How to play with one month old

Learning, Play, and Your 1- to 3-Month-Old (for Parents)

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

en español Aprendizaje, juego y su hijo de 1 a 3 meses

After learning to recognize your voice, your face, and your touch, and to associate them with comfort, your baby will start responding even more to you during these months — and will even give you a smile!

Babies this age spend more time awake and become more curious about their surroundings. They are getting stronger and starting to coordinate movements. Encourage the learning process by talking to your little one, responding to any vocal expressions, and providing colorful age-appropriate toys.

In the first month or two of life, newborns depend on others to lead interaction. But by the end of the third month, your baby will engage you with facial expressions and vocalizations. You'll begin to see your baby's personality emerge!

Your baby will carefully watch your facial expressions and listen to your voice, responding to you with sounds and gurgles. At around 2 months, babies seem happy to see caregivers and smile when they talk or smile at them.

Babies also start to open and shut their fists. This means they may be able to hold a rattle placed in their hands. They'll soon discover that they're the ones that make the rattle make noise!

Respond to coos and gurgling with sounds of your own. Encourage your baby to keep “talking.” In this way, your little one learns about language and back-and-forth conversation.

Provide colorful toys of different textures, shapes, and sizes for your baby to hold and explore. This is a good age to introduce an infant gym with interesting objects that dangle for your baby to swat at. Or hold a toy just out of reach for your baby to reach for, swat, and try to grab hold of. But don't string up toys on cribs or other baby equipment — your baby could get tangled in them.

Watch for signs — fussing, squirming, or crying — that your little one might be ready for a break.

Other ideas for encouraging your baby to learn and play:

• Gently clap your baby's hands together or stretch arms (crossed, out wide, or overhead).
• Gently move your baby's legs as if pedaling a bicycle.
• Use a favorite toy for your baby to focus on and follow, or shake a rattle for your infant to find.
• Make different facial expressions for your baby to imitate.
• Talk to your baby and let your baby respond.
• Read to your baby.
• While awake, let your baby spend some time lying on the tummy to help strengthen the neck and shoulders. Always supervise your infant during "tummy time" and be ready to help if they get tired or frustrated in this position. Never put a baby to sleep on their stomach. Infants should sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

There is a wide range of normal development, so some children may gain skills earlier or later than others.

Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about how your baby sees and hears, or if you have any questions or concerns about your baby's development.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

Date reviewed: May 2022

20 Ways to Play with Your Newborn & 0-3 Month Old

by Ann McKitrick

Congratulations! Whether you have already welcomed your newest family member, or are still gearing up for the big day, you may be wondering about how to play with your newborn.

Play is a critical element to healthy childhood development and how kids experience playtime changes as they grow! Your baby’s short wake time and limited abilities (vision, motor control, communication, etc.) can make it challenging to create engaging play experiences at this age.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered with 20 different ways to play with your newborn!

Strengthen your baby’s abdominal muscles and increase his body awareness by gently moving his legs in a cycling motion. This activity also introduces the idea of alternating motion (one leg, then the other), which he’ll need to understand in order to crawl and walk.

Encourage visual tracking development by offering mobiles to your baby for gazing. Some great spots for mobiles are over a changing table and in a common hang out space where your family spends time. We hung a mobile in our living room for our baby to enjoy.

Change out the mobile every few weeks to keep your baby interested. This doesn’t have to be a solo activity. Lay down beside your baby and share in the activity!

Develop your baby’s balance and strengthen her neck muscles by securely holding her on top of a large beach ball or yoga ball. Gently roll your baby back and forth and talk to your baby about what she’s experiencing.

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Flatter your baby by imitating her sounds and expressions. It communicates to your baby that she matters, that you are paying attention to her, and models the communication process.

With an infant’s need for physical contact and rhythmic motion, wearing your baby is the perfect way to meet these needs. There are all sorts of baby carriers out there, so take your pick and strap on your little one.

