5 Baby Activities to Stimulate Your Newborn
Have you ever heard the saying:
“the days are long, but the years are short” when it comes to raising children?
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I rolled my eyes when I first heard it ““ first time mom arrogance.
Flash forward a few weeks with a newborn and I knew exactly what it meant in regards to the long days. I don’t know about you, but when Brooklyn was really little (0-3 months) I really struggled with finding activities to engage her with ALL DAY.
Her eyesight was developing and she had zero ability to hold on to a toy, so I felt a lot of pressure to entertain her and help her learn, but when they are so small you really don’t know if they are having fun and there are only so many things you can do with them in a day before they become too repetitive!
In order to mix up some of the monotony of those first days and weeks, I scoured the internet to find baby activities to do (probably how you came across this post – welcome!).
So to pay it forward, here are some activities I came up with in her first six weeks, most we continue to this day with some added touch or sound to the game.
Related: 5 Baby Activity Gym Hacks
This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy can be found here.
Fruit Salad
Baby’s sense of smell is their most advanced sense when they are first born, so games involving smell can be played in their first weeks and months. It’s super simple plus it encourages mom to eat healthy!
What you need:
A mix of different fragrant fruits and berries in a bowl ready to eat. Cut the fruit and berries in half or quarters.
What to do:
Place your baby on a pillow or your lap and before you eat a piece of fruit carefully wave your fork in front of your baby’s nose and let them smell the fruit.
Make sure you tell them what you are eating/they are smelling. Watch your Baby’s reaction to each piece and you will soon see which is their favourite! (Brooklyn loves strawberries)
Smell The Roses
As mentioned above, baby’s are born with an amazing sense of smell.
Activities that involve smell are easy and this one also incorporates touch. I first did this with a bouquet of peonies, but any fragrant flower will do.
What you need:
A bouquet of fragrant flowers – ensure none of the flowers have thorns.
What to do:
Hold baby up to your bouquet or if baby still doesn’t have head control pull a few flowers from the bouquet and place baby on your lap or on a pillow. Let baby smell the flower and tell them what it is “isn’t the Peony pretty?” Then let them touch the petals with their hands or feet “feel how soft the flower is”. I could see little Brooklyn’s nostrils flair a little as she smelled!
Monkey see monkey do:
This one has been around for awhile, but I found it fun and easy so am recommending here.
What you need: nothing
What to do:
Place your baby so you are face to face and make silly faces at her and see if she copies you.
Example: Stick your tongue out and see if your baby will replicate. Even if they don’t (it was rare) they are still looking and studying your face.
Paper work
My good friend ordered a bunch of these medical papers online and gave me a bunch. They come in so handy when changing on the go! If you’ve been to the pediatrician and placed your baby on the table you will know they love that paper. This is an at-home version.
What you need:
Medical papers and a soft mat or blanket
What to do:
Spread the paper over the mat and lay your baby on it and let them kick away. Baby will love the noise it makes. I would play this “game” before bath time so I could let baby be naked for a little while on the paper (its absorbant). If they make a mess the paper soaks it up and baby is headed for a bath anyways.
Chit Chat
What you need: nothing
What to do:
If you’re home alone with the baby all day you may go a little stir crazy without adult conversation so chat to the baby as if she were an adult. Make sure you give her a chance to talk back and acknowledge that you heard her “oh tell me more!” “no way! that is so interesting etc”
Have any activites to add to this list? What games/activities did you find most rewarding when your baby was 0-3 months?
Related:
How to Raise Smart Kids? Play This Classic Game Before They Can Talk
Places to go with a 1 Year Old – Indoor & Outdoor Activities
