Ten Skill-Building Activities for Infants: Birth to 3 Months

Infants are learning and growing in understanding every waking moment. Each day provides plenty of opportunities to stimulate your little learner. You don’t need fancy toys or expensive doodads.  Actually, you have just about everything you need right on your own body, or around the house.  Here are ten inexpensive ways to provide priceless learning activities for your child from birth to 3 months.
Activity	Description	Skill Development
Swaying	Using lap as a cradle, lay baby on lap with feet toward our stomach, Gently hold head and rock your body from side to side. Look into their eyes as you sway.	§  Body Awareness §  Listening §  Visual Awareness
Ribbon or Scarf Play	Hold the scarf or ribbon) 8-10 inches from baby’s face; slowly move from side to side; move it up and down (near & far); touch to tummy and brush cheek	§  Tactile Stimulation §  Visual Development §  Visual tracking
Dance with Baby	Holding baby, rock, sway and slowly turn around to different kinds of music.  This is great to keep mommy in shape, too!	§  Listening   §  Rhythm §  Social & Emotional         Development
Baby Sit-ups	With baby on her back and on a blanket; grasp edges of blanket on both edges (near top of her head); pull baby up gently, then lower.  Repeat gently to help strengthen baby’s neck muscles.	§  Balance §  Body Awareness §  Upper-body Strength
Mirror	Hold a mirror up so your baby can see his reflection; say his/her name. using normal and fun intonations.  Babies of all ages will love this.	§  Emotional & Social      Development §  Visual Development
Airplane Baby	Holding baby on her stomach along one or both of your arms, and swing gently back and forth as baby practices lifting her head and extending arms.  Adding a song and gentle rhythm is comforting to baby	§  Body Awareness §  Upper-body Strength
Textures & Tickles	Use different textures to tickle baby’s tummy, feet, arms and brush along face.  Try feathers, corduroy, satin, fur, burlap, metal, and bumpy plastic.	§  Social Development §  Tactile Stimulation
Blanket Swing	Lay baby on his back on a small blanket.  With a partner holding two corners and you holding the other two corners, GENTLY swing baby side to side, up and down.  Singing or chanting at the same time will add to baby’s enjoyment.	§  Trust & Emotional      Development §  Upper-body strength §  Social Development
Where’s the Toy?	Show baby a brightly colored toy and SLOWLY move it back & forth in front of her field of sight.  Not too far, or baby will think the toy no longer exists and will lose interest.	§  Visual Tracking          §  Object permanence
Diaper Time Play	“Bottoms up; what do I see? Clean baby, happy baby, 1-2-3” Make diaper changing fun and full of language.	§  Language awareness §  Social & emotional §  Body awareness