Infant Activities that Stimulate Learning from Birth

Your infants’ brain is like a sponge soaking up information from the onset of birth which is why you should help promote their learning with child-friendly infant activities from the onset. This may sound daunting, but simply incorporating learning into everyday tasks such as snack- and bath time, grocery shopping or mom and baby relaxation time, are often the best platforms to help baby learn about the world around her.

EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES

Babies do listen to what we say, regardless of what we may think or how silly we think we look when talking to them. When you’re out and about with your little one at the park for a walk, make sure to talk to her. Point out the trees and the clouds, as an example. “Baby talk” with your baby and ask them “what is that”, pointing to the clouds, then answer the question. When you hear a dog barking, do the same. This repetition will help your baby to identify the objects with the words you give them. Another nice trip to try out infant activities is when you go grocery shopping as well. Smiling and waving at a store clerk, so that your baby can see, will also help her social skills, so that she knows it’s important to acknowledge the next person, for when her brain is more developed. At snack time, allow your baby to mess (within reason!) and let her accidentally throw things on the floor and on her meal table. Babies learn through the mess they make. The next time your little one makes a mess, pick up what they let fall and say what fell, then give it back to them. This is also a great activity to try out when you’re feeding your baby. Playing feeding games like pretending your spoon is a train and the little mouths a tunnel, helps with hand-eye co-ordination, especially if she likes to follow your hand with her own hand – if baby doesn’t do that, encourage them to.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

Infant activities don’t need to be restricted to everyday tasks. When it’s time to relax and have some fun, you can do a lot to encourage learning. Play some music for starters – music is a wonderful way to stimulate your babies’ brain. Ensure she can physically feel the beat of the song by way of your body movements by holding your baby to your chest – great for bonding and emotional development. Having baby play with soft toys if great on its’ own, and you too can help her with her hand-eye co-ordination by allowing her to follow the toy with her eyes and asking her to take the toy afterwards. Some infant appropriate exercises can also be used to help baby learn and prepare her body for walking and sitting. Have your baby do light kicking motions with their legs, while lying on their back. You can also lift them gently with your hands behind their shoulders when they’re older than one month and their neck is stable enough already – do not attempt if they are still too young (between zero and one month old) or too weak, or best to get a pediatricians’ advice first. This will help their muscles prepare for more robust physical movement in the future.

Infant activities are a fun way to help baby learn about their surroundings and to prepare them physically, emotionally and socially for the growing years to come. If you think you need some guidance on infant activities, get in touch with Stone Brook Academy, to ensure your baby gets the best chance to flourish.