The first year of your baby is fun. There are so many changes that take place that you will wonder how fast time flies. In just a blink, you’ll be looking at your newborn baby asleep, and then to a baby that sits, crawls, and fills your home with laughter and tiny babbles. Your baby grows at their own pace, but you can encourage their growth with certain activities.
You can engage your kids in brain-stimulating activities as early as the first month to help them familiarize themselves with their environment. In the early years, encouraging development can be done through playtime. However, there are several activities your children can have fun with and learn skills from.
Playing is also a great way to build a bond with your kids. Here are some activity suggestions from experts to encourage growth and development.
Tummy Time
The first activity your babies can do is tummy time. At first, you can support your kids, especially if they can’t roll over themselves. Tummy time is a good sensory exercise. Your kids can feel and sense new things, which can help them familiarize themselves with their environment. It also teaches them to move.
Tummy time will encourage your kids to crawl and lift their arms. This activity will help them build strength. Reaching for toys also develops hand-eye coordination. There are appropriate toys for tummy time, so get some for your baby. Doctors recommend that tummy time for babies between 0–6 months old be in bed.
When your kids can support themselves during tummy time or preferably when they’re six months or older, you can let them do their tummy time on play mats so they have more space to explore.
Listening to Music
Music brings many benefits to babies. Listening and playing music is a great speech and auditory growth activity that promotes creativity and vocabulary. There are numerous methods to include music in your child’s daily activities. For example, you can sing to them or even play classical music before bedtime.
You can also let them watch nursery rhyme videos. Just be mindful of their screen time. Moreover, you can let your kids create their own music. You can get them musical instruments like maracas, mini xylophones, bells, or hand drums. Babies will enjoy hitting and shaking these instruments, and they’ll be amazed at the sound they produce.
Hide and Find Game
The hide and find game is more on the cognitive development side. The game of hide and seek can be played in a variety of ways. The most basic game you can do is have three cups and hide their favorite toy under one. Then, jumble the cups and let them find the toy. This game will greatly improve their memory skills.
The second choice is to conceal their toys in various locations across the house. This set-up is much better when your kids can walk on their own. Moving around the house promotes leg coordination and muscle strengthening. This game will keep your kids busy for some time and tire them out, which will help them sleep better and longer.
Follow the Leader
A simple game of following the leader can help with cognitive and development of motor skills. Encourage your kids to copy your movements, like putting your hands over your head, clapping, and stomping. You can increase the difficulty of your movements for older kids.
Kicking motions, jumping, squatting, and jogging in place can be enjoyable for your kids while they get their needed exercise. In addition, strengthening their muscles in the early stages will help them to learn to walk faster. Just remember to assist your kids, so they don’t injure themselves.
Play Ball
Playing ball has different benefits, including socialization skills. Little kids love playing with balls. This should be your go-to toy when shopping for your kids. Get balls of different sizes and textures or even a ball pit. Let them toss, roll, shoot and squeeze the ball to develop arm muscle strength.
In addition, playing ball is a good way for your kids to make friends. Sharing their toys and playing with other kids will improve their socialization. You can start practicing your kid’s socialization by encouraging them to play with their siblings.
Story Time During Bedtime
Reading stories to your kids is a great way to end their day. It is a great bonding time between parent and child and makes their imagination work. Doctors recommend getting books for your kids with descriptive and vibrant graphics for visual stimulation.
Reading aloud also encourages them to speak. At some point, your kids will start to mimic the words you say. They may not learn how to read yet, but they will surely understand your words.
Coloring and Painting
When your children are in a high chair, coloring and painting are fantastic pastimes. There are big coloring books that your kids will love coloring. For painting, you can put different shades of paint in a Ziploc bag, and your kids can swirl their fingers and play with the paint without making a mess.
Their creative side will surely benefit from coloring activities. Just remember to get non-toxic coloring materials in case your little one tries to put it in their mouth. Also, ensure that the paints and markers you get are water-based because kids are likely to write on any surface when holding their coloring materials.
Ashtonbee’s Baby Play Mat for A Safe Play Space
At some point in their growing stage, your kids will get more energetic, and sometimes they can’t simply stay in one place. Restricting your kids will only make them irritable. So instead, make a safe place by installing foam mats in their play area.
A baby floor mat is an excellent way to protect your kids from the hard floor. In addition, baby play mats are easily available in the market. But which brand offers a great deal for your money? Ashtonbee offers you a wide collection of baby essentials.
Let’s examine the outstanding qualities of the foam play mat from Ashtonbee.
- The baby foam mat provides substantial padding to safeguard your children from falls and slips.
- The foam floor mat is foldable, so you can easily keep it when not in use. It’s also reversible, and the designs are compatible for all ages.
- The mat has an anti-slip feature and is large enough to cover a big space.
- The baby play mat is guaranteed to be baby-safe. It is constructed of non-toxic components and is formaldehyde-, BPA-, latex-, and phthalate-free.
- The play mat is easy to maintain and sanitize. In addition, the foam material has anti-microbial properties and is hypoallergenic.
Ashtonbee also offers a playpen for your kids. If you don’t want them wandering too far around the house, go and check it out.
Final Thoughts
Playtime is an essential part of a growing baby. Let your kids experience their surroundings to help them develop their needed skills. These are some examples of developmental activities you can do with your kids. Be creative and fun as possible. And get involved with your baby’s playtime to encourage bonding.
Don’t forget to babyproof your spaces with Ashtonbee’s baby play mat for fun and secure playtime. We also have baby toys, bikes, and other essentials such as feeding gadgets, pillows, and safety accessories. Shop with us now!
