Early Infant Activities

Oh there are so many activities to do with my little man. I found some fun ideas on productive parenting.com

 Some I've tried and some I have yet to try.

 

 

Prisms

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

glass prism

What To Do:

Hang a glass prism in a sunny window. Spin the prism around. Let your child observe the colors moving around the room. If you don't have a prism handy, attach a small mirror to a ribbon and hang it in the window.

Animal Book

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

animal book

What To Do:

Use one of the books that has an animal on each page. Point to the cow and say, "The cow says ''Moo.'' Do this with other animals in the book. Reading to your infant every day is a wonderful habit to develop together. Books help your infant begin to understand the world. It''s not too early to develop this habit.

Ball Roll

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

ball

What To Do:

Enjoy watching your infant's movements while stretching all around. It may be fun to place a ball on the blanket with your infant. Put it near your infant's feet. If your infant moves the ball, you can tell your infant, "You moved the ball." Continue to provide positive feedback as you see your infant move in different ways. It is important to talk to your infant throughout the day. Even though your infant may not understand what you are saying, language is being assimilated.

Bells

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

bells

What To Do:

Early learning takes place by using all 5 senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. This activity will enhance your child's sense of hearing. Attach some bells on your child's soft booties. Lay your child down facing you and put the booties on your child's feet. Observe your child's reaction to the sound of the bell.

Body Parts

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

While massaging your child, say the names of your child's body parts. Put your child's hands together and say, "Hands". Stretch your child's legs and say, "Legs." Repeat with nose, ears, etc.

Chime Time

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

chimes

What To Do:

Children love hearing the sound of chimes! Have colorful chimes hanging in your house. Hold your child above your head. Your child will have to stretch to reach the chimes. Allow your child to touch the chimes. Bring your child down and say, "You made the chimes ring! "

Fabric Fun

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

fabric samples

What To Do:

Your child learns by using the sense of touch. Collect several pieces of soft fabric samples. Gently rub your child's cheeks with each piece of fabric. Notice the ones your child likes.

Finger Fun

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Your child loves to play with you! Play, "I'm going to get you." Move your fingers up and down. Gently go toward your child while saying, "I'm going to get you." When you reach your child's stomach say, "I love you." Observe your child's reaction.

Grasping

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

toy

What To Do:

Children love to grasp objects. Place a favorite toy on a ribbon. Hang it in front of your child. Observe to see if your child tries to grasp the object. This may take some time. 

Hearing

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

While your infant is seated in an infant seat, shake a rattle to the left. Then shake the rattle to the right. Speak to your infant in a soft and gentle voice as you move from one side to the other. Your infant loves hearing the sound of your soft voice!

Hearing you Talk

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Your infant loves to hear your voice. Tell your infant what you are doing. Describe your infant's surroundings. Be sure to pause and speak softly. Look to see if your infant reacts by moving when you speak.

Holding

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

When you hold your infant close to you, look into your infant's eyes. Vision is blurred at first. Infants can see best at the distance your infant is during feeding time. When you speak to your infant, use a soft, steady voice. This helps your infant feel safe, secure, and loved. 

Imitation

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

A fun game is to place your child in a position to focus on your face. Let your tongue protrude as far as you can. Do this slowly about 5 or 6 times. Notice any movement your child may have. This may take some time. Your child will need practice but may eventually imitate your actions. Imitation is a complex activity for a young child.

Infant Situps

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

soft blanket

What To Do:

This fun infant game is a good way to exercise neck muscles. Lay your infant facing up on a soft blanket. Hold on to your infant's hands and wrists then count, "One, Two, Three, Up!" Gently pull your infant to a sitting position. Gently lower your infant back down to the lying position, then repeat.

Kicking Game

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Your child's legs seem to be in constant motion when awake. Place a toy or stuffed animal on a ribbon and hang it where your child can kick it. It will be more interesting if the toy makes a sound. You may want to help your child with the first kick. Observe how long your child stays with this activity.

Leg Kicks

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

pillow, plate

What To Do:

Infants love to kick their little legs.  Today, when your infant is face up on the floor on a blanket, try holding a plastic plate or pillow within easy reach of your infant's legs.  You may need to guide the feet to the object at first.  When contact is made, your infant will feel the object and be excited with you as you praise the feat. Once your infant understands the 'game' it will be fun to practice repeatedly.

Listening

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

When you have your infant facing you, try making different pitches with your voice. Watch your infant's facial expressions as you do this. Your infant is becoming accustomed to 'all' of your voices!

Massage

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

After bath time, try gently, (but somewhat firmly), massaging your infant's body. If your infant has discomfort, a massage may be calming and soothing. Massaging your infant's feet can be especially relaxing. Lightly encircle one of your infant's limbs with your hand. Lightly massage your infant's hand or foot in a circular motion. Repeat for all the limbs. Using 2 fingers, slowly massage your infant's trunk in clockwise circles. Turn your infant over and massage your infant's back. Repetitive downward massaging is calming for your infant.

