It’s never too early to stimulate your newborn’s brain development. Check out our list of baby brain development activities here.
The first five years of life are critical for a child’s development. The brain can be likened to a store in which the availability of streets leading to it can make or break the business.
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Babies Brain Development
The more the brain is stimulated, the more pathways or “streets” are developed. It will grow and grow as long as there are many paths people can use to go to it. The “streets” of the brain will only multiply when stimulated with early learning activities for babies.
There’s so much to look forward to in a baby’s first year, from first words to first steps. Should parents encourage their new bundles to reach these milestones in their own time, or should they offer them a gentle nudge?
A new study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology highlights the importance of parents challenging their children.
“The brains of young children are very malleable—even the smallest babies can be challenged,” says Audrey van der Meer, lead researcher and professor of developmental neuropsychology.
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She discovered that brain, sensory, and motor skills development all coincide using advanced electroencephalography (EEG) equipment, implying that babies learn better when they explore different materials and new situations.
You don’t have to go out and buy expensive toys to provide your infant with brain stimulation. The most important thing is that you get them moving and thinking.
To ensure that you and your baby get the most out of playing, make sure you identify the signals your child sends when it’s time to play.
These signals could include the following:
- Observing you or others with curiosity
- Reaching out to you.
- Smiling
More than any other caregiver, babies and toddlers learn and laugh more when they are with their parents, talking, moving, and playing. Here are four baby activities you can do to help your baby learn.
What Are Baby Brain Development Activities
1. Movement
Movement is the key to learning, and it is one of the early learning activities for babies that parents must do.
Their immature nervous and muscular systems are stimulated when babies move or are moved. It is interesting to note that the part of the brain that processes movement also processes learning.
Therefore, early movement and motor development have a direct relationship with intelligence and later cognitive learning, which are important for school readiness.
What to do: Free your baby from her seat and let her move. If she’s a crawler, let her crawl; if she’s a walker, let her walk! It goes without saying that if she’s a runner, let her run!
After her bath time ritual, march to the beat of a favourite tune, swing and sway, and lift her up and down. She will be squealing in delight and learning too!
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2. Listening
Listening is different from just hearing. It is crucial in obtaining information, learning, and being part of a communication process. It is also through listening that we enjoy music.
Active listening activities help children develop focused attention, enabling them to get the most out of what they listen to. It’s never too early to start developing your baby’s listening skills. It is one of the activities for babies often overlooked.
What to do: Listening activities for babies can be as simple as directing your child’s attention to a distinct sound in your home. Do you hear that? That’s the telephone.
Riiiing! When you are out and about and hear some birds chirping, look for the birds and point them out to your baby while saying, “Do you hear the birds, baby?” Watch his face brighten in wonder and, eventually, in recognition.
3. Fingerplay
Fingerplays are valuable activities for babies that help them acquire skills essential to their development and learning. Fingerplay helps improve and advance memory and language skills because of the songs you sing while holding up your fingers. It also aids in the development of hand-eye coordination.
What to do: Try the different rhymes that you know! This Little Piggy is fun for tickling a baby’s toes and Once I Caught A Fish Alive is a great tool for introducing counting using fingers.
Five Little Monkeys will get your baby giggling as you make your fingers jump up and down on your palm and then fall from the “bed.”
4. Quiet Time
Relaxation is a learned behaviour that helps in emotional development. Children need to learn to relax, to “refill” their energy after actively playing and exploring all day.
Helping them learn how to relax will give them lifelong skills in handling stress, regulating their emotions, and being focused and reflective.
Quiet time can also be spent listening to music before naptime or bedtime. There are many ways to integrate early childhood development concepts into daily activities for babies. It just takes a little bit of planning and a great deal of fun
What to do: In the afternoon, when your baby takes his nap, darken the room, play some quiet music, and cuddle with her. Your breathing together will do wonders in relaxing both of you!
ALSO READ:
41 Fun Sensory Activities For Your 1-Year-Old’s Brain Development
6 Activities to Help Your Infant Develop Strong Neck Muscles
How to Play With Baby
How to play with a newborn
Newborns don’t require much more than a loving caregiver willing to respond to and connect with their needs. Babies become more comfortable with their faces by holding them and watching their facial expressions.