Mirror play is a wonderful activity for babies, even the littlest ones. Prop a mirror near your baby’s face during tummy time or hold your baby in front of a mirror. She will love marveling at her beautiful face (and yours!).

Like the airplane game, swinging also provides good vestibular input for your baby. You can hold your baby and gently sway together on a hammock or swing. I found it very comfortable to wear my baby in a carrier and swing at the playground together.

Going on vacation soon? Check out our guide to traveling with a baby!

8. Black and White

A newborn’s vision is not fully developed when they are born. They can most easily see high-contrast images, such as bold black and white patterns.

Print off or make your own high-contrast pictures and hang them where your baby can easily see them. Some good places are where your baby does tummy time and on the changing table. Look at and talk about these pictures as you play with your newborn.

You can help your baby’s circulatory and digestive system develop by massaging your baby with gentle pressure and motion. Choose a time when both you and your baby are relaxed to do this activity.

Use baby lotion or unscented, natural, edible oil (like grapeseed, almond, or olive oil) to massage your baby.

Feeling different textures is an easy sensory activity you can do with even the littlest babies. You can gently run your baby’s hands over a variety of textures or offer her pieces.

Some ideas are scarves, baskets, pillows, and clothes. Take a quick look around the room and I’m sure you’ll see all kinds of textures to offer your child.

Reading with your child is one of the best gifts you can give them. Even the littlest babies are learning when you read to them. Plus, your baby will enjoy the snuggles and the sound of your voice.

Give your baby a new perspective on life (and some vestibular input) by holding your baby face down using your arm across his tummy to support him.

This position can be helpful for gassy babies, but un-gassy babies will enjoy it too! Gently sway your baby side to side. You can even make airplane noises if you want.

Talking is teaching. One of the most essential aspects of language development is talking, and it starts from Day 1 (some would even argue it starts in the womb). Talk to your baby often throughout the day.

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Dancing is a delightful way to play with your newborn and bond with your child while offering the physical contact and swaying motion your baby loves. Put on some groovy beats and dance the night away (on second thought, maybe just stick to the daytime).

Young babies are interested in moving objects and light and dark patterns. Capture your baby’s interests by playing with a flashlight in a darkened room. Shine the light on different objects and cast shadows too. Your baby will be fascinated.

Babies are born with a heightened sense of smell. In fact, babies can recognize the smell of their mothers immediately after birth.

Stimulate your baby’s senses by passing pleasant scents (like flowers, citrus fruits, and vanilla) beneath your baby’s nose. She won’t be able to voluntarily sniff yet, but she’ll enjoy noticing the new smells.

Strengthen your baby’s neck muscles by doing an infant version of this adult exercise. Lay your baby on a blanket and sit at her feet facing her.

Securely grasp the top corners of the blanket near her head and gently bring her towards you. Gently lay her back down. Repeat this several times until your baby shows you she’s tired by squirming or looking away.

Take time to make meaningful eye contact with your baby. Eye contact helps foster attachment and teaches the nuances of nonverbal communication.

After being in fetal position for so many months, newborns are quite curled up. Gently stretch your baby’s arms and legs one at a time. This helps develop body awareness and stretches their muscles. Of course, if your baby doesn’t enjoy the stretches, stop immediately.

Research suggests that newborns are able to recognize music they heard regularly in the womb. If your baby had any regular sounds he was exposed to in the womb, play those sounds.

If your baby didn’t hear any music consistently enough to recognize it in the womb, choose a few songs to start playing or singing for your baby now. Familiar music will stimulate your baby’s mind and can help soothe them.

Pin this blog post for later!

Want more ideas for how to play with your newborn? Check out Parenting in the First 3 Years.

Wondering what to do when baby wants to cry instead of play? We’ve got all the reasons newborn babies cry!

Your baby will be older soon. Make sure you visit our posts on play ideas for 3-6 month olds and 6-9 month olds and pin them for later!

