Here are 10 easy ways to play with your newborn baby (0-3 months):1. Face time: No, no, not the iPhone kind of Face Time. I’m talking about the Goo goo ga ga, Mommy loves you, Who has squishy cheeks?, Let’s do butterfly kisses kind of face time. Face time is the simplest, most engaging, most pleasurable form of play for your newborn. Research has shown that newborn babies prefer to look at

faces over any other kind of interaction or toy. In fact, they prefer to look at faces that: A) are smiling, B) have open eyes, C) are looking them directly in the eye, D) belong to their parents/caregivers, and E) are responsive to their actions. Spending time face-to-face with your newborn not only makes him happy, it also helps develop that bond between the two of you that will likely lay the foundation for a healthy relationship in the months and years to come.

2. Talk to her: Talk to your baby during face time, but also talk to her during everyday

tasks such as diaper changes, bath time, and feeding time. As she approaches three months of age, carry her in your arms and give her a tour of your house — she will be old enough to visually focus on the objects you include on your tour and can be introduced to the connection between language and objects. Don’t be afraid to do “baby talk” with your baby (you know, that high pitched, goofy way we smitten, sleep-deprived parents talk to our little ones?). Research has shown that babies actually prefer this “infant-directed speech”. Research has also shown that it’s SUPER important to talk to your baby on a

regular basis, so much so that “the greater the number of words children (hear) from their parents or caregivers before they (are) 3, the higher their IQ and the better they (do) in school.” Yep, jabbering like a fool to your baby who doesn’t yet understand language is actually good and necessary for her. So go for it!3. Hold him. There are many benefits to holding your baby close to you during

face time, talking time, and other times throughout the day. It helps him learn to feel comfortable and safe in your arms. It not only develops a bond between you and your baby, but it also allows you to facilitate skin-to-skin, which can strengthen that bond, enhance breastfeeding, fight postpartum depression, and even help regulate baby’s body temperature and heart rate. Experiment with holding your baby in a variety of ways or even wearing him in a baby carrier (there are SO many benefits to wearing your baby!) such as the Moby Wrap, Ergo Baby Carrier, or baby sling such as the Maya Wrap.

4. Imitate her. By engaging with your baby by imitating her sounds, facial expressions, and movements, you are teaching her about the basics of back-and-forth

communication. She discovers that what she says and does matters to you, and she learns that you will be responsive to her attempts at communication. So get lost in her sweet little world and follow her lead!5. Sing with hand motions: It’s great to sing to your baby, and it’s even better to sing

as you move his chubby little hands through the motions. The hand motions to many beloved children’s songs will naturally take your baby through gestures that encourage developmental skills such as bringing his hands to midline, crossing over the midline, and coordinating his hand movements for functional use. Some simple classics that are perfect for this age group include Pat-a-Cake, The Wheels on the Bus, The Itsy Bitsy Spider,

and If You’re Happy and You Know It. If you incorporate singing and hand motions into

your baby’s daily routine, you may notice that he begins to smile and demonstrate the beginnings of a laugh any time you start to sing one of those songs. So fun!6. Dance: Sounds weird, doesn’t it? It’s not. We naturally sway back and forth while

holding our babies anyways, so why not turn it into a fun way to play and bond with your baby? Plus, dancing with your baby is a great way to sneak in some tummy time as she flies through the air (learn more about dancing with your baby HERE), it exposes her body

to big-time movement, and it also helps prepare her body for learning to roll (learn moreHERE). So sing your heart out or turn on some music and dance with your baby!7. Give him something to look at: The first three months are a period of big

changes for a baby’s developing visual system. During that time he will go from being unable to coordinate his eyes and only being able to see highly-contrasting colors (e.g., black & white) that are 8-12 inches from his face, to being able to discriminate some colors and visually follow slowly moving objects. He may even demonstrate the beginnings of eye-hand coordination as well. Baby play gyms  are great for this purpose (read my post about them HERE), but you can also play with your baby in a similar manner simply by dangling an age-appropriate toy such as this one approximately one foot away from his face as

you talk, sing, or help him reach out and bat at it. He may also enjoy visually attending to atornado bottle, glitter jar, or lava lamp.8. Give her something to feel: A baby learns about her body and her environment

primarily through the sense of touch. The more textures and materials her skin is exposed to, the more it will become familiar with them and learn to discriminate between all those feelings. This is important for the overall development of your baby’s tactile sensory system, and the development of these skills in the hands and fingers contributes to good fine motor/hand skills later on. Many baby toys are adorned with a variety of textures for this very purpose (such as balls, blankets, links, rings, and rattles). So feel free to place a

variety of toys, fabrics, and other age-appropriate textures in your newborn’s hands at this early age. Lay her on the floor on surfaces with varying textures such as a receiving blanket, a sheepskin blanket, or a towel (make sure she can breathe at all times, of course). She will learn a lot about the world through these experiences and textures.