Motion

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Talk softly and gently to your infant as you engage during this 'exercise.' Lay your infant on a blanket facing you. Grasp the edges of the blanket with both hands close to the top of your infant's head. Pull the blanket up gently, then gently lower it. Speak softly to your infant as you move the blanket.

Moving to Rhymes

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Place your child on a blanket on the floor. Recite some nursery rhymes. Your child may move to the rhythm of the rhymes. Some will react by making sounds. What does your infant do?

Noticing

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Your child is learning about the world through the sense of hearing. Take your child outside. Let your child listen to the birds, the wind, and other sounds. Talk about the sounds. You can stay inside and listen to the sounds in your home, (clock ticking, washing machine running, etc.) What does your infant notice?

On and Off

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

This activity will help your child understand the concept of 'on and off'. Help your child try turning on a light or ceiling fan, using a light or fan switch. Say, "On" when the light or fan goes on and "Off" when it goes off.

Paper Kick

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

freezer paper or wax paper

What To Do:

Place a large piece of freezer paper under your infant. It should be long enough to stay in place in order for your infant to be able to kick and hear the sound it makes.

Peek-a-boo

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Playing with your child strengthens your relationship. Place your infant on a soft blanket or in an infant seat. Put a cloth over your face. Pull it away and say, "Peek-a-boo!" 

Photography Fun

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

camera

What To Do:

Take some time today to capture the beauty of your new child through photographs that you will cherish for years to come! Surround your child with special stuffed animals and take several photos.  You will be thankful to have these precious memories as your child begins to grow and change in the coming months.

Pulling

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Children love pull toys! Use a safe toy with a pull string. Hold your child on your lap. Put the string in your child's hand. Observe what happens as your child pulls the toy. Repeat the activity a few times until your child sees the cause and effect of the activity.

Rest Time

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Your infant may be sleeping during most of the day during the first few months. Although there will always be things for you to do, try to join your child in getting some rest during the front end of nap time. Try doing whatever it is that brings you peace and refreshment in order to be energized during your infant's wakeful times.

Ringing Bell

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

bells

What To Do:

Your child is developing the ability to visually track. Place your child in an infant seat. Take a bell and ring it above your child's head. Do the same to the left and right of your child. Observe your child and notice if your child's eyes follow the bell.

Rocking Pillow

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

towels

What To Do:

Infants love to rock, (back and forth as well as side to side). Place your infant tummy down on top of a large soft pillow rolled up, making sure it supports the head, chest, stomach, and thighs. Gently rock your infant side to side with both hands. 

Seeing

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Children learn by using their sense of sight. Once your child is able to focus, try placing a colorful blanket on the back of your sofa. Put your child on his/her back so the colors are visible. Observe how long your child looks at the blanket. This is the beginning of concentration. Be sure to not interrupt your child's concentration. This is an important life skill.

Singing

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

This is one of my favorite songs to sing with children! Put your child on a soft blanket. As you sing, "Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes," touch each part of your child's body.

Singing about Our Day

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

When you are rocking your child to sleep today, sing about the day your child had with you. Sing the song in sequence. Example: "This morning we went to the store." 

Soft Music

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Dancing with your infant is a wonderful way to calm and make your infant feel loved. Play your favorite music softly and hold your infant securely against your chest, dancing slowly and smoothly around the room.

Sounds

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

rattle

What To Do:

Show your child a rattle or toy that makes a sound. Move the toy over your child's head. Now move the toy from the left to right side of your child. Is your infant following the movement of the toy?

Stretching

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

It is stretching time! Put a favorite toy just beyond your child's reach. Let you child stretch to get the toy.

Surround Sounds

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Your infant loves to hear your voice. Try placing your infant in an infant seat. Walk around the room while speaking or singing. Your infant is listening and hearing the sound of your voice, even though your infant doesn't turn in your direction.

Sweet Talk

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

By talking 'sweetly' to your infant, your infant will feel loved. Your soft, steady voice is comforting to your infant. 

Talking

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Your infant is a captive audience for you. You can say anything and your infant will love hearing it! Tell your infant about your day, about how you feel about being a mom (dad, etc.). Your infant loves to hear the sound of your voice!

Toe Time

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Children love poetry! Recite the rhyme as you touch each of your child's toes. "This little pig went to market. This little pig stayed home. This little pig had roast beef. This little pig had none. And this little pig cried 'Wee-wee-wee all the way home'."

Tummy Time

Target Age:

Early Infant

Materials You Will Need:

mirror

What To Do:

Your child sometimes needs a change of scenery by placing your child on the tummy. Do this for only short periods of time. This will help with head control. Have a mirror for your child to see a reflection.

Up and Down

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Your child learns language concepts through play. While your child is on a soft blanket, hold your child's hands. Gently bring your child's hands down to the sides of the body. Gently bring them up to a wide arc above your child's head. Repeat as you sing, "Here we go up. Now we come down."

Whispering

Target Age:

Early Infant

What To Do:

Your infant is used to hearing your voice. Go to a quiet space and whisper in your infant's ear. Whisper in the other ear. Is your infant turning the head to hear each sound?