Games for children 1-2 months old

More on the topic:

Baby 6 to 7 months old, what to do with him Baby 5 to 6 months, what to do with him Baby 4 to 5 months. What to do with him Child from 3 to 4 months. What to do with him Infant from 2 to 3 months. What to do with it

Educational games for babies 1-2 months stimulate the senses and expand the baby's perception of the outside world (voices, smells, movement). During the 2nd month of life, the reaction of the child to the behavior of adults becomes more distinct. The baby improves coordination of movements, vision and hearing. Lying on his stomach, he can move his head from side to side. But remember to support your baby's head when you take him out of the crib or carry him in your arms. The kid is able to track the movement of the toy at a distance of 20-30 cm. The child is interested in new non-speech and speech sounds. He reacts differently to them: loud ones frighten him, and calm, quiet music calms him down. nine0021

The baby sleeps less, responds better to sounds and bright light, feels good touches on the body, more actively shows by his behavior that he is uncomfortable. During this period, you will be able to determine (if you are attentive to the child’s signals) when the baby feels good and when it’s bad, why he screams (from pain, hunger, or to attract attention), how best to hold and carry him in your arms, how calm him down, how to feed and put him to bed,
By observing the behavior and reactions of the child, you can cope with the difficulties that will arise in the first months. nine0021

You can already begin to decide what toys a child needs up to a year. At 1-2 months, show your baby sounding and luminous toys, as well as toys made of different materials (plastic, wood, rubber, rag, etc.). Talk to the child, sing songs to him, dance with him, gently rocking. All this develops hearing, vision, tactile sensitivity. However, too intense communication and continuous stimulation with sounding and luminous toys can tire the child - he will begin to act up or cry. In this case, let the baby rest. And if the baby is crying, take him in your arms, gently shake him and, when the baby calms down, put him in the crib. nine0021

Remember that you can communicate and engage with your child at any time when he is awake and feels good.

• Talk to your baby whenever he sees you and when you approach him Talk about the baby, about your feelings for him, about what you will do now. Change your intonation, speak softly and loudly. This will help the child to further understand the situation and respond appropriately to it.
• During feeding, the baby should see your face (make brighter lips, eyebrows) to observe the change in facial expressions. nine0031
• If you are bottle feeding, put a striped bottle cap (preferably black and white) on the bottle. The strips attract attention and stimulate vision.
• Wear perfume or toilet water even when you are at home. The baby will learn about your approach to him or removal by smell.
• When dressing and undressing the child, touch his body lightly at first, then more intensely. By naming the parts of the body that you touch, you help your baby recognize his body. nine0031
• Blow on the arms, tummy, face of the child: at first lightly and gently, then more intensively. This develops tactile sensitivity, while at the same time the baby continues to recognize his body.
• Place a terry towel on the bottom of the tub while bathing. Wash the baby first with your hand, and then with a soft terry cloth.
• Play hide-and-seek with your baby when you dress him after bathing: cover your face with your hand or the edge of the diaper, then open and say: "Cuckoo." nine0031
• During wakefulness, change the position of the child, laying him on his stomach, on his side, on his back.
• When the baby is awake, you can do special exercises to develop hearing, vision, smell, tactile sensitivity.
• It is necessary to introduce the child to different sounds. You can wear a bracelet with bells or a bell on the leg or handle. By moving the legs and arms, the baby will hear sounds.
• While holding the baby in your arms, recite short rhythmic verses and move around the room. In this way, you will introduce the child to the rhythm and pace of speech. nine0031
• Talk to your baby when you enter the room where his crib is. As you approach, he will hear speech from different distances.
• Continue to introduce the child to the new sensations of touching the body with different materials. Stroke the baby's arms and legs with scraps of various fabrics (satin, silk, velveteen, flannel, etc.) or put them under bare legs for a short time.
• Sweep a soft sponge or brush over baby's bare legs and arms. He will begin to actively move them and experience new sensations from soft touches. nine0031
• By introducing a child to smells, you develop his sense of smell. Bring to the baby's nose, for example, vanilla or mint eau de toilette and let him smell it.
• Hang the toy with a rubber band in the child's field of vision. Stretch the elastic occasionally so that the toy "jumps" up and down. Over time, the baby will learn to follow the toy with his eyes and grab it. For these purposes, a soft rattle-pendant is also perfect: the child pulls it towards himself, lets go - and the toy vibrates funny. nine0031
• Move toys suspended above the crib periodically to the right and left of the center. The kid will learn to track the direction of movement.
• Make a cardboard face and show it to the child at a distance of 20-25 cm from his face. Move the face to the right and left so that the baby follows its movement with his eyes. At this age, children are very fond of looking at a human face, even at its schematic representation.

