New Born
Tummy Time
1. Tummy time can sometimes be a difficult activity to do with little babies as they can become stressed and get rather annoyed by laying down so always react to your babies reactions and your parental instinct as to how much they can do
2. Tummy time can be more than just laying a baby on their tummy on the floor, try sitting on the floor and pull your knees up and laying baby on your legs facing away from you. You could try holding baby and lifting them slowly making aeroplane noises, as you lift up baby will sometimes stretch their limbs out and hold up their head to look around.
3. Keep Tummy Time to short fun bursts, avoid times such as when baby is hungry or tired as this can increase their mood. It is recommended 30 minutes of Tummy Time a day is achieved, but anything is better than nothing so start easy and have fun.
What can Baby reach?
1. This activity can be played with baby laying down or sat up with your support.
2. Ask your baby 'What can Baby reach?'
3. Gentle stretch babies arms into the air and say 'Baby can reach the sky'. Make funny faces and different voices whilst talking to your baby.
Equipment
No needed
Splash and Move
1. Fill a bowl with water and add some smaller jugs or plastic cups.
2. Encourage babies to splash using their feet and hands, full and pour the cups or jugs. You can also add bubbles if safe to do so
3. Water play can be for anytime of the day and doesn't just have to be for bath time
Equipment
Water, bowl and/or jugs
Bubbles
Black and White
1. At a young age babies only recognise black and white shades
2. Try to carry your new born around your home looking for any objects that are black and white
3. Hold them up for your new born to see and move them around. Encourage and talk to your new born to try to grab the objects (if safe).
Equipment
Any black and white objects
Sensory Play
1. Use a bag or a box and collect different objects from around the home. Pick objects that have different textures and colours
2. With your new born laying on their tummy place the objects out for them to look at and grab. You can lay your new born in different positions such as on your lap and on their back frequently to keep it more exciting for your new born.
3. Pack away your objects into the bag or box ready to play with another day.
Equipment
Bag or box to hold your sensory objects
Sensory objects from around the house
Funky Feet
1. Find some different textures/materials such as tea-towels, soft blankets, felt, scarves. Place these textures on the floor around the room.
2. Hold baby upright with your hands under their arms. Don't let their feet touch the floor yet. Move from one texture to another and allow their feet to touch the textures.
3. See which texture your baby prefers. This is a great way to develop self awareness and the sense of touch.
Equipment
Different fabrics with different textures such as scarves, tea-towels, blankets, furry coats (anything you can find at home).
Up for Grabs!
1. Place your finger or a toy on your baby's palm and see if they try to grab hold of it. Try placing your finger in both palms.
2. If your baby does grab hold of your finger, move your hand around and see how strong your baby's grip is.
3. For a slightly different sensation for your baby to grab try using a zip-lock bag and filling it with objects such as sand, buttons, rice, flour. Always stay attentive so that baby stays safe and no objects come loose from the bag.
Equipment
Zip-lock bag filled with different objects from around the house, such as: sand, buttons, elastic bands, rice, flour.
(natural textures outside such as grass and sand can also be a fun way of playing this game to develop senses)
Shake and Move
1. Use different objects from around the house that make different noises when you tap or shake them.
2. Lay baby down so they are comfortable and use the objects to make different noise. Encourage baby to move by kicking and shaking their arms.
3. See if your baby has a favourite noise they like the most.
Equipment
Objects from around the house that will make a sound.
What's that Noise
1. With baby laying down safely ring a bell in front of them until they hear it. Once they have heard the bell move it away and sing 'what's that noise, where has it gone'.
2. Wait a few seconds and then bring the ball back and ring it again. Repeat this a few times.
3. As baby gets used to hearing the sound you can ring the bell in different places and see if they move their head towards the sound.
Equipment
A bell. If you do not have a bell, make a shaker at home by filling a cardboard tube with some rice.
Go for a Walk
1. Getting outside and going for a simple walk is an excellent way to stay active for your family and your baby.
2. Use a baby carrier or a baby sling to encourage baby to use their head and neck muscles whilst you move with them.
3. Get outside with the whole family, you don't need to walk far. Start of walking nearby and not going too far from home.
Equipment
Baby carrier or a baby sling. If you don't have a baby sling, lay baby down in their pram so baby kick about.
Balloon Fun
1. This is a great game for the whole family to get involved with (who doesn't love playing with balloons?) Blow up a balloon and hold it in front of your baby so that they can try to touch it.
2. Encourage other family members to keep the balloon off the floor, the smiles and laughter will be a great way of developing senses.
3. If you have a ribbon tie one end of the ribbon to a balloon and the other to babys leg, every time baby kicks or moves, so will the balloon.
Equipment
A balloon and a ribbon.
