Between sleeping and eating, it seems as if your newborn is pretty busy day and night. But you know play is also important for their growth and development. You wonder, what sort of newborn activities should you be doing with them in-between their naps and meals?
In this article, we’ll tell you what skills babies develop during play and walk you through some simple and fun activities to do together.
Key Takeaways
- There are many newborn activities you can do with your baby. These include tummy time, singing and talking to your baby, giving them a gentle baby massage, taking an outdoor walk, and blowing bubbles.
- You can also read your baby a story, make funny faces with them, dance, and play with a mirror or other objects.
- When playing with your newborn, be sure to create a soothing environment, ensure the play is safe, vary the type of play you do, and watch for your baby’s sleep cues. Avoid overstimulating your little one.
- Newborn activities are important to stimulate your baby’s senses. Play supports their physical, mental, social, and emotional development.
Why Newborn Activities Are Important
Along with eating and sleeping, play is another important aspect of a newborn’s day. Here are some skills your baby develops when you interact with them.
Sensory Stimulation
Playing with your baby will stimulate their senses, which helps with brain development, cognitive skills, and emotional well-being. Through sensory play, your baby develops neural connections as a result of visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory stimulation.
Physical Development
Play can also promote your baby’s physical development. Activities that involve movement can strengthen baby’s muscles, help develop their coordination, and foster their motor skills.
Social And Emotional Development
Engaging in newborn activities like talking and cuddling with your little one supports their social and emotional development. These interactions help your baby build trust, support bonding, regulate emotions, and give them the confidence to explore the world around them.
Mental Development
Your baby’s brain is working overtime when you’re interacting with them! Playing with your newborn supports their cognitive development by building connections and stimulating brain activity.
10 Newborn Activities For Growth And Development
Let’s dive into some fun activities you can do together to help support your baby’s growth and development.
1) Tummy Time
Tummy time is a great activity to do with your newborn. Get a playmat and let your baby lie on their stomach for just a few minutes at a time. This activity helps them develop core and neck strength and learn spatial orientation.
This newborn activity also helps protect against flat head syndrome.
2) Singing And Talking
You’ll never have a more supportive audience whether you’re in tune or not! But if singing’s not your thing, instead, try telling your baby what you’re doing, seeing, and thinking.
Be sure to sing or talk softly, while face to face with your little one. This will help them get more familiar with your voice and facial expressions. Use rhythm and pitch changes to keep your baby engaged.
Face-to-face interactions foster social recognition and help your baby learn to communicate, understand emotions, and begin to mimic.
3) Giving A Gentle Baby Massage
After your baby’s bath, get some baby-friendly, hypoallergenic oil or lotion out and give them a gentle baby massage. Soothe your little one using light, circular motions on their limbs and back.
Mustela’s moisturizing Baby Oil is lightly scented, delicate, and fast-absorbing. Made of 99% natural ingredients including Pomegranate Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, and Avocado Oil, our massage oil stimulates baby’s senses and helps them relax.
4) Taking A Walk Outside
Take your baby for a walk so they can see the sights and hear the sounds of nature. If it’s sunny, don’t forget to dress them in long sleeves and a floppy hat, and if they’re over six months, apply sunscreen.
Mustela’s SPF 50 Mineral Sun Lotion offers safe and effective daily sun protection for the whole family. The fragrance-free formula has the Seal of Recommendation from the Skin Cancer Foundation.
And, there’s another bonus to getting outside. The daylight helps regulate your baby’s sleep cycle.
5) Blowing Bubbles
There’s magic in simple soapy bubbles flying through the air! Dip the wand in and, leaning in close, blow bubbles in your baby’s sightline. Watching the bubbles helps with your little one’s visual tracking skills and sensory development.
6) Reading A Story
Pick up a board book and start reading. Even though your baby won’t understand the plot or fully appreciate the characters, they’ll love to watch your mouth move and hear your voice.
7) Making Funny Faces
Sticking out your tongue, scrunching your nose, or puffing out your cheeks: these are all fair game when playing with your baby. Your little one will love watching your face change in delightful and silly ways. Don’t be surprised if you hear their first giggle!
8) Dancing
Put on your favorite tune and gently move your baby’s arms and legs to the music, or scoop them in your arms and try a waltz or a two-step. This is great for their physical development, and they’ll definitely enjoy the attention.
9) Playing With A Mirror
Pull out a baby-safe mirror and let your baby see their own reflection. This newborn activity helps develop their visual senses and self-awareness. You can even add mirror activities to tummy time for extra fun.
10) Tracking Objects
Grabbing high contrast objects and moving them into and out of your baby’s sightline can be good practice for their tracking skills. See if they move their eyes or their head toward the toys, or even reach for them.
Tips To Work Play Into Your Day
Here are some extra tips to integrate fun newborn activities into your day.
Create A Soothing Environment
Wherever you’re playing, make sure that the room is soothing. Dim the lights a bit, ensure it’s quiet, and set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature.
Ensure Baby’s Play Space Is Safe
It’s best to always play on the floor, whether on a playmat or a soft, clean blanket. You should also make sure there are no small objects or sharp edges within reach. If you’re playing with toys, be sure they’re age-appropriate, clean, and non-toxic.
Add Play To Your Existing Routine
You don’t have to set aside specific time for play; just work it into your regular routine. That means singing during a diaper change or making funny faces at your little one during their bathtime.
Play In Different Ways
Think about stimulating different senses every time you play. Sometimes you’ll talk to your baby or tell them a story; other times, focus your play on strengthening their muscles or their eyesight and attention.
Watch For Sleep Cues
As you’re getting to know your little one, it’s key to look out for their sleep cues. Signs that your baby is overstimulated or tired can be subtle.
Are they yawning, turning away, rubbing their face, or getting fussy? It may be getting close to naptime. Don’t worry, they’ll be up again soon!
Learning Through Play…Even As A Newborn
It’s never too early for your baby to start learning! Every time you engage in newborn activities with your baby, they’re learning more about themselves and the world. Singing, talking, reading a book, taking a walk, and giving a massage are all fun ways they learn through play.
If you’re giving your baby a massage, try our moisturizing Baby Oil for a lightly scented formula that will stimulate their senses and soothe their skin.
Trust Mustela’s skincare products to keep you and your little one relaxed during baby’s formative years and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start playing with my newborn?
It’s never too early to start playing with your newborn. Play is your baby’s way of learning and developing. Carve out a little time every day to engage with them, whether it’s by singing, talking, taking a walk, or any of the other newborn activities we described above.
How long should I play with my newborn?
There’s no specific amount of time you should play with your newborn, but it’s best to keep interactions short and frequent. Aim for no more than five to 10 minutes at a time, and make sure not to overstimulate them.
What are the best toys for a newborn?
Newborn activities require just the simplest of toys. Rattles and sensory books can be a good bet. Some other options include teethers, soft squeezing toys, and age-appropriate stuffed animals.
