Games with a baby: from birth to 3 months

Playing games with your baby is not only enjoyable, but also essential for their development, especially if they are under three months old. Babies are learning about their environment during these formative weeks, and engaging in playful interactions can help them develop in a variety of ways.

Playing simple games with your baby can foster bonding, motor skills development, and sensory development. These activities, like gentle tummy time or texture exploration, set the stage for more significant moments to come.

We’ll look at a few entertaining and educational games in this post that are appropriate for your infant at this early age. These are the kinds of activities that are easy to work into your daily schedule and that are good for your child and you.

The brain and nervous system are the "keys" to understanding the world around us

Now it is no secret to anyone that the baby, while still in the womb, reacts to the emotional state of the mother and sounds coming from the outside. The leading role in this mechanism is given to the brain and nervous system, which ensure the interaction of the baby with others both in utero and immediately after birth. At the same time, the brain perceives signals coming from the outside and analyzes them – clear connections are formed that influence the development of the baby. And if some connection is used often, it becomes constant and stable. Meanwhile, when the connection is rarely or not used at all, the chances of its preservation are small. For example, when a baby hears speech around him from birth, he is more likely to learn to speak faster. Whereas if a child of early years was little spoken to, rarely or not read to, most likely, it will be difficult for him to master the skill of speech. Therefore, in order for the brain to turn into a thinking and emotional organ, it is necessary to give it “food” – vivid impressions and positive emotions.

There are three main points in human learning:

• Dependence on genetically determined abilities and upbringing (stimulation of learning, encouragement and care).
• Features of the brain of children in the first years of life: they derive great benefit from any experience and proper training.
• The process of acquiring new knowledge continues throughout human life.

But, just like with anything else, it’s crucial to avoid going overboard in your efforts to give the child the best. The best method is to watch the baby to find out what he likes. As a result, show your child love, care, and parental attention.

However, keep in mind that the infant has a natural curiosity that needs to be sparked by talking, grinning, making physical contact (such as by stroking or kissing), singing, and other activities. If not, the infant will become disinterested and lose motivation to learn new things quickly.

Now, let’s introduce the infant to the world that surrounds them—a world full of novel experiences and engaging activities.

Games for babies aged 0 to 3 months

Assist in creating the "foundation" for the child’s future growth and learning of new abilities, enabling them to grow up to be a contributing member of society and live in harmony with themselves.

Develop hearing

From birth, the infant can recognize their parents’ voices. The hearing aid is still developing, though, so help it along by exposing it to a variety of sound contrasts.

Options for the game

• First, ring a small bell near the child (not too loudly), then a larger bell.
• Transfer "music lessons" to the kitchen: demonstrate what sound a crystal glass makes when tapped with a spoon (not too loudly), and what a saucepan makes. Just don"t overdo it, otherwise you will scare the baby. In general, the kitchen is a favorite place for most children. After all, there are so many interesting things there!
• Sing songs, both lullabies and funny ones. Surprisingly, but already at the age of one month or one and a half months, most healthy babies react differently to the sounds of music: when it is cheerful, they start to “dance” (wave their arms and legs), when it is sad, they become quiet.

Having fun with a rattle

• Shake the rattle gently near the baby, then a little harder. You can sing any song (for example, "Top, top, baby stomps").
• When you see that the baby has paid attention to the rattle, turning his head towards the sound, slowly move it a little to the other side. Then repeat the movement and the song.
• When the baby gets a little older, put the rattle in his hand, teaching him to make a sound from it on his own.

Young children enjoy singing, so as they get older, they’ll attempt to mimic the sounds they used to hear.

Interesting information

When we used to bring crying babies into the chicken coop, the chickens would cackle and flap their wings in response to their perceived "alien" threat. Strangely enough, though, the clucking soothed even the most heartbroken sobbing.

Of course, you’re not going to snicker over your kid. Try an alternate approach instead, though: sit with him and listen to a calm, repetitive sound (like the sound of a washing machine).

Teach your baby to respond to your name

• When the baby is in the crib, come up to one side and call him by name. Continue calling until the baby starts turning his head or eyes in your direction to look for the source of the sound. Repeat the exercises, going around the crib, on the other side.
• During massage or hygiene procedures, talk gently to the baby, calling him by name.

Help the baby become aware of his own body

Additionally, playing these games helps to deepen your bond with the child.

Play "Breeze" game.

Grasp the infant’s palms in your hands, blow on them softly while repeating, "These are your palms," and then give them a kiss. Introduce the infant to the arms, legs, neck, and other body parts in a similar manner.

Bayu-bayushki-bayu is the game.

Proclaim, "Bye-bye-bye, I love you," as you rock the infant in your arms. Kiss your nose, neck, cheeks, or any other part of your body when you say the word "you."

Introduce to the beautiful

As we age, our musical preferences change, with some people favoring electronic music while others lean toward classical.

Nonetheless, since these are the sounds the unborn child hears in the womb, it is preferable for infants to hear quiet, calming music during their early years.

Instrumental music or lullabies are ideal. Additionally, pick melodies that repeat, which will help the baby’s brain make a stronger connection with the environment.

