Why are turn-taking and talking games good for young children?

Turn-taking and talking games will help your child learn to share and play cooperatively.

You can start to play simple turn-taking and talking games when your child is a baby. Even if your baby can’t understand the idea of taking turns, they learn a lot by watching you, listening to your voice and anticipating your actions.

As your child gets a little older, turn-taking games are fun and a good way to build your relationship.

What you need for turn-taking and talking games

You don’t need any special equipment for simple turn-taking and talking games. You can play these games anywhere.

How to do turn-taking and talking games with your child

To play turn-taking and talking games, just look into your child’s eyes and:

• talk
• sing
• play an action rhyming game like pat-a-cake.

If you give your child time to respond, they might smile, giggle, copy you or say the next part of a rhyme. And if you encourage your child with praise, smiles and eye contact, they’ll want to keep playing.

You can keep playing for as long as it’s enjoyable for you both. Just follow your child’s lead.

Ideas for turn-taking and talking games

Pretend conversations

You can talk with your baby or toddler about the everyday activities you do together. Try asking a question, waiting for a response, and then talking again. For example, ‘You’re lovely and clean now. Did you enjoy your bath? You did? That’s great!’

Even if your child is too young to respond to what you’re saying, you can still pause as if you’re waiting for a response. And once your baby begins to make sounds, copy the sounds and take turns as if you’re having a conversation with each other.

Peekaboo

Hide your face behind your hands for a few seconds, and then take your hands away and say ‘Boo!’ Keep a happy smile on your face. Your baby will soon learn what happens next. If they’re having fun, they’ll smile, laugh or reach out to you.

Your baby might start to copy you. When this happens, you can take start taking turns to hide.

Pat-a-cake

This is a rhyming and action song.

Gently pat your baby’s hands or legs as you say the rhyme. If your child is older, you can encourage them to clap and pat themselves. If your child knows the rhyme, you can take turns saying each line. You can also leave off the last word of each line, which encourages your child to finish the line for you.

Pat-a-cake

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker’s man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Prick it and pat it and mark it with ‘b’.
Put it in the oven for baby and me.

Looking for more play and learning ideas for your child? You might like to explore our other activity guides. Some of these have been created especially to suit children with diverse strengths and abilities.