Are you wondering what are the best infant development activities?
Parents always want the best for their kids. This is what makes them super proud.
Developmental activities refer to appropriately using what we know about child development to make the right decisions for early childhood practices.
Moreover, considering individual differences involves understanding how kids develop and learn at various stages and ages. Without the activities or rather inappropriate practice may focus narrowly on learning.
The activities provide necessary experiences to infants to allow them to use their senses freely to explore different and interesting materials and also to hear the language daily. With this, you are allowing them to discover new things in the outside world.
However, as you do this, ensure you listen, observe, and pay close attention to how your toddler responds to these experiences. Ensure you follow their lead instead of imposing what you want to teach them.
In addition, the repetition of experiences is a key factor in their development as their brains yearn for it. Repeating experiences help infants get the time to make sense of the experiences and practice new skills. This is important for these little champs.
Best Development Activities for Infants and Toddlers
For this case, through adequate research and our own personal experiences, we are excited to take you through the 10 (ten) best developmental activities that will assist your toddlers and infants in growing and developing in the best way possible.
1) Carrying and Wearing
As much as babywearing is awesome for keeping your hands free, it is also one amazing way to provide vestibular, tactile, and other important sensory input to your infant. Your baby can experiment with holding their heads up vertically and with close support and supervision. The activity does not seem practical, but carrying your infant in various positions provides some benefits. This is because it assists in sensory input while also allowing for elongation and proper strengthening of the back, neck, and core muscles.
2) Tummy Time
This is one important activity for infants and can be carried out as soon as babies come home from the hospital. The activity gives babies the benefit of important sensory input along with movement experiences that lead to strengthening and improving hand-eye coordination.
3) Rocking and Swaying
This activity is carried out mostly by caregivers. It has more benefits compared to carrying and wearing. Rocking using a rocking chair or simply holding your infant by bouncing gently on an exercise ball is one great way to provide calming vestibular input for your toddlers. The input helps your toddlers to learn about where their body is in space. You can also pair rock your toddler by swaying with a song. It will add the benefit of auditory input as well.
4) Music and Singing
Babies love and enjoy songs. Singing to babies and playing music is one great way to calm and comfort them. In addition, the songs assist babies in differentiating auditory input. For instance, telling the difference between their mom’s familiar voice and someone singing on the radio. Songs are also a great distraction during tummy time, encouraging kids to turn their heads from one side to another.
5) Fun with Faces
Babies love to explore the world through touch. Ensure your toddler can feel the different parts of your face with his hands. As he/she does this, say the names of the parts of the face as he touches them, and then direct your toddler’s hand to his mouth, ears, eyes, and nose. Moreover, guide your baby by placing his hands on your face while you speak and make facial expressions. This will help him learn how we use our faces to communicate.
6) The Use of a String
You can simply turn the toddler’s ordinary toy into a pull-along toy. You can do this by attaching a piece of yarn or a shoelace to your baby’s toy and encouraging them to give it a little tug. Your toddler will be excited to see the effect of pulling the toy on the string. If your toddler is crawling, put the string far from him so that he o she attempts moving and grab it.
7) Testing Out Different Textures
You can do this by trying to lay rugs, blankets, or items with different textures on the floor for your baby to explore as he crawls through them. Moreover, you can also carry your baby around and help him feel the textures of different surfaces, such as a brick wall.
8) Pointing Power
Do this by carrying your baby around and pointing to different objects and things while saying what they are. Your baby may not show the signs of speaking or making any sounds yet, but he is listening and observing as you speak. Do this often, and you will be amazed that he can answer you one day.
9) Reading
For reading purposes, you can use a board or cloth picture book. Ensure you point to the pictures as you read to the baby. Engage the baby by changing your voice for different characters. Also, invite your baby to participate by encouraging her to laugh at the story or act surprised. Reading assists in enhancing language development and listening skills.
10) The Use of Puzzles
Your baby will be ready to use a puzzle when he/she turns one year old. Give them puzzles with colorful shapes and pictures, which will be more effective. Guide their hands by showing and telling them how the puzzle work, and congratulate them when they are successful. Puzzles assist toddlers and infants in enhancing their problem-solving skills, motor skills, and visual skills.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, the above activities will assist in playing and connecting with your babies to get their brain development going. The activities also stimulate your child’s development by bringing some adorable smiles and giggles.
The love, attention, time, and touch with your baby are the most important parts of your child’s developmental activities. It is also important to remember that much of your baby’s learning in her first year will happen naturally as you walk, talk, read, make faces, and interact with her every time.
This is the reason why these activities are very important. You should, therefore, not hesitate to engage your kids in these activities so that they can acquire the most important skills in their lives.
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