Singing or reading aloud to your baby, ideally from picture books with brightly coloured pages, will also help to activate his or her brain. It’s critical to start exposing babies to language as soon as possible.
How to play with a 3-month-old baby
It’s important to introduce your infant to various textures as they become more mobile and reach for objects. Parents can do this by giving their children a variety of objects to investigate.
Face recognition can be improved by playing peekaboo or having the baby look in the mirror. To help them grow their strength, give them lots of tummy time every day.
How to play with a 6-month-old baby
Stacking cups or any other item that helps with fine motor and growth motor skills would be ideal. The most crucial thing is to have a caregiver who will connect with them one-on-one.
How to play with a 9-month-old baby
Allow your baby to play with a ball when he begins to crawl and watch it roll away. This encourages the baby to chase it. Push and straddle toys will also assist your baby in getting moving and learning to walk.
It will enhance your baby’s language development if you have back-and-forth talks with them and ask them questions.
How to play with a one-year-old
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Walking with them and exposing them to more of the world is a terrific way to stimulate them. How about smartphones or any electronic gadgets?
At this age, there is no evidence that babies require screen devices for learning. They are not recommended to use electronic devices until they are two years old.
In-person interactions with a caregiver, which they wouldn’t get from a screen, are beneficial.
Activities to Do With Baby
Finding enjoyable baby activities that will help your child’s skills and development doesn’t have to be complicated. They shouldn’t be, in fact.
Many of the best games you can play with your child to help them learn about the world around them may even be something you already do.
Other ways to get your infant to learn and play include:
- Clap your baby’s hands together gently or stretch his arms (crossed, out wide, or overhead).
- Gently move your baby’s legs as if he or she were riding a bike.
- Give your baby a favourite toy to focus on and follow, or shake a rattle for him to find.
- Allow your baby to spend time on his or her tummy while awake to strengthen the neck and shoulders. Always watch your baby during “tummy time,” and be ready to assist if he or she becomes tired or frustrated. Never place a newborn on his or her stomach to sleep. To lessen the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome, infants should sleep on their backs (SIDS).
- Model a variety of facial expressions for your child to copy.
- Talk to your infant and wait for him or her to reply.
- Read aloud to your child.
Do Babies Need Toys
Babies need toys. They need them to help them learn and grow, to help them develop a sense of self, and to keep them busy when they’re not sleeping.
As parents, we want our babies to have everything they need to be happy and healthy—and that includes toys. Babies benefit from playing with toys in many ways, they:
- learn cause-and-effect (when they push the button on the toy phone, it rings).
- learn about their bodies (they can feel different textures with their hands).
- develop motor skills (they can grab a toy and shake it).
- build confidence (they realize they can do things!).
- get better at problem-solving (when they can’t find an object in their crib).
But most importantly? Toys make our babies smile. When we see our baby smiling after having played with a toy, it makes all the work involved in putting together their playroom worth every minute!
Developmental Activities for Newborns
Developmental activities are important for newborns, especially during their first year. These activities help to stimulate their senses, improve their motor skills, and encourage healthy social interactions with others.
Sensory Stimulation
You can use different textures to stimulate the sense of touch in your newborn. If you have a favourite blanket or stuffed animal, let them feel that against their skin. You can also apply lotions or oils to their skin to help them get used to different sensations on their body.
Motor Skills
You can encourage your baby’s motor skills by offering them toys they can grasp with their hands and play with independently. This will help them develop hand-eye coordination and the strength needed to hold onto objects securely while playing with them!
Social Interactions
Social interaction is an important part of development because it helps children learn how to interact with others positively (as well as how not to). Ensure you’re smiling at them when playing games with your babies, such as peek-a-boo or patty cake! This will encourage positive social interaction between both parties involved for them.
This article was written by Mariel Uyquienco and republished with permission from theAsianparent Philippines.
Updates by Pheona Ilagan
WebMD, Healthline, Mayo Clinic
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