Are you looking for creative ways to help your infant learn and develop new skills? If so, this collection of activities is just what you need! With these fun and stimulating activities, you can engage your baby’s brain and promote its cognitive development. So, get ready to have some fun – let’s get started!
Play Peek-a-Boo
One of the most classic baby games, peek-a-boo is an adorable way to help your infant understand cause and effect. To play, cover your face with a blanket or item of clothing and then reveal it while saying “peek-a-boo!” Encourage your little one to copy you by playing with their stuffed animals, blankets, or toys. Your baby will love the surprise and delight of repeating the game over and over again.
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Read Books Together
Infants love the sound of your voice, so snuggle up together and read to your baby. Point out pictures in the book and talk about them, even if you think they don’t understand. This helps their language development and encourages an interest in books that can last a lifetime. As they grow, experiment with fun voices for characters in stories when you read so your infant has more to look forward to during playtime.
Infants also love songs, so singing books is a great way to engage them and spur imagination. You can make up your own music or find ones specific to the book. If your infant can’t sit up yet, lay out a rug with toys and use interactive board books to involve your baby in sensory play while you read aloud. Once they can sit up, older infants will enjoy tracing pictures in the book or finding their favorite characters while they listen and watch. Reading books together is the perfect way to encourage learning and discovery in a relaxed atmosphere.
Sing Alphabet Songs
Singing is a meaningful way to introduce letters, phonics, and numbers to your infant. Make up tunes or sing popular songs with a rhythm your baby can follow. Singing the ABC song is one of the best ways because it helps them get used to the letters that form words. You don’t need fancy toys – find something around the house, such as a spoon or block, and use it as a musical instrument while you make up your own tune!
Engage in Tactile Activities with Different Textures
Touch is a fundamental sense essential for developing cognitive abilities. To help your infant recognize different textures, find various items around the house made with different textures – soft and hard items, furry toys, smooth items, and more. Put them in a basket and let your little one feel and explore each. Alternatively, you can put various textured items on the floor for your baby to crawl or roll over and explore.
As your infant explores the different textures, introduce vocabulary to accompany the activity. Identify soft items like “fluffy pillows” or hard things like “rocks” to help teach the recognition of different words and objects. You can also create a fun game by having your baby crawl toward a particular item when you name it — this encourages part-object recognition and helps link a word with an object. The more at-home activities such as these ones your infant engages in, the better knowledge of his/her surroundings he/she develops.
