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Learning is Child's Play When babies play, they are learning about themselves and the world around them. Play encourages social growth, language growth, problem solving, and imagination. Play is the primary way that infants learn how to move, communicate, socialize, and understand their surroundings. And during the first month of life, your baby will primarily learn by interacting with you.
One of the first things your baby will learn is to associate the feel of your touch, the sound of your voice, and the sight of your face with getting his or her needs for comfort and food met.
You can encourage your newborn to learn by stimulating your newborn's senses in positive way - with smiles, smoothing sounds and gentle caresses.
How Can I Encourage My Newborn to Learn?
All of the ways that you take care of your newborn are helping him or her learn. As you feed and change your infant, and put him or her to sleep, your infant is learning to recognize your touch, the sound of your voice, and the sight of your face.
In the first few weeks you may want to introduce some simple, age-appropriate toys that appeal to the sense of sight, hearing, and touch, such as:
* rattles
* textured toys
* musical toys
* unbreakable crib mirrors
It's a good idea to choose toys and mobiles with contrasting colors and patterns. Strong contrasts (such as red, white, and black), curves and symmetry will stimulate your infant's developing vision. As your infant's vision improves and he or she gains more control over his or her movements, your baby will interact more and more with the environment.
Here are some other ideas for encouraging your newborn to learn and play:
* Put on some soothing music. Hold your baby, and gently sway and move to the tune.
* Pick a soothing song or lullaby and softly sing it to your infant on a regular basis. The familiarity of the sound and words will have a soothing effect, particularly during fussy times.
* Smile, stick out your tongue, and make other expressions for your infant to study, learn, and imitate.
* Use a favorite toy for the infant to focus on and follow or shake a rattle for your infant to find.
* When your infant is awake, let your baby spend some time on his or her tummy to help strengthen the neck and shoulder. Always supervise your infant during "tummy time" and be ready to help if he or she gets tired or frustrated in this position. Never put your infant to sleep on his or her stomach. Infants should sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
* Talk to your baby. | | |
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