The first six months of a baby’s life are important as well as the most amazing. During this time, we see our little ones develop and turn into beautiful tiny people who can sit and play, with assistance of course. While babies develop at their own pace, there are many activities you can try with them that is proven to boost growth and development. Play and movement in different positions can help in building strength and coordination in our little ones. 

Doing developmental activities with your baby will also help you bond with them and eventually result in you becoming a great observer as you will start learning more about them from the get-go. Stimulating your baby's brain during this time will help them learn things that will get them in touch with their environment

Here are a few of our favourite activities that help in developmental skills and guarantee some adorable giggles. But, do remember that even though we can do these fun activities, much of the development happens every day while we talk, sing, make faces, and interact with our babies. 

1. Tummy Time

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 Tummy time is one of the earliest ways your baby learns to play. During this time, the baby will develop coordination along with strengthening their necks and upper body muscles. Lay your baby on their tummy and get on the same level making faces and noises that encourage them to lift their heads. You can also use props like Newborn Flashcards, lay them out in front of your baby or show it to them yourself to get them to focus and pay attention. These cards will also help in stimulating their eyesight. Research suggests that exposing very little babies to black and white colours increases the amount of time spent looking at the environment from an average of 4-5 minutes to up to 45 minutes.

2. Exploring the face

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Babies love to touch and feel different things. Let your baby touch your face or a stuffed toy (for toddlers) and communicate with them about the parts they touch. You can even make different expressions and let them explore by touching your face and then make them touch the same body part on themselves. This will teach them about communicating with the face.

3. Boxes

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You don’t always require specific materials to help your little ones in play. They love the simplest things. One such thing is a box! Yes, a simple cardboard box or a shoebox can go a long way. There are ‘n’ number of activities you could do with a box. You can wrap the box and let your baby unwrap it. They love the sound of tearing paper and enjoy doing it, it will also build their hand strength. You can also play hide and seek with it, place the box somewhere close in your baby’s line of sight and encourage them to crawl and locate the box.

4. Pull Along Toys

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You can turn just about any toy into a pull-along by simply attaching a piece of yarn or shoelace to your baby’s favourite truck or soft toy and encourage them to tug. They will love seeing the effect of it. You can even place the string at a distance so that the little one is motivated to crawl and tug it. 

5. Making Choices

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Give your baby two toys, one to hold in each hand. Then offer the third toy, with this they will practice decision-making skills. Give up one toy to hold another or hold all three together? It’s a physical as well as a mental exercise.