9. Read out loud: It’s true that it’s never too early to read to your baby. Start out with

books that have highly contrasting colors and simple pictures. You can find some good ones online HERE. If you don’t feel comfortable reading to your baby at this young of an

age, that’s okay. I know, it seems kind of awkward at first! Even reading your own book or magazine out loud while you feed him is good, too. All this out-loud reading exposes him to language, rhythm, sentence structure and, best of all, your voice. Just try to minimize environmental noise such as having the TV on in the background. Though babies are born with a fully developed inner ear and ability to hear sounds, they are not born with themature ability to efficiently process   auditory information, which makes it more

difficult for them to pick out important sounds in a noisy environment. You don’t want to make it harder on him with all that extra noise, so do your best to talk, sing, and read to your little bundle in a space that has as little background noise as possible.10. Play with her on the floor: It should go without saying that most of these

suggestions can be done while your baby lays on the floor. Every single motor skill your baby will develop during the first year — skills such as rolling, pushing her chest off the ground,sitting, crawling, cruising, and walking — is the result of time spent playing on the

floor. You’ve heard of tummy time? Yep, that plays a big part. A HUGE part.

As soon as baby is born (or you get the go-ahead from her pediatrician), start by placing your baby tummy-down every time you set her on the floor when she’s awake. Every time. Even if it’s just for a few

seconds before you roll her over to her back or side. The sooner you start this, the more accepting she will be of being on her tummy. So what do you do if your baby HATES tummy time? It’s okay. All is not lost. I’ve got you covered. Read my post on 7 tips for making tummy time a little less miserable. For even more tummy time goodness, check out this awesome blog by a pediatric physical therapist who is passionate about helping

parents and babies have fun during tummy time.Whatever you do, do NOT buy into the lie that playing with your newborn while placing her in some sort of contraption will be good for her or help her develop muscles and motor

skills faster. It won’t. In fact, it can hinder her development. So steer clear of the baby gear and get down on the floor with your new bundle. It will be the best thing for her.

Some final thoughts on playing with your baby: Don’t beat yourself up, and don’t feel guilty if you don’t get to all of these things every day. I know. It’s hard. But, please, do hold and talk

to your baby every day. And get down on the floor with your baby every day so he can work those muscles. Those are the biggies during these first three months. Stare into his big ol’ eyes (when he’s not screaming, of course) and have a moment, just the two of you. These first three months may be tough (REALLY tough for some of us), but they will be worth it. Trust me

Get up and dance with your baby!Posted on September 11, 2012125Have you ever found yourself wondering what the heck to do with a baby who can’t roll, can’t scoot, can’t sit up, or can’t crawl? Um, yeah, pretty sure we all have. Well, you’re in luck, because here’s an idea…

DANCE WITH YOUR BABY!I don’t care if you feel silly or not, your baby will more than likely LOVE it and I bet it will put you in a pretty good mood, too. Find your favorite groove – be it Funky Town or Wheels on the Bus – and get to work as your baby’s favorite dance partner. My favorite place for baby-bopping tunes is Pandora…try stations such as “Raffi” or “Veggie Tales”.Dancing with your baby is great because it:

gets baby off the floor and into your arms allows baby to experience lots of fun movement and stimulation (such as

bouncing up and down or rolling and flying in your arms) before being able to move independently

prepares baby for the big task of learning how to roll exposes baby (and you!) to different kinds of music and rhythm

To dance with your baby, all you have to do is turn on that music, find a position that suits baby’s age and comfort, and start bopping around. Dance and sway and sing for 30 seconds or so and then…FREEZE!…for a few seconds to give baby’s body (actually the inner ear) a chance to process all that movement and sort of “reset” for the next round. Dancing with too consistent a rhythm and no freeze breaks can cause your little one to sort of “tune out” the movement and lull them into lala land. Since that’s not the goal of this activity, we want to break things up to keep baby alert and engaged!Be sure to switch up positions when you dance with your baby so they can experience all different kinds of movement.

