't start T-ball by age 4; it also comes from a sense that I'll have fewer endless hours to fill for them, if they've got scheduled activities to attend. But I've come to realize that children need those endless hours of "down time" more than the activities. They need moments of spontaneous play, songs, giggles, rhymes, and cuddles. They need messy art projects, play dough and cookie cutters. And I've found that I enjoy our family life more when I spend the time playing with them at home, rather than arguing with each of them about getting into the car so we won't be late. Sometimes I skim through this book just to remind myself how quickly childhood passes, and to find one or two new inspirations (or even old, familiar inspirations)to try out during the day. Yes, there are ways in which it could be improved. But even as it is, it's an old friend our family wouldn't do without.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Common Sense, January 31, 2000

By 

Mom in Phoenix (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baby Games: The Joyful Guide to Child's Play from Birth to Three Years (Paperback)

I wasn't very impressed with this book. The games for infants suggested are very obvious, common sense ideas, like picking your baby up and flying her in airplane style. I don't think anyone who has an imagination will get much new out of this book. Also, it gives you song lyrics without the tunes/music, which isn't very helpful. While there are some good ideas, they are too few to make this book very worthwhile.