It may seem like there’s not much you can do with your newborn baby because they aren’t very interactive when it comes to playing with them. Babies learn through movement and stimulation from images, sounds, and touch. They may seem “disconnected” or even disinterested, but know that you’re helping your baby learn and grow by staying engaged and playing with them!
Always pay attention to your baby’s cues and don’t force them into movement or play if they’re just not having it. Take time to soothe and calm them by snuggling or nursing them, and then maybe try again later. Babies need play in short amounts of time, like 15-30 minutes at a time, sometimes less! So play for a bit, and then switch to a less stimulating activity when they start looking overwhelmed or tired.
Tummy Time
We hear it all the time: “Tummy time is so important!” But why is that? By having your baby on their stomach, their natural reflexes will kick in to have them raise their head, thus strengthening their neck and back. It also plays a key part in their cognitive development and starts the learning process of crawling as they get bigger.
Sometimes they may be tired and may lay their head down or start to get frustrated. This is when you want to get involved in some play and give them something exciting to look at. Using high-contrast images and books, or colorful rattles and toys that have different textures, you can get their attention and engage them to lift their head again. If your baby is starting to get a bit fussy, you can roll them onto their back and hold the images or toys above them to look at from a different angle, then try to roll them back over to their stomach after a bit.
I love the Lovevery Play Gym because it has different stations around the edges of the mat with different textures and engaging toys and images, as well as a hanging frame to dangle rattles and toys for your baby to reach and grab. This will help keep your little one engaged, even when they’re laying on their back.
Black & White Images
As I mentioned above, high-contrast images and books are the best for newborns. Their eyesight is developing and they’re learning how to focus at different depths. Start by holding the black-and-white image about 12-15 inches from their face. Let them stare and process what they’re looking at. Over the following weeks, pull the image a bit further away from their face so they can learn to focus their eyes at further distances.
Books like the Black & White Board Book by Tana Hoban are perfect for keeping a newborn engaged and focused while learning various animals and objects they may see in everyday life.
Sensory Play
Grab some different objects from around your house…maybe a feather, a silk scarf, a fuzzy blanket, a package of baby wipes. Anything that will have a fun texture and offer different sensations. (Be sure to not use anything potentially harmful to the baby’s skin, like something that may be too rough or scratchy.)
Lay your baby on their back or hold them in your arms or lap and rub the different textures on their arms, legs, hands, feet, and belly. Allow them to explore the items if they want, and be aware that most babies explore things by putting them in their mouth. So always make sure to have an eye on them with these textured items and make sure that whatever you give them is safe to be in their mouth.
Infant Massage
Grab the Calendula Oil and rub your baby down. This is great while they’re doing Tummy Time or to have some bonding time while they’re on their back staring at your face. There’s lots of ways to massage a baby, but just know that the gentler the better. You’re not needing to rub strongly to relieve muscle tension, gentle infant massage is to promote circulation, moisturize their soft skin, and even promote proper digestion with an abdominal massage like the “I Love You massage” shown above.
Enjoy these early months and bond with your baby by being present and engaging with them often. Even something as simple as making faces at them and talking to them will have tremendous effects on their cognitive growth!