Playing with a Baby
What Swedish parents actually say to a baby while playing: peekaboo, tickling, silly noises, and the little reassurances after a bump.
Everything else about babies in this app is you talking to a nurse or a pedagogue. This is the other hundred times a day: tittut behind your hands, kilikili under the chin, hoppsan when they topple, and inte farligt when they look at you to decide whether to cry.
- 1
Tittut!
Peekaboo!
Tip: THE Swedish baby game — said as you reappear from behind your hands
- 2
Var är du? Där är du!
Where are you? There you are!
Tip: the full peekaboo frame around tittut
- 3
Titta här!
Look here!
Tip: getting their eyes onto something
- 4
Vem är det? Är det du?
Who's that? Is that you?
Tip: in front of a mirror or a photo
- 5
Vad duktig du är!
Aren't you clever!
Tip: duktig is the default Swedish praise word, from babies to adults
- 6
Kom här, lilla gubben.
Come here, little one.
Tip: lilla gubben to a boy; lilla gumman to a girl — both affectionate, not literal
- 7
Ska vi busa lite?
Shall we mess about a bit?
Tip: busa = play rough and silly; the invitation before a tickle
- 8
Jag ska kittla dig!
I'm going to tickle you!
Tip: the warning is half the game — say it slowly
- 9
Kilikili!
Tickle tickle!
Tip: the noise itself, said while tickling
- 10
Nam nam!
Yum yum!
Tip: at mealtimes, or pretending to eat their tummy
- 11
Hoppsan!
Whoops!
Tip: the moment they topple over
- 12
Det var inte farligt.
It's nothing, you're fine.
Tip: the standard Swedish reassurance after a small bump — said lightly, so they decide not to cry
- 13
Upp med dig!
Up you go!
Tip: lifting them up
- 14
Hoppe hoppe!
Bouncy bouncy!
Tip: bouncing them on your knee
- 15
Nu flyger du!
Now you're flying!
Tip: holding them up in the air
- 16
Var är näsan? Där är näsan!
Where's your nose? There's your nose!
Tip: the body-part game — swap in öronen, magen, tårna
- 17
Ska vi gosa lite?
Shall we have a cuddle?
Tip: gosa is the cosy, snuggling kind of cuddle
- 18
Vovven säger voff voff.
The doggy says woof woof.
Tip: vovve is the child word for dog; also kisse for cat
- 19
Tycker du om det?
Do you like that?
Tip: checking in mid-game
- 20
Åh, blev du rädd?
Oh, did you get a fright?
Tip: when the game went one step too far
- 21
En gång till?
One more time?
Tip: what they will demand for the next twenty minutes
- 22
Nu ska vi sova, lilla vän.
Now we're going to sleep, little one.
Tip: lilla vän — 'little friend' — works for any child, any gender