Cognitive development begins at birth and continues through adulthood, according to the High Reach website. Cognitive development is defined as intellectual growth and starts as soon as a baby is born and begins looking, listening and interacting with people and objects. For parents and caregivers who want to help their children develop their intellect, certain types of play are particularly valuable. Tailor your play to the types of objects and activities to which your child is drawn, and you will be off to a good start in developing your infant's intellectual growth.
Hearing-Focused Play
If your infant tends to learn particularly well from his sense of hearing, the National Network for Child Care suggests fastening wood, metal and plastic bowls to a board with tape. Give your child a big spoon and let him bang away. Mix in language development by using words that go with the various sounds. Singing to a child and playing music are other excellent ways to use sound for cognitive development.
Touch
Some infants particularly learn well from their sense of touch. Such a child in more inclined to handle the bowls and spoon and explore the surfaces of the objects. He might be absorbed in the coolness of the metal bowl, the ridges on the top of the plastic bowl, the feel of the board the bowls are attached to and the slick feel of the tape. You can put more objects with different textures -- smooth, rough, soft, furry -- on the floor for your child to handle and name the feeling you get from touching each object.
Motion
Another child might be an explorer, crawling, climbing and experiencing the motion of his body while coordinating his limbs. You can build him a ramp to climb and tilt it higher as he gets stronger. This enhances your infant's problem solving abilities. Playing peek-a-boo and simple games of hide-and-seek also are ways to enhance learning through movement for a child.
Considerations
Although it might not be considered play in a technical sense, talking and singing to your child fosters cognitive development and is fun for both of you. Other tried-and-true methods of enhancing cognitive development range from place mobiles over your infant's crib to putting an unbreakable mirror where you infant can watch himself and other family members. Children develop at different rates, so don't frustrate your infant by asking too much of him. Above all else, make sure any objects your child plays with are safe to handle.
