0-3 month old activities

I wanted to talk more about different activities you can do with your 0-3 month old! Babies may not seem like they are doing too much at this stage but they are developing SO much everyday!

Here are some different activities you can do with your baby:

• Use a bobby pillow and lay them on their tummy or try and prop them up on their elbows

• Baby gyms or mobiles that have contrasting colors (black and white)

• Using lighted toys to work on visual tracking

• Alternate walking around the room mom/dad and look for your baby tracking you

• Singing and dancing to your baby, who doesn't love a good dance party!?

• Swings- start working those vestibular systems early. This will help later down the line with tilting their heads back in the bath or with lessening the chances of getting car sick.

• Yoga balls- I love using yoga or exercise balls! You can prop them up and place their feet on your pelvis. Lay their belly on the yoga ball (they are basically sandwiched between you and the yoga ball.) Once they are comfortable you can slightly rock the yoga ball back and forth. (I can do a video on this!)

• Wearing your baby- there are days where your baby does NOT want to be put down. Take advantage of wearing them (Dads too), you can take advantage and get some skin to skin in!

• Cycling- leg cycles are a fun and easy way to engage with your baby. While they are lying on their back, pick up their legs and cycle them towards their belly. This can also aid with digestion/gas.

Incorporating sensory experiences in the first few months of life:

• Tactile: using a variety of textures to let them explore with their hands, feet and mouth. Scarves, textured toys, pillows, frozen teethers, look around the room and you will find a variety of textures to introduce to your baby

• Smells: different scents are a great way to develop your baby's olfactory system. Diffusers and essential oils are super popular now a days and an easy way to incorporate a variety of smells! I personally love lavender, especially around bedtime! Scented lotions are always a yummy way to bring new and calming smells to your baby.

• Visual: Using contrasting (black and white) different toys, books, Hey Bear! on YouTube has some great sensory videos. My nephew LOVES those videos! Also using different light up toys are a good way to start working on visual tracking.

• Vestibular (Movement): we already discussed swings and using a yoga ball. Other ways to incorporate vestibular are doing "airplane rides". Lay your baby face down in your arms, supporting their head and neck and you can "fly" them around the room.

• Proprioceptive (Body Awareness, tells us where our body is in space): swaddling provides input to the babies joints and it soothing. Massage is another great way to provide proprioceptive input to the baby's little joints.

• Auditory: singing to your baby, using rattles to made sounds, using different instruments or objects around your house to make noise.