Infant Stimulation Activity 34: go for a walk

Okay this sounds basic, particularly as the weather warms up around the country, but I will have to repost this in January! Yes, take your baby for a walk throughout all the seasons. My son was born in January – if I waited for Spring that would have been 4-5 months inside! With a newborn! All day! Every day!

Instead, we bundled up and walked and walked and walked . . . every day. Even if baby is bundled up and the cover is over the stroller, the air is still different, the sounds are different, and the motion is different from indoor activities. This is a great time for you to point out some things, “Do you hear a bird?” “Do you hear a car?” “That is a stop sign.” “That is a fire hydrant.” “Do you see the dog?”

Naturally, in the nicer weather your baby will see more, probably hear more, and that fresh air always makes for some great naps!

Infant Stimulation Activity 33: rhythms and patterns

Round and round the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey stopped to pull up his socks, And Pop! goes the weasel.

Rhyming poetry and nursery rhymes introduce rhythms and patterns to your baby. And with this one, imagine the fun of the sound and facial expression when you get to “Pop! goes the weasel.”

Repeat the verse a few times and bring your baby in for a cuddle!

Infant Stimulation Activity 32: motion

Maybe it is still cold outside where you are, or perhaps today it is raining, or you just do not feel like going outside. Well, there are still lots of ways to put your infant in motion. Here is a video of a baby being pushed back and forth in his high chair. He is having a blast! The most important points are 1)there is extended interaction with the parent 2) the baby is enjoying himself 3)the parent is enjoying himself - seems all three are going on here.



Ways to enhance this activity include lanuage, perhaps saying "near" then "far." Also, you can move the baby to some music, either you can sing, put on a cd or the radio. Above all, have a good time, smile, and watch for when your baby is ready to stop.

Infant Stimulation Activity 31: conversation

Is your baby oohing and aahing, and generally making sounds? Make sure you are responding! See if you can get a conversation going. If you are in the kitchen and he begins to talk, say “Yes, Mama is making dinner. Are you hungry?” Then wait to see if there is a response.

Continue asking questions and pausing so your infant hears the sounds, intonation, and general patterns of language and conversation.

Infant Stimulation Activity 30: exploration

Allow your infant to explore with her hands, her mouth, and her eyes. Naturally she will be using all her senses as she is permitted to sit or lie on the floor and play.

Play with what? Of course it must be something safe for her hands to touch, her mouth to taste, and her nose to smell. Here you can see I gave my son a bowl and spoon! Yes, infant stimulation is not about how much money you can spend on a fancy toy for your child; it is about exploration, learning, fun, and of course interacting with you!

Infant Stimulation Activity 29: facial expressions

Two months and on is a great time to actively show and explain a range of facial expressions. Draw faces on small white paper plates that show smiling, frowning, laughing, crying, and surprise. Show your baby the plate with the laughing face then say "laughing." Then you do a laughing face for your baby and again say, "laughing." Repeat for each plate or until your baby has indicated that she has had enough (she starts to look away, gets fussy, or is crying).

You can also use the plates at other times as a quiet stimulator: put a plate on the side of her crib to enhance visual stimulation.

Infant Stimulation Activity 28: eye-to-eye contact

Are you surprised to learn that eye-to-eye contact, especially with a newborn baby, is a stimulator? Your baby will examine the expression in your eyes as well as on your face. Expressions are an important stimulation to babies.

To get your newborn to focus on your eyes try this stimulator in a room with dimmed lighting. Maintain face-to-face contact and allow baby to examine your face and find your eyes. Make sure you have eye-to-eye contact to ensure your baby is looking at your eyes.

Allow baby to examine your eyes and, again, see the expression in them. This should only last a few seconds as newborns have a small attention span and you can repeat a few more times. For older infants . . . well, that is our next blog!