Beginning at birth, your baby can benefit from activities that stimulate his development. Although he might seem primarily drowsy at first, he will gradually increase the amount of time that he is awake and alert. His first year is full of physical, cognitive and social development, and you can encourage this development by engaging him in fun activities.
Imitation
A game of imitation can help your baby develop socially, and you can do it with a baby of any age. Hold her in front of you and make eye contact. Imitate her facial expressions and any noises that she makes, then make your own silly noises and facial expressions for her to try to imitate. Your baby will enjoy the social interaction and eventually laugh during the game.
Tummy Time
According to the Kids Health website, Tummy Time can help your baby physically develop his neck and shoulder muscles. This will help prepare him for skills such as sitting up and rolling over. When your baby can hold his head up, give him supervised time to play on his stomach every day. Try holding a toy to the side and just out of his reach to encourage him to look around and build the muscles needed for rolling over.
Reading
Reading to your baby every day can help her learn language and improve her cognitive development. Kids Health recommends that you read to your baby while pointing out different pictures and words. Try books with pages made of cloth or thick cardboard that your baby can explore herself. As she grows older, she will be able to help turn the pages.
Bubbles
The Family Fun website says that blowing bubbles for your baby to watch can improve his visual tracking, which will be helpful for his reading skills later in life. Get a bottle of bubbles and wand, and start blowing bubbles. Your baby can watch the bubbles, and once he is mobile he can start trying to catch them.
Observation
Take your baby from room to room to observe different sights and types of lighting. Let her feel objects with different textures and observe shapes and colors. Using her senses to observe her surroundings will help her brain make important connections at any age.
Hiding Objects
Beginning at six to seven months of age, your baby will enjoy games of Peek-a-Boo or games that involve hiding objects. His understanding of object permanence is starting to develop, which means that he is beginning to understand that objects still exist even if he cannot see them. To help stimulate this new development, hide toys behind your back or engage your baby in a game of Peek-a-Boo.
Obstacle Course
Once your baby is able to crawl, you can foster her physical development and motor skills by building a simple and fun obstacle course. Set up cushions and pillows around furniture and help your baby crawl, cruise or walk her way through.
