Activities to Do with Your Baby

As a brand new human being, your baby has lots to discover in the world. And it's up to you to help him or her! Creating stimulating activities for your baby doesn't have to mean buying them the latest, most expensive toy, or paying for pricey classes. Here are some fun activities you can do together that will be sure to keep your baby smiling:

-Reading: Reading to your baby early on has been shown to create a love for books later on. Babies generally prefer books that are colorful with captivating pictures, and that have short and rhythmic story lines. They also like picture books with photos of familiar objects in their world, as well as touch and feel books. Try to get mostly board books for your baby, since a lot of times babies like to turn the pages themselves (and paper pages will rip!)

-Take a walk: A simple walk around the neighborhood can be a great activity for both you and your baby. Point out trees, flowers, dogs, birds, and anything that catches his eye.

-Water play: Bath time should be fun too! Show your baby how he can dunk a cup under water, then lift it up and pour the water back into the tub. Let him feel the difference in the feel and weight of a terry cloth bath toy before and after it gets wet. Show him how some toys float and others don't, and what happens when you try to push a floating toy under water.

-Interactive games: Games like peek-a-boo, the itsy bitsy spider, and patty cake are all time-tested favorites. Peek-a-boo teaches the concept of object permanence; in other words, it teaches your baby that even when he can't see something, it still exists. Interactive games like the itsy bitsy spider and patty cake are great because your baby learns to associate certain movements with the song and can play along too. This does a lot for a baby's self esteem.

-Learning can be fun: It's not too early to teach your baby about ABC's, counting, and body parts. Sing the ABC song to your baby as you point out each letter in a book. Count objects as you stack them, count stairs as you climb them, or count bites of food as you feed them to your baby. Show baby his teddy bear or doll and point to each body part as you name it. Then point to the same body part on your baby and then you.

-Dancing: Pop in a CD of baby songs. Dance with baby, holding her in your arms while you swing back and forth. Or bounce her up and down along with the beat. Babies love this, and soon your baby will be bouncing up and down whenever she hears music! This activity has the added benefit of helping you sneak some exercise into your day.

-Stacking things: Build a tower of blocks for your baby to knock down! It will take a while before she's able to stack them up herself.

Of course, there are times when you want to get some cleaning done, cook dinner, or just have a few moments to yourself. So here are some stimulating activities your baby can play on his or her own:

-Give her a box or any kind of container and fill it with a bunch of her small toys. Babies like to take things out of boxes and put them back in again (although the putting things back part comes later).

-Sit him down with a couple of his favorite board books. He may surprise you by trying to "read" them aloud!

Anything that gets your baby laughing and smiling is a great stimulating activity for them. Just remember to have fun yourself and delight in this special time where everything is a wonder to your little one!