Creating a captivating baby play space entails five key tenets, all anchored around keeping your baby safe, inspired, and in sync with their current developmental needs.
The foundation of any inviting baby play space is safety.It’s not very inviting to play if the space is filled with “No!” and “Don’t touch!” Remove hazards for it to become a “yes space,” a term coined by RIE Educator and author Janet Lansbury. Even from a young age, play should be paired with agency or that sense of internalizing, “Yes, I can do this.”
Keep it uncluttered.One way we underestimate babies is that we think they’re too young to notice our clutter. While they certainly won’t judge us for it, babies are quite sensitive to clutter. It makes it hard for them to process their surroundings, focus, and engage in independent play. Place out just a few toys at a time and present each in an orderly manner, making it easy for them to see and access each one.
Prevent sensory overstimulation.Be wary of the notion that a baby’s space should be entertaining. This can be a trap to overstimulation, leaving you with a fussy baby. Avoid too many competing sensory inputs light-up, noisy, battery-operated toys, and consider decorating with simple, natural aesthetics that you find soothing and inspiring. Chances are, what you find beautiful and motivating, they will, too. Keep it simple.
Think beyond baby gear.Babies need to move, wiggle, and roll. This is true from the start when their movements entail visual tracking and batting with their arms. Ensure your play space has enough room for your little one to stretch, roll, reach, and scoot. A soft, padded play mat is an excellent addition to encourage free movement. Baby gear that contains your baby should be used sparingly, not as a defining part of their play space.
Satisfy developmental skills.Each stage of your baby's development comes with new skills and interests. Design your play space to align with these developmental milestones. For instance, provide toys that encourage grasping, reaching, and standing as you notice your baby is working on these movements. Play is how they develop, and they’ll be most interested in connecting to activities that encourage the specific skills they’re ready to build.
With these components in place, you'll create a space where your little one can joyfully connect to play that is purposeful.