You can hold baby facing out.

You can hold baby sideways.

Or you can roll baby down and make him fly!

Make things really fun and dance with baby in front of a mirror or even during a play date with other dancing babies!

I hope you get a chance to dance with your baby every day and as you bounce and laugh and cuddle, just remember that this stage won’t last forever, so do your best to make the most of these sweet and silly times!

Get Up in His Grill and 7 Other Ways to Play with Your Newborn Baby

By Stephanie MorganMay 02, 2014

 

 

Share 

Amidst the constant demands of taking care of a newborn, along with the inherently sleepless nights, new parents are often eager to take advantage of those golden moments when their babies are quietly alert to bond and play.  The question, though, is exactly how to do it.

Babies 0-3 months of age are often referred to as being in the “4th trimester.” During this time, babies use their senses for brain development and to learn about their new world, although many of those senses aren’t fully functioning yet. For example, newborns can only see approximately 8 to 12 inches in front of them and can’t yet focus very well.All of this can leave parents who want to interact with their new babies at a loss for exactly how to do so. When the first of my three kids was a newbie I remember often feeling guilty about not playing with him enough. Shouldn’t I be constantly trying to engage with him rather than strapping him to my chest and doing the dishes or (gasp!) checking my email and reading a magazine? But how do I play with a baby that can’t really see or communicate with me?What I later learned, and am trying to remember with my 4-week old-son, is that although babies this age are constantly using their senses to learn about their world, they don’t necessarily require a lot of stimulation. In fact, many of the actions that come naturally to new parents are exactly what their babies need.

Here are some of my favorite examples of easy ways to interact with newborns: Making Faces – Faces are one of the only things that newborns can recognize

so they love it when you get all up in their grill.  Lean in close when talking to your baby or, better yet, get down on the floor next to him. Whether you’re playing peek-a-boo or just making funny faces, he’ll be happy to see you.

Mirror Play – You can also play with faces in a mirror propped up near your baby. Another idea is to take turns putting both of your faces in the mirror and then holding it up so that your baby can only see herself.  See my post, Top Picks: The Best Sensory Toys for Baby, for my favorite baby mirror on the market.

Baby Talk – “Motherese” is the style of talking naturally adopted by many parents. It’s characterized by changes in pitch and rhythm as well as an emphasis on important words and it’s great for getting babies’ attention. It’s also wonderful for language development. The easiest way parents can connect with their babies through speech is by simply narrating what’s going on.  It might feel funny at first, but describing to your baby what you’re doing or what they’re looking at is a simple way to connect. As baby gets a little older and his vision improves, you can even take him on a tour around the house or the backyard while talking about all that you’re seeing and doing.

Mimicking Their Sounds - There’s a reason babies make sounds so cute that it’s almost impossible for caregivers not to repeat them. This back and forth action of baby cooing, mom cooing back and so on is one of the earliest ways for baby to communicate.  It’s also an introduction to the concept of verbal turn-taking, which is an important step in language development.

Singing and Reading – It’s never too early to start either of these. Begin with simple, repetitive songs like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and add in guided hand movements to up the fun factor. When reading aloud to baby,

look for books that have high-contrast black and white images to engage her visually as well as auditorily.

Dangling Toys - The baby play mat is a classic for this age group but your baby will be even more engaged sitting in your lap with you dangling a toy or ribbon over her than she will lying on her back all alone.  Up the ante by singing or talking to her as you slowly lower the toy into her hands and then back up into the air. This simple activity will stimulate almost all of her senses at once all while she’s interacting and bonding with you.

Relaxing Baths and Baby Massage – Everyone loves a good bath and many babies are no exception. After all, a deep, warm bath is similar to the environment they enjoyed in the womb for nine long months. These days lots of parents are also using baby massage to connect with their newborns through touch.  You can do a simple web search of the term for lots of tips on how to get started.

