The first year with your baby is a special time – you’ll be helping them discover the world around them through various means, and there are numerous activities you can do with them to progress their development and learning.
Play time is great for cognitive, social, emotional and well-being, and doesn’t have to be expensive for parents either.
Here are some activities you can do with your baby.
Reading With Your Baby
Reading to your baby is a fun activity for you and them, and helps them build both listening and language skills. Whilst they’re not able to read or speak themselves, babies will love listening to you reading appropriate stories to them – helping them bond with you as they grow to recognise your voice. The more you read to your baby, the more you’ll start to notice their reactions to certain sounds in your voice, and as they grow, this can be helpful for building their language skills. Your voice, whether it’s reading a story or singing to your baby, can be soothing for them especially in the first few months – whilst they won’t understand you, this style of interaction is imperative for their early years, as they rely on you to feel protected and comforted.
Play In Water
Bath time will be a new sensory experience for your baby, and one that can be beneficial for their motor skills. There are so many safe babies bath toys on the market that can liven up bathtime for your little one, and can help develop their imagination through play. The feel, texture and sounds of water help your little one learn basic physics through their engagement with it, and as they got older, you can spend further time in water beyond the bath – paddling pools, swimming and bubbles can all be used to further their entertainment. Making sure your baby is safe is paramount when it comes to being in or around water, so be present at all times and watch out for any dangers.
Tummy Time
Tummy Time is a significant developmental activity, helping your baby to strengthen their muscles especially in their necks and shoulders. This activity is something that must be done regularly, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring for you or your baby – putting toys around for them to reach or just look at can be rewarding and motivational. If they don’t like using a mat on the floor, your can lie them on your chest and practice tummy time this way, giving them a feeling of extra support.
Listen To Music
Putting on some gentle music and swaying along or dancing with your baby is a simple activity that can both be entertaining but also claiming, allowing you to hold your little one close, building a strong bond between the two of you. Scientists believe that music has a huge impact on learning for babies, and from 3 months old some can begin to remember things they’ve learned through rhythm and melodies, so exploring music with your child can aid with building those general skills as they begin to grow.
Introduce Textures
As mentioned with water, textures are important for sensory development and for your baby new textures will be interesting to them. From blankets and towels to tags on toys, babies love exploring different the feel of different objects, no matter what they are. Textures help them to learn about their environment and associate specific textures with certain objects – when they begin to talk, they may even begin to mention the feel of the objects they’re holding, which can also let you know which textures the do or don’t like. Make sure your baby is exploring textures safely, and that objects that could be harmful can be kept out of the way.
Doing some of these activities with your baby can be simple, cost-effective ways to incorporate both fun and learning into their lives, and as they get older, you’ll be able to build on these activities, giving them the chance to find their personalities and what brings them joy. Test some of these out and see which works best for you and your baby!