Activities that encourage brain development in infants engage their senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. Learning activities enhance neuron connection and synapse formation in the brain. Learning Basket reports that the most rapid period of brain development in a person's life occurs within the first three years.
Moving Objects
Allowing your child to play with his food and make a mess can help stimulate his brain development, as he uses his muscles to move objects and sees the result of his movements, according to Baby Zone. Allow your child to move throughout his environment and experiment with objects he finds. Your child can touch, hold and squeeze a variety of toys and objects that are safe for him.
Face-to-Face Interaction
Engage in activities that bring you face-to-face with your child to help her feel secure and strengthen her brain development, advises A Place of Our Own. Play peek-a-boo to help a child make visual connections with you. Peek-a-boo engages your child and involves her reaction. You can also hold a mirror in front of your baby's face and explain what she sees.
Talking
Baby Zone recommends varying the tone and volume of your voice when talking to your child, so he becomes accustomed to the flow of conversation. Use baby talk, and call your child by name so he learns to recognize and respond to his name. A child who does not yet know how to talk is still absorbing the language he hears, learning new words and making brain connections. You can also read to your child and recite the alphabet.
New Experiences
Involve your baby in new experiences, such as taking her to the grocery store or even playing with a cardboard box, according to Baby Zone. Simple activities can be just as exciting to a child as playing with an expensive toy. Engage all of your baby's senses by allowing her to see, hear, touch, smell and taste as much as possible, as long as it is safe for her.
Playing With Others
Allow your child to interact and play with other children. Take your child to a park or to Mommy and Me groups where he can meet other children and engage in brain-developing activities such as singing songs. Playful activities encourage an infant's capacity for conceptual, emotional, motor, psychological and verbal skills, according to Learning Basket.