Develop vision, attention and the ability to follow objects

Since babies are drawn to human faces at this age, you can hang amusing pictures of family members or yourself above the crib.

The face of Mom, though, is my absolute favorite. Therefore, use your acting talents and grimace when you hold the baby in your arms or stroll alongside him. You can do this by making funny faces, opening and closing your eyes, making different lip sounds, etc.

Additionally, keep in mind that the infant repeats things a lot. As a result, he will start to mimic you in due course.

Games involving objects

Toys that are bright and monochromatic are preferable for these purposes because the baby can more easily focus his attention on them. Try to keep the area surrounding the child free of toys while doing this.

Even with the wide variety of toys available in various forms and hues, the tumbler remains a beloved item. Its benefits are clear: it has a quiet, melodic sound, an expressive face, and bright, saturated color. In other words, it improves hearing and vision.

It takes very little to pique the baby’s interest: just swing the toy next to him. Once the infant is a little older, fasten a ribbon to the tumbler and gradually instruct the child on how to use it. It’s not just for fun, either. Playing a game like this helps kids become more adept at identifying the causes and effects of actions and their outcomes.

For a baby at this age, mobiles and tiny musical toys are also fantastic.

Develop the sense of touch (the ability to feel touch)

Since the infant will benefit from this in learning about the world and himself:

• Rub different types of fabrics on the baby"s palms. For example, satin, wool or terry cloth are perfect for such purposes. At the same time, clearly name the thing or object that you are letting the child touch (for example, a blouse or robe).
• Let your child smell different smells: orange, flowers, etc. However, be careful, as smells can cause allergic reactions.

Strengthen the arms and legs

A hand-only game

• Put your index finger in the baby"s palm. As a rule, the baby immediately grabs it – a natural reaction of all newborns (an innate reflex that disappears as they grow older).
• Every time the baby grabs your finger, praise it. For example, saying the following words: “How strong you are (name)”.

A game like this for the hands also helps the child’s motor skills, attention span, and ability to follow objects develop. Additionally, it improves hand fine motor skills, which are crucial for speech formation.

A leg-only game

"Motorcycle"

• Put the baby on his back, then move his legs like the movements while riding a bicycle.
• While playing, you can sing a song about riding. For example, “We are riding, riding, riding to distant lands”.
• Or recite a rhyme:

"Pump, spin, pedal, faster, faster.

A lovely stroll, we have more fun when we go together.

Non-verbal communication is the transfer of information without the help of speech

In adulthood, everyone wonders at some point how they are treated by someone they adore, a business associate, or a coworker. Most of the time, we can solve the problem within. On occasion, he brings us joy. Sometimes, though, he let us down, leaving us doubtful and unwilling to trust our conclusions. We lament that we disregarded our intuition earlier when all the dots have been lined up over the "i’s."

Actually, we draw a conclusion without realizing it because we are observing our partner’s actions, postures, facial expressions, and so forth. In other words, we can deduce his emotional state from his "body language," or nonverbal cues.

Similarly, the infant picks up on other people’s subliminal cues about him.

Therefore, show the baby your love in a number of ways. He’ll feel secure then.

Non-verbal games

• During hygiene procedures, changing clothes or doing motor exercises, quietly pronounce (you can sing) simple words: hug and kiss, I love you. At the same time, gently kiss the nose, fingers, palms, confirming your words with action.
• Mom is the closest person to a child, since his existence depends on you. After all, it is to you that he sends an SOS signal in the form of crying or groaning when there is a “danger”: hunger, thirst, pain, and so on. Therefore, seeing your face, the baby perks up and rejoices. So do not deprive him of such pleasure.

Among the options in the game

Sing a song to the infant or softly say, bending down close to him:

"Hello, hello, you have my undying love."

Hi, hi, hello I am able to reach you.

Hi there, please touch your tiny nose.

Hi there, please give your tiny nose a kiss.

Additionally, you can recite the poem and identify the lips, eyelids, and eyes as you pronounce the final line.

Age	Games
0-1 month	Talk softly, make eye contact, smile, and let your baby listen to your voice.
1-2 months	Gently move their hands and feet, sing lullabies, and use simple rattles to grab their attention.
2-3 months	Show colorful toys, encourage reaching, play peek-a-boo, and softly tickle them to make them laugh.

Bonding and assisting your baby in learning about the world are the main goals of playing with them from birth to three months. Your child can feel soothed and happy by engaging in simple activities like talking, singing, and gentle physical contact.

Keep in mind that each baby is unique, so follow their lead. During these early months, the most important aspects of play are your presence and attention.

Cherish these unique moments spent together, and let go of the need to perform flawlessly. The most important thing is the relationship you’re creating.

Playing simple games with your baby between the ages of three months and birth fosters a strong emotional bond while promoting early development. Talking, singing, and making eye contact are examples of gentle activities that stimulate children’s senses and promote interaction, which lays the groundwork for later cognitive and motor development.

Video on the topic

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Games for children 0-3 months [Loving mothers]

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