Skin-to-Skin Contact – Finally, don’t forget about the many benefits of skin-to-skin contact, especially between babies and moms. This type of contact is often emphasized immediately following birth but forgotten once the family is back home. The benefits include decreases in postpartum depression as well as helping mom to produce more of the hormone oxytocin, which will help with milk let down and bonding.Photo Credits: Getty Images

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/ehow-mom/blog/get-up-in-his-grill-and-7-other-ways-to-play-with-your-newborn-baby/

Top Picks: The Best Sensory Toys for Babies

By Stephanie MorganApr 21, 2014

 

 

Share 

Ever wonder why items like mobiles, rattles, and even simple mirrors have remained baby toy staples over several decades? It’s because babies use their five senses for critical brain development and toys that engage those senses help with that process.A newborn baby starts out with very low visual acuity, motor control, and communication skills. But it’s not long until he starts to be able to visually track and differentiate between objects, reach for and grasp objects, and communicate via signs

and gestures. Today we’ve rounded up some of the best sensory toys to help your little one along this amazing journey.For the first three months, sight and sound will be the best way to stimulate your baby. Popular toys for this age group include mobiles, mirrors, and rattles. Because babies start out being able to see only black, white and some reds, toys that use these colors (or bright, high contrast hues) work best for infants. Toys that play soft music or emit a squeaking sound will also capture their interest at this age.Starting around three months, your baby will be ready for more complex stimulation. This is a great time to introduce toys that encourage tactile stimulation such as balls, stuffed animals, soft books, and play mats. As your baby continues to grow, she will begin to gravitate towards action/reaction and musical toys as well.

Following these guidelines, here are some of our favorite sensory toys for baby:1. Mobiles - Crib mobiles help the movement of eyes, which in turn strengthens

eye muscles. They also enhance your baby’s listening skills, and for the first few weeks may be the only thing that really holds his attention. The award winning Infant-Stim mobile features vivid colors along with bold black-and-white graphic, and its simple-to-complex images stimulate early visual activity and pre-reaching movement.

2. Soft Mirrors – When babies are first born they can only see 10 to 12 inches in front of them and can only distinguish human faces, making a soft baby mirror an ideal first toy. We like the high contrast colors and versatility of the Sassy Crib to Floor Mirror. Hang it above your baby in the crib to encourage reaching or next to her on the floor during tummy time.

3. Wrist and Ankle Rattles – These strap-on rattles are ideal for infants who aren’t yet able to hold a traditional rattle. Along with stimulating the sense of touch, the noise that is created while your baby moves helps develop directional hearing and gross motor skills. There are several types available on the market. We like this one from Haba which also incorporates a teething ring.

4. Play Mats – Play mats are great for sight, hearing and gross motor development in young babies. Plus they give you a safe place to put your little one down so you can do important things like getting dressed or going to the bathroom. The Gymini Super Deluxe – Lights and Music provides lots of great stimulation by incorporating hanging toys, a mirror, and textural items on the mat itself for your baby to grasp and feel.

5. Hand-held Rattles and Teethers – Babies begin to grasp objects at three and four months of age. This is a good time to transition to hand-held rattles and teethers and also to introduce toys with various textures (stuffed animals and balls)

to help stimulate dexterity. The Natural Wooden Ring Rattle is a lovely little rattle that’s free of coatings, stains or paints.

6. Small Stuffed Animals – My kiddos loved the high contrast colors, sound effects, and various textures of the Lamaze line of stuffed animals. Their favorites were the Musical Inchworm at home and Mortimer the Moose when we were on the go.

7. Balls – Younger babies will enjoy the various sizes and textures of Infantino’s Textured Multi Ball Set.  As your baby gets older, rolling the balls back and forth will be one of his first interactive games with Mom or Dad.

8. Books (board and soft) – It’s never too early to start reading to your child. Look for board books, soft books, high contrast photos and photos of faces to encourage your baby to interact with the books. The Amazing Baby Series does an excellent job of incorporating all of these things.

9. Hand-held Action/Reaction Toys – Finally, around six or seven months, your baby will start to take a strong interest in toys that reward an action with movement, lights and sounds. These types of toys, though annoying at times, can be a life-saver in the car or while waiting at the doctor’s office. When my son was a baby, we never left home without our Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes.

Resources:Bright Hub EducationBuzzleGenius Babies

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/ehow-mom/blog/top-picks-the-best-sensory-toys-for-babies/