Infant Stimulation Activity 104: warm breaths

Blow warm breaths over different parts of your baby's body. You can choose body parts that he is progressively learning to control. Since babies develop motor skills from the top down you may first want to focus on his face, then his arms, tummy, then legs as your baby develops from month to month.

Infant Stimulation Activity 103: pompon drop

This stimulation idea incorporates touch, vision and tracking, and cause and effect: with your baby lying on his back hold up a large pompon. Say, "here comes the pompon" then let it drop onto baby's belly. You can then tickle his belly and then give him a kiss. Your baby will not only be stimulated, but very happy to be interacting with you!

And be sure baby gets a chance to check out the pompon. You wouldn't want someone dropping something on your belly unless you knew what it was!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM BABYSMARTEES

Infant Stimulation Activity 102: greetings

Of course your baby recognizes your voice when you are right in front of him or in the same room. By 3 months try something new: call out to your baby before you enter the room. This will teach him to recognize your voice and anticipate your entrance.

When you can, have someone in the room with baby to observe his reaction to your voice before you enter the room.

Infant Stimulation Activity 101: bouncing object

Attach apiece of elastic to a small stuffed animal. Make the animal jump and bounce. At one moth he will probably mostly enjoy the interaction with you. Eventually he will start to try and hit, catch, and grasp it - by that time, remember not to leave your baby alone with the elastic string.

Infant Stimulation Activity 100: which is it?

As early as one month babies can begin to associate sounds with objects. Show baby two objects that make specific sounds, perhaps a rattle and a bell. Show him each object individually and let baby hear its sound; do this a couple of times. Eventually hold up both objects at the same time, but only shake one of them. See if baby knows which object made the sound.

Infant Stimulation Activity 99: a change of scenery

Changing what a baby can see is a nice easy stimulator. If you change your baby's diaper on a changing table or usually in the same place, consider hanging a picture where she can see. Talk to her about what she sees, even after the diaper change is complete. What a great way to incorporate a stimulation activity into an every day (every hour!?) task.

Infant Stimulation Activity 98: texture sticks

As your baby is now reaching, grasping, and feeling any and all objects within his reach, stimulating him with different textures will become more and more fun. An easy item to make is a texture stick. Glue various textured fabrics onto some old-fashioned wooden clothes pins. Burlap, felt, satin, velvet and corduroy are great textured fabrics. As your baby feels each one, talk about it with her. Is the texture smooth, bumpy, scratchy? Your baby will be working on grasping as well enjoying the stimulation of the various textures.

Infant Stimulation Activity 97: tummy kisses

Gently kiss your baby's tummy, toes, and fingers. This gentle stimualtion helps her develop an early awareness of her body parts. And of course she is also becoming aware of the wonderful felling and love she gets from you.

Infant Stimulation Activity 96: Tummy Time Series - 6 months

By now your baby’s development is progressing beyond her head . . . to her back. She probably wants to sit up and look around. Feel free to prop her up with pillows into a sitting position. But continue tummy time sessions and don’t be surprised if tummy time becomes “try to sit up” time or “try to crawl” time. As her gross motor skills (coordination of large muscles) develop she will try to move her whole body around. Put that together with her fine motor skills (using muscles that control smaller movements) and she will be moving, reaching for objects, and even being able to grasp them.


Encourage, encourage, encourage. Your stimulation activity is to get excited as your baby develops these skills. Clap when she gets into a tripod position during tummy time. Get excited as she attempts to sit up. Cheer as she reaches. Celebrate when she takes hold of that object!

Infant Stimulation Activity 95: Tummy Time Series - reach for it

At 5 or 6 months your baby will begin to use her arms to reach in front of her. Be sure to provide lots of opportunity. What is it that she will want to reach for most – a favorite toy or perhaps you nose?

Place either yourself or a toy at a distance where your baby can focus on it and reach for it and possible grasp it. Do this over and over and try placing the object where she has to reach with her right hand, then her left hand. It will be interesting to see if there is any difference in the control she has with one arm versus the other.

Infant Stimulation Activity 94: Tummy Time Series - 5 months

As baby is able to lift her arms off the floor, arch her back, perhaps even kick her feet, don’t be surprised if she falls and rolls onto her back.

Wow! Cheer, clap, tell her she did something great. What an accomplishment!

Remember, she takes her cues form you. If you are happy, excited, and proud, she will be too!