Learning Activities for Babies

Looking for some new activities to stimulate your baby and also help the learning process? Here are some activities from the US Department of Education designed to keep your little one not only interested, but growing and learning. Great! You have a new baby. If you are like a lot of parents, pregnancy and child birth is such an interesting and unknown territory that much of the nine months leading up to your baby’s birth are spent thinking about just that - the pregnancy and the birth of your child.So now that you are the parents of the most perfect, adorable, squirmy baby in the world, you want to make sure the little one is learning and growing and being the best baby that he or she can be, right? Here are some activities from the US Department of Education designed to keep your little one not only interested, but growing and learning:

Developing Trust -

• Gently move your newborn’s arms and legs. Or tickle her lightly under the chin or on the tummy. When she starts to control her head, lie on the floor and put her head on your chest. Let her reach for your nose or grab your hair. Talk to her and name each thing she touches.
• Place your baby on your belly. Some research has shown that such contact releases chemicals called endorphins to help your child feel comforted. In addition, such contact builds stomach and back muscle strength that is essential as your child learns to crawl.
• Sing and cuddle with your baby. Hold him snuggled in your arms or lying face up on your lap with his head on your knees. Make sure the head of a newborn is well-supported. Sing a favorite lullaby.
• Include happy rituals in your baby’s schedule. For example, at bedtime, sing the same songs every night, rock her or rub her tummy.
• Dance with your baby. To soothe her when she’s upset, put your baby’s head on your shoulder and hum softly or listen to recorded music as you glide around the room. To amuse her when she’s cheerful, try a bouncy tune.

Touch and see -

• Let your baby look at, touch and listen to a variety of objects. Objects that are brightly colored, have interesting textures and make noises are particularly good.
• Put one or two objects in a play area where your baby can reach them - more than two may confuse him.

Baby talk -

• Talk to your baby often. Answer her coos and gurgles. Repeat the ‘ga gas’ she makes and smile back. Sometimes, you can supply the language for her. For example, when your baby stretches her arm towards her bottle and says ‘ga-ga-ga,’ say, ‘Oh, you’re ready for more milk? Here’s your milk. Isn’t it good?’
• Say or read to your child nursery rhymes or other verses that have strong rhythms and repeated patterns of sound. Vary your tone of voice, make funny faces and sing lullabies. Play games such as ‘peek-a-boo’ and ‘pat-a-cake’ with him.
• Play simple talking and touching games with your baby. Asking, ‘Where’s your nose?’ Then touch her nose and say playfully, ‘There’s your nose!’ Do this several times, then switch to an ear or knee or her tummy. Stop when she grows tired of the game.
• Point to and name familiar objects. By hearing an object named over and over, your baby learns to associate the spoken word with its meaning. For example, ‘Here’s your blanket. Your very favorite blanket. What a nice, soft blanket.’

For more ideas about activities you can play with your baby, read the ‘Helping Your Preschool Child’ booklet, produced by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications and Outreach, Washington, D.C., 2005, which was excerpted for this article.