In this article
Like many first time parents, you’ve probably read a ton of baby developmental books to prepare for parenthood. Now that your baby is home, you want your child to get all the proper brain stimulation so their potential develops to the fullest.
As young as they are, newborns need interaction and stimulation. Whether you want to try some simple games or you’re barely surviving but would like to read about some aspirational activities, here are some fun (and easy) ways you can interact with your new baby.
Why it’s important to interact with your new baby
Dr. Steph Lee, the spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), explained that the brains of newborns are rapidly growing. “Even the simplest activities help their development in the first month,” Dr. Lee told Mom.com. “The more you talk, read, and sing, the more your baby will learn your voice and bond with you. It also helps with hearing and recognizing sounds.”
Consistent emotional engagement
One of the primary reasons to connect and communicate with your baby is to build bonds of trust between caregiver and child so that they can build healthy emotional bonds and relationships. When parents and caregivers consistently respond to their needs, a foundation of trust and attachment begins. This also allows the baby’s recognition of self to develop faster.
Touch
Research has shown that babies can stop growing if they are not held, hugged, or touched enough — and if the situation is prolonged enough, babies can even die. Remember to touch, hug, nuzzle, kiss, and otherwise physically touch your infant to provide both sensory stimulation as well as comfort.
Skin-to-skin contact
Skin-to-skin contact generally refers to placing the bare chest of a newborn baby on the bare chest of the mother or another caregiver. Benefiting both mothers and infants, it helps calm babies by having them cry less and sleep better — even facilitating brain development and improving neurological function.
How to play with a newborn baby
While it may seem that one month old babies can’t really play with you, that’s not entirely true. Mom Kia Chambers shared with us some of her favorite ways to interact with her baby during the first month. “Some of my favorites were reading to him, playing him music, talking to him, bonding during breastfeeding, laying baby on my chest for tummy time, and of course kisses from mommy!”
Imitate the baby
Mirror back your baby’s behavior in an exaggerated fashion. If they make a face, make the same face back but bigger. Or if they make a sound, repeat it back to them. Seeing their behavior reflected back helps babies learn about their own emotional experience and understand themselves in an extremely basic perceptual manner.
Engage their vision
While babies don’t develop object permanence until 4 to 7 months old, peek-a-boo is a fun way to teach the idea to them and to engage your baby visually. Mostly, it’s fun to catch their startled expressions as they’re absolutely stunned when you disappear and then reappear.
Encourage physical activity
To help develop muscle strength and relieve pressure on the back of their head from sleeping, the AAP recommends supervised tummy time. Grab a thin blanket or playmat, put a few toys just out of reach or a baby book on the ground in front of your baby and let them explore.
Get your newborn involved: One-month old baby activities
It’s easy to overthink when you’re a parent, so don’t worry about finding new or the best ways to interact with your baby. Go for the tried and true — it’s all new to your one month old and they won’t know it’s not original.
Talk and read to your one month old
Hold your baby up close and chat about your day, what you see, or narrate what you’re doing with them. Get into the habit of reading to your child and point out fun illustrations and use different voices for various characters.
Sing to your baby and expose them to music
Sing lullabies and fun songs to your newborn, and play music for them. “I loved singing to my babies. I can’t sing but I love music and they enjoyed it,” nurse and mom of twins Eghe Lenze told us. “They are the only people I sing around still until this day.”
Dance with your newborn
Put on some music and sway or dance (gently!) around the room while holding your baby. Not only will you get a leg up on introducing your kid to your favorite artists, you’ll get some exercise and your newborn will experience movement and different sensations.
Just like adults and older children, babies can become overstimulated. If you find them looking away from the main action or becoming fidgety and fussy, give their developing brains a break. Remember children all develop at different rates and there is a wide range of what is considered normal. If you are concerned about your baby’s development, please consult a medical professional.
