5 Great Ways To Naturally Engage Your Baby!

Although very young babies are not able to hold toys or participate in games, even newborns can get bored when parents and caregivers do not interact much with them while they’re awake. This is why it is important to engage your baby with communication, rattles, songs, and of course, comfort. Below are some ways to naturally stimulate babies to help in their development.

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This is the first type of human interaction that most babies experience. Since this occurs primarily with parents, it is a very important early bonding period for children. In fact, it is during this time that the foundation of the parent-child relationship is set. One of the ways to begin to engage small babies is by talking softly and smiling as much as possible. This conveys a sense of comfort and is the first way to introduce sounds, light and images to babies.

2. Fresh air

The outdoors is one of the best ways to naturally engage any child, not matter how young. The outside world offers things that just don’t exist inside, such as sunshine and healthy nature. While it is impractical for a new baby to fully experience the outdoors, one way to introduce them to the great outdoors is through activity mats, a play gym for babies, or bouncers. Mats and bouncers are portable, making them suitable for the backyard, the park, the beach and travel to just about anywhere. These activities all provide important color, sight and sound elements, in addition to letting them be near outdoor grass, trees and bush foliage.

3. Visual Stimuli

The environment provides great amounts of stimuli, so take advantage of this by switching focus often. One way to do this is to move cribs and baby seats toward interesting vantage points. At first, babies are usually unable to see more than just a foot away in great detail. Your baby will still enjoy the delicate shadows that people and things like houseplants and curtains can project onto nearby walls. Objects and décor in your baby’s room can also lend a focal point for your baby to enjoy. Bright colors in the environment also offer a variety of interesting shapes for babies to view.

4. Activity Hub

Place bassinets, bouncy seats and play mats near the hub of activity in the room. For example, encourage family to interact with your baby often. This will help them to recognize speech patterns early. Keep babies beside you and others while watching television or reading. Get into the habit of taking your baby with you as you move about the house. These types of stimuli will invigorate your baby’s mind with the many different types of sights and sounds.

5. Baby’s Proximity

Carry your baby around in a sling or strap on baby carrier. This provides a great way for babies to see things from different vantage points with color, sound and movement stimuli. The rhythm of movement is equal to a dance or massage but also includes a panoramic view of life as your baby sees and hears the sounds of every location. Go for walks in parks and gardens so the baby can see and experience all that the world has to offer. An added benefit for all of these devices is that they allow you to be hands free.

By switching up various activities with babies, they will quickly advance through critical stages of development such as learning to hold their heads up, rolling over, crawling, walking and talking. The different ways to stimulate your baby’s learning processes are almost endless. As a parent, you will truly enjoy their advancements.

Nadine Swayne offers this information to all parents taking an active role in their child’s development. Parents through many resources can attain finding stimulation for your baby’s mind and early learning methods. Whether you choose to use a play gym for babies by Brightstarts, or natural settings, your baby will greatly benefit with your engagement in their education process.