The Harvard University Center on the Developing Child provides a series of downloadable handouts to support brain-building through play for infants, toddlers and children.

The series of handouts, developed with support from the Lego Foundation and available in English and Spanish, provides suggestions for games and play-based activities for a variety of ages. “The activities for younger children are designed for adults to engage in with children. Activities for later ages allow the adults to step back, enabling children’s independence to blossom as they transition to playing more often with peers.”

With the suggestion to “follow their lead”, the games in the series are designed to help develop sturdy brain architecture and develop executive function skills, to focus attention, use working memory, and practice basic self-control. Each handout gives explanations of how to play the game and the skills it is helping to build/reinforce.

The series includes:

1.    Six games to play with babies (6 months)

a.     Peekaboo!

b.    “Trot trot to Boston”

c.     “Pat-a Cake”

d.    Hiding games

e.    Conversation games

f.      Fingerplays

2.    Five games to play with babies (9 months)

a.     “Dickory Dean”

b.    Baby see, baby do!

c.     Where is it?

d.    Boom!

e.    Grocery store explore

3.    Five games to play with toddlers (12 months)

a.     Toddler see, toddler do!

b.    Explore on the floor

c.     “It’s for you!”

d.    Dump and fill

e.    Simple hide and seek

4.    Five games to play with toddlers (18 months)

a.     Just like you!

b.    Making chores fun

c.     Finger plays and songs

d.    Memory game

e.    Matching and sorting games

5.    Six games to play with toddlers (2–3 years)

a.     Active songs

b.    Imitations Game: Follow the leader

c.     Matching and sorting games

d.    Counting games

e.    Puzzles

f.      Be the narrator

6.    Five games and activities for children (4–7 years)

a.     Freeze dance ( or “Musical Statues”)

b.    Simon Says

c.     I Spy

d.    Opposites bingo

e.    “Continue the story” game

7.    Games and activities for children (8–12 years)

8.    Six playful activities for teens (13–17 years)