Infants undergo a series of rapid physical and cognitive developments in the first six months of life. All babies do not develop the same skills at the same time, but parents can expect their babies to reach certain developmental milestones as they grow. Caregivers can take an active role in supporting this development by engaging in interactive activities with their babies.
Birth to 2 Months
The National Institutes of Health describes the developmental milestones that most 2 month old infants have reached. At this time, parents can expect their babies to have gained neck strength and to have better head control. Babies this age will also smile and coo and follow sounds by moving their heads from side to side. They can also focus on objects that are close to them.
Appropriate activities for babies this age focus on developing these milestone skills. For example, parents can give their babies a few minutes of closely supervised "tummy time" each day to encourage the development of neck strength and head control. Parents can also talk and sing to their infants during everyday activities such as dressing, changing diapers, and bathing. Placing colorful toys and pictures of faces close to babies helps to develop their vision and focus.
3 to 4 Months
Between 3 and 4 months of age babies can visually track moving objects. They can swipe at toys and hold them with one or two hands. They can roll over from front to back and hold their heads steady while they are in a supported sitting position. They make eye contact for longer periods of time and enjoy watching and imitating different facial expressions. They will request attention by crying and laughing.
Parents can encourage development at this stage by giving babies rattles and other toys to hold and shake. Babies this age also enjoy sitting upright in infant chairs that have mirrors and colorful, dangling toys within their reach. Tummy time can be extended for longer periods of time and parents can help babies roll over. Babies also enjoy hearing their parents talk to them and watching them make silly faces. They love to see and hear their parents react to their smiles and their babbling sounds.
5 to 6 Months
At this stage of development, babies are able to sit with little or no support. They can hold a bottle and pick up toys. They begin to transfer objects from one hand to another. They can roll from front to back and back to front. They can imitate sounds and actions and babble more complex sounds. Babies this age will look to find an object that is partly hidden. Their vision improves and they can see farther and follow objects better.
Activities for babies between 5 and 6 months of age include games such as "peek-a-boo," "pat-a-cake" and "this little piggy." Babies this age enjoy interactive toys that make sounds, play music and have moving parts. Parents can talk to their babies and listen for them to imitate their sounds. They can read books, sing lullabies and speak "parentese" in a high-pitched, sing-song voice while elongating vowel sounds to encourage language development.