To form your child's first ideas about the surrounding reality and enjoy the magical moments of communication, play with him as early as 1-2 months! nine0021

games with newborns 1 month

30.10.2016

43920

83

Child development

0-3 months

Author

team Babysleep

team Babysleep

Our life is a constant movement. Already in the womb, the baby is actively moving, turning over, sucking his thumb. During childbirth, the child goes through a very difficult path, making seemingly unimaginable movements for him. nine0021

0–4 months. Improve sleep in 3 weeks

Games with newborns at 1 month

In the first 1-2 months, the baby reacts to the world reflexively. He rejoices when movements help him interact with the world. From the first month of life, educational games for a child will be useful and help to quickly adapt to the world.

The most useful educational games for a newborn are related to movement. Note what is pleasant for the child, and from what he turns away and pulls back his legs and arms. Choose only those games for the child that make him feel good. You will learn other games a little later, when the child is ready. nine0021

Poll

What sleeping position was recommended for your baby in the maternity hospital?

(you can choose one or more options)

• on the side
• on the back
• on the stomach
• by the half -sided
• did not say anything

voted: 37272

Developing games per month (2-4 weeks) .

Your baby is only one month old. But you can already help him learn new movements. Now your baby is awake very little, so during the first month of life, choose the most convenient time between sleep and feeding to play with your baby. Over the next months, the games will be longer and more varied. nine0021

Reflex crawling relieves tension in children. Having spent strength, the child gets tired and then sleeps well.

The games of the baby during the first months of life are very simple. Many of these games in the future you will repeat and improve. Now choose games that develop the baby physically and strengthen his close contact with you. Let the baby play with one object longer, do not offer anything extraordinary. The main thing is that the games of 1 month correspond to the age and individual characteristics of the baby. nine0021

Recommended games for a child per month

Game 1. Push off with feet

The baby lies on his back. Place your palms on his feet. The child will bend and unbend the legs, trying to crawl forward.

Game 2. Grab your finger

When you put your finger on your baby's hand, he will grab it tightly and won't let go if you try to move it.

The distribution of games by months is not accidental. The child's games per month are based on the alternation of active and relaxing activities. So the baby will have the opportunity to relax and consolidate new knowledge. nine0021

Game 3. Feet on stomach

The baby lies on his back. Press your palm on his feet. Watch the child so that he bends and unbends his legs. He will stop resisting when he gets tired. If the child only unbends the legs, then it is better to postpone this game for the time being.

Game 4. Stroking the baby's feet

Stroke the arch of the child's foot inside and out. The baby will turn the leg with your movements. Touch your baby's toes with your finger and he will squeeze them. Stroke the middle of the foot - the toes will straighten. Such games develop the muscles of the legs and warm them. nine0011

Let your child lie naked more often. Rompers, booties limit his movements. Without clothes, babies move more and worry less.

Game 5. Stroking

Run your palms over the child's body, tickle his tummy with a feather. The baby will stick out his stomach if he likes it.

A child's games per month are mainly related to the tactile sensations of the baby. Pet him with a soft and rough, but not traumatic fabric, plush toy. Pay attention to when the baby pushes your hand away. This will give you a better idea of ​​which item he likes to play with and which he doesn't. nine0021

Stroke the child's back. Newborn babies love it. Such a "massage" makes children raise their heads. And this game can also be turned into a sleep ritual that will help you put your baby to sleep